OT: What's with non-potty mouths?

[ntndeacon]

I tend to not cuss a lot. There are several reasons for it. I don't like to use that sort of language at work. I believe it to be unprofessional. Some of my expletives get a grin out of folks too. E.g. "son of a motherless goat"

[molson]

You have to keep a little something in reserve. I don't swear a lot. I did call an old woman a stupid cunt once. That amuses people who know me in real life. Her dog was attacking, and I thought at the time, killing, my dog. (I ended up getting the worst of it, I still have scars all over my legs from trying to pry her dog off of mine). I get a little dog rage sometimes. I lived in a neighborhood that had some issues with aggressive dogs casually off-leash. It's like I'm a different person. It actually feels pretty good to not be so reserved. One time my dog was attacked by a dog, I pepper sprayed the dog, and when the when the owner started yelling at me, I said, "Back the fuck off or you're next asshole". That doesn't even sound like me as I type it, but it happened. He backed off.

[Easy Mac]

I swear like a sailor around my wife/siblings/friends. Casual friends I generally don't swear, but most of the time kids are running around. Otherwise I don't swear in public because again kids. I also don't substitute fake swears, but do occasionally just skip the swear word if I'm in a situation where I can't swear but need to get the point across.

A guy in my office uses the word butthead a lot, which is weird because he's in his forties.

[cuervo72]

Who else is going to use the term butthead?

[molson]

Biff Tannen was using that word in 1955, he'd be close to 80 now.

[Julio Riddols]

I swear because that's just how I naturally talk. I try to respect children of other parents, but I let fly quite a bit in front of my son.. Thing is, he calls me on it because I have taught him that it is inappropriate and that daddy isn't always appropriate and that it is something adults do that children shouldn't. That's probably shitty logic, but the key is that he accepts it and understands why I don't want him doing it. He doesn't go around swearing at school or anything of that nature.

I just feel like I am lying to someone if I hold back among peers. That is not to say I go around trying to slide in a curse every chance I get, but if the flow of a conversation dictates loose banter I don't care who I am talking to or where I am at, I go with it. I curse when speaking with certain guests at the hotel all the time and nobody has ever had any objection to it.. If anything I feel like it brings a sort of instant connection to the conversation because it eliminates a lot of that mutual wall we put up when being introduced to someone new. People seem to be more easy going when the ice is sufficiently broken. It helps a shit ton when there are guests who are unhappy with something at the hotel.

[booradley]

I try to check my cursing all the time because:

1. There are many social situations in my life where it is absolutely inappropriate (church, high-level business meetings, family gatherings, in the presence of children etc.) Gotta stay in shape, etiquette-wise ...

2. Many people are truly offended by excessive vulgarity. As a decent human being, I care about that. Frankly, I LIKE people who are socially refined. I think they're admirable, especially that they maintain their discipline in this permissive little mainstream society of ours.

3. Now that I'm a bit older, and have achieved a level of responsibility in my life, I realize that I'm a role model for others, like it or not. I can (and have received feedback that I actually DO, shudder!) have a positive influence on other people's lives. And you never know who's watching, or when ...

Likely more reasons, but I don't want to write a book. All this being said, I'm no prude, and in the private company of people I trust I might curse like a sailor, and it doesn't bother me a whit if they do the same. Think I've typed enough now ... Fuckers.

[tarcone]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Heh, this reminds me of when I was at nationals for a college marketing competition. The most prestigious event was Quiz Bowl, and word spread of me and this Filipina from Michigan as the two rock stars in the event.

I'm hanging out with my team at a bar one night, and as usual, I'm swearing a lot because that's how I fucking roll in normal conversation. This girl is listening to our conversation, and she breaks in, "Oh my God... *you're* the guy from Wisconsin everyone's talking about?!"

I chuckled, took a drag of my smoke, exhaled, and was like, "Yeah... why?"

"I don't believe it! You swear so much!"

I chuckled again and shrugged. She goes on to tell me I shouldn't swear so much, because it made me seem less intelligent, and she still had trouble believing it.

Funny thing is, I caught her staring at me several times the rest of the night.

Waiting for the Penthouse story to start.

