Or cursing as you lot call it.
Opinions?
I can't stand hearing people swear in the street, especially kids.
Now I LOVE swearing. I swear a lot at home and with people I know won't be offended. It's part of how I express myself and I think certain words deserve a lot of credit for a: the multiplicity of situations in which they are appropriate e.g. sudden physical pain etc and b: the pure sound they make when uttered regardless of their meaning.
Having said all this, because of my upbringing I would never dream of inflicting my industrial language on any unsuspecting member of the GP.
Any thoughts?
And no ***!!$& in the replies please.

There are times when *no* other word will express the strength of what you feel.

Why all the guilt?

Yes, I don't like hearing it much either. But sometimes it feels awful good to just let those words out. Double standard, I know.

jodi

Certain situations just require swearing. Like last Sunday when I was stuck in a four-hour traffic jam on I-70 in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, and it was snowing, and I had to pee in front of a mile-long stretch of cars, and when I finally got to a town all the restaurants were closed, and, and .... &*&#&@# *@(@# @#(@*#(*

Maybe swear words are prayers for atheists?

:D

And while the Christians clasp their hands, we have a somewhat different gesture...

kenny, not exactly. God answers prayers, but sends the cursing atheists straight to eternal damnantion!

(Without purgatory too.)

I don't know if I'd call it guilt. It's more a case of sticking to the principle of a place for everything and everything in it's place I guess. :rolleyes:

I don't understand why swear words are considered offensive.

Why is the "S-word" offensive, but the words "spit", "skit", "shot" and "shut" are not? And "faeces" is not?

It makes no sense to me.

Maybe it's 'cause you're in Australia? Here in America we still suffer hang-ups over stupid sh...err...stuff.

While working as a pilot I spent 3 days flying with a man who used a certain profanity on a regular basis. After that trip I quit swearing, I find it very demeaning.

Yes, like every other sentence for me.

No, it isn't that. Swearing is considered offensive by many Australians, and almost everyone knows it's inappropriate in certain situations.

Definitely a cultural thing, I've used the F word three times a minute since I was a kid. I've talked that way in front of my Mother since I was 17 or so. I've used the word in front of Commissioners at work. It's just a matter of knowing whether someone would be offended. Few people I know are. It's part of the idiom where I come from.

CJQ:
Right! I'm on the next flight over.

Aaaaaaa... forgit abot it....

I don't like cursing, I think it is a bit crude, unless it is humorous. I let anything slide for humor!

Depends on the person I suppose. When I was a kid our next door neighbour was a London Cockney. He cursed and swore all the time. Didn't matter what he said or who was present. It was how he swore that made all the difference. He made swearing his art of communication.

Renauda, if he was a cockney couldn't we safely assume he was from London?

P.S. Sounds like my partner's Dad btw. :rolleyes:

I don't like swearing one bit. (or smoking, but this is the only graemlin I could find )

I'm not a big swearing fan... so when I do, people really stand up and take notice! That by itself is a great argument to keep it to a minimum.

I do have a weak spot for swearing while driving, though. Don't know why that is....

OK, hun, I'm always ready to learn some new 'swears'... (BTW, I use "English" swears too. I'm particularly fond of the "W--ker" word..)

Go ahead,I can take it

;) 'at's b'tween you 'an me luv. i' t'was fo' ben'fit o'f 'thers 'ere. Apples 'n pears goes up the stairs....

IMHO, swearing indicates one or both of the following:

1. Below-average intelligence
2. An inadequate vocabulary

Perhaps those who cannot find a better form of expression should spend some time consulting a thesaurus.

I don't know if I'd go that far Jerry. You can't use other words in all situations to convey certain emotions. The calculated use of curse words may in fact be an example of higher intelligence.

Of course if you simply swear every other word, the effectiveness is lost. But when someone who never swears lets one fly...everybody tunes in.

Point well-taken, ny1911.

Yes, a personal favorite. Why is it that curses and phrases from other cultures are so great?

I don't swear at all, but it's part of a Grand Strategy. If you normally don't swear, people tremble in fear when you do let 'er rip, as they assume you are in a homicidal rage.

Works for me!

Oh, and if you have kids and swear at all in front of them (or expose them to media with lots of swearing), they will eventually accidently let one fly in front of a teacher or parish priest or -- gasp! -- another parent!

Being excommunicated from the church I could live with. Being excommunicated from the community of Kids I Want My Kids To Befriend would be devastating.

I've always wondered why swear words are almost always the first words we learn of a foreign language......

I don't swear much because I just find it not very nice, however, every know and again, these are the only appropriate words in certain situations. Recently I've had to refrain from using a few in another forum here!

Because they often consist of one syllable and are emphasized in speech. In otherwords, they are easily heard and stand out in a sentence.

I agree with the principle "everything in its place". At home and can say what I ________(you decide) please. I'm sure many in my profession would be appalled if they heard me, but oh, well. It's my home! But in public, it's not polite and I'm big on manners.

My husband and I are always saying "ok - no swearing and the first one who does gets a sock in the arm " NEver works - bruised arms.

I think swearing is unnecessarily uncouth and rude and there is always a different word.

I can always manage to use other words in my vocabulary that aren't offensive to others.

However, saying that, I agree with Nina - I too do not swear a lot, so when/if I do it is very effective.

Yes... and there is nothing, I repeat nothing tackier IMO than hearing a little kid use bad language. I don't let my kids say "butthead," much less the real stuff.

Mum washed my mouth out with soap when I was little for telling brother Phillip to 'shut up'! That told me!

Do all countries/languages have forbidden words.
If so, are they all related to sex and waste elimination and religion?
Why?

Why all the guilt?
Why not allow all expression?

As I'm sure many of you know, George Carlin has a notable opinion on this subject.

I agree about the effectiveness of an occasional swear word in the right situation.

At the same time, growing up in the streets of Brooklyn achieved its indelible programming. If I'm with a certain kind of crowd, especially in a setting like a football stadium or a sports bar, the spigot opens and the blue words flow all too effortlessly. And it feels so good!

Who the f**k needs a g**-***ned thesaurus? My vocabulary isn't just a bunch of s**t, you know!

Sorry, couldn't resist! :p :p

(As my grandmother used to say, "I can make sailors[/b] blush!")

I whipped out my handy thesaurus and did a quick, G-rated translation of Matt G's statement:

Who the heck[/b] needs a darned[/b] thesaurus? My vocabulary isn't just a bunch of junk[/b], you know!