[TCY Junkie]

I first started to cuss as a joke, as I never cussed. The fucking 3 got beat by a head bob, fuck me. I wasn't happy about getting beat and tried to change the tune. My uncle laughed at me saying it's funny cause least likely person to cuss.

I don't get cussing, by the time you say it you could be thinking about something positive. I feel sorry for people that cuss, am I wrong?

[QuikSand]

Mental Floss on Twitter: "No Sh*t: People Who Swear More May Also Be More Honest, Study Says — https://t.co/caywSfqXtW https://t.co/BWHk7bdqsq"

[miami_fan]

Thread bump!

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday about swearing and how we have or have not changed with our use of it.

I have never been a big swearer and I still am not one today. My barometer is I can still shock my 11 year old when I do curse. I don't use faux swear words either though. I have never been ashamed to swear nor have I ever felt shame for swearing.

Has anyone changed their thoughts on cursing in general and specifically "faux swearing"?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Has anyone changed their thoughts on cursing in general and specifically "faux swearing"?

I'm probably slightly less filtered than I was when I answered several years back.

About the only time I use the faux stuff is for comedic effect or as a step below the proper word for the situation.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Thread bump!

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday about swearing and how we have or have not changed with our use of it.

I have never been a big swearer and I still am not one today. My barometer is I can still shock my 11 year old when I do curse. I don't use faux swear words either though. I have never been ashamed to swear nor have I ever felt shame for swearing.

Has anyone changed their thoughts on cursing in general and specifically "faux swearing"?

More thread necromancy!

Swearing is becoming more widely acceptable, linguistics experts claim | Mishal Husain | The Guardian

It is surely not the first time, but it is interesting to see the evolution of a thread to give an idea of what we all thought {checks opening post} twenty years ago.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Serious topic, really - not just a knock-off of someone else's...

I am amused by people who make serious efforts to go out of their way to use faux-curse words like "darn" and "friggin" when in an adult setting.

Okay - I understand that when around children, or even in an environment when you might be, it makes sense to avoid inappropriate language. I can handle that.

But when you're among adults, and you choose to use a not-quite-curse word... what do you accomplish? Okay, you said "friggin" instead of "fucking" -- got it. Why is the word "fucking" bad to say? Presumably because it has connotations of an act that is inappropriarte to discuss in polite conversation, right? It's not the order of the letters that makes it impolite - it's the meaning of the word. If that's true, though, why would it be okay to use another word that transparently has the exact same meaning and connotation -- but is just a different set of letters?

Maybe a clearer example -- why should "crap" be acceptable where "shit" is not?


A have a long list of things that make little sense to me... this is on there.

The way I was taught is that the words are about severity/intensity. For example, with "fucking" if you use it too much, it lessens the impact of when you use it. You are dulling your knife, so to speak.

I am certainly not afraid or shy to use the word, as anyone who has been around me here well knows, I'm sure. But in person, I rarely use it. But I can assure you, when I do, it is effective. Far more effective than when someone who squeezes two per sentence in. I can double the effectiveness of a joke with a well-placed and timed f-bomb, and I can double the effectiveness of a warning or alert with one. Think about the people you know that never or almost never say it. When they do, you notice.

My personal guideline is if I have the time and control to choose a softer word, I almost always will.

Also, since I've been a teacher for 25 years now, I've got quite a lot of practice at controlling it. Might as well take advantage of it.

[Toddzilla]

I've found that cursing has been a good way to let the kids know I'm deadly serious about something.

I'll ask them to "put their laundry away" and if it doesn't get done I guarantee a "put away your fucking laundry" will get it done every time.

[Toddzilla]

Originally Posted by tarcone

Waiting for the Penthouse story to start.

Cocky AND Funny work every time

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by MJ45

The way I was taught is that the words are about severity/intensity. For example, with "fucking" if you use it too much, it lessens the impact of when you use it. You are dulling your knife, so to speak.

I've often joked about the universal adjective and the difficulties future anthropologistical researchers will have deciphering the language of our time. This particular word can be used for anything, so it can mean anything, which also often results in it meaning nothing.

[QuikSand]

fun thread, don't ever fuckin' die on us