Position on cuss words??

[Quell]

Just curious to see what people's position on cuss words are. I personally try to use them sparingly, not at any time directed towards someone. Occasionally though if I like stub my toe on my desk or something I say the occasionally "F---" or "D---". But, what really astounds me though is sometimes when I'm out with my friends, like at the mall, there are kids no older than 11-13 just cursing-away like it's just another word they learned at school. Although the media probably has a lot to do with this, any other possible points of blame?

 

[QTpi]

The media has a lot to do with it, especially the movies. I have seen movies where it seems that the only word the actors know is f---. Kids pick up on that and think it's all right. They also think it's "cool" to cuss. For some reason they think that makes them appear tough. When adults cuss like that, I figure they must really be ignorant that they can't think of any other words to use.

 

[Bastet]

I try never to swear at work, and I try not to swear in public, and I try not to swear in front of kids. I know I am guilty of slipping it into conversation now and again, but if I notice I'm doing it, then I stop. I have an uncle, and every second word is f***. It's not a good look (or sound), really lol. If I injure myself, or if I'm really angry, then I'm bound to let fly...but it doesn't happen as often as it used to.
I remember when my mum had my little brother and sister, she would try to substitute innocuous sounding words, like "fudge" instead of "f***", for example. Everyone knew what the meaning was behind the words, but it didn't sound quite so bad. I do that a lot myself, I say "sugar" instead of "s***", I've noticed lately. I've been reading Anne McCaffrey's dragon books again this past week, so no doubt I'll be saying "shards" and "shells" again for a while...
I know some people think some words are bad, that I don't particularly think are bad...for example "damn", "bugger" and "bloody". Some people find those really offensive, bu I certainly don't think they're up there with "f***", "s***" or (one I really hate), "c***". I think it also depends on the context. "Bugger" is an oft-used Aussie word, and it's not always meant in a bad way. (Although I remember the day, when I was about 9 or 10, and I told my mum that the elastic on the cat's collar was buggered...thought she was going to kill me. She gave me "the look", and all I could say in my defense was "Well....it is!".)
I guess the media has had some influence...I remember when 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' came out, and there was a big hooha, cause the first 5 words of the movie were "f***". If that came out today, I doubt it would cause a ripple. I must point out though, that I learned almost every swear word I know, from my mother, and my stepfather (especially when he was out in his shed and thought nobody could hear him). I just wasn't allowed to use them until I left home.

 

[Ceridwen018]

Bastet, that's pretty much how I am. Cussing doesnt make you sound smart, so I try to keep it at a minimum in every-day conversation, but if I'm angry I could make the toughest sailor cry!

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I always worry that if I begin cursing, I won't be able to stop. Also, the English language is so... inventive, it seems like an insult to go to a certain fiery place, as opposed to telling them that you wish vultures would feast on their innards. (I know that, in that case, you are trying to insult the person... but I find the other way more fun.) There's a quote that I can never get quite right... "Profanity is the sign of an inarticulate mind trying to express itself." I think that's a mean thing to say, but sometimes quite apt.

Hehee, apparently I'm kind of like Bastet, it seems, in that, when I do feel the need to curse, I take my curse words from other universes. "Frell" from 'Farscape' and "smeg" from 'Red Dwarf'. The only time I've ever 'taken the Lord's name in vain' was by instinctivly combining these when I realized that a roller coaster I'd reluctantly agreed to go on was much higher than I'd though. According to my sister, the loudest phrase one could hear, as the coaster began to drop, was "God, Jesus, frelling smeg!"

I informed my father, who was sitting behind me at the time, that it was a type of prayer. And I suppose it was... just a very involuntary one.

 

[Sunstone]

I worked for three and a half years in an environment in which my co-workers used "f***" about every second or third word. I picked up on it and learned to swear with the best of them. After I left that environment, I had to make a conscious effort to clean up my speech, and it was difficult. Since then, I've not wanted to get back in the habit of cussing.

A while back, I had neighbors upstairs of me who every other night or so would get into a shouting match. They'd cuss at each other at the top of their lungs. It was impossible not to hear them. Sometimes it was about money, sometimes it was about work, sometimes it was about other things. But no matter what they were "discussing", they hurled the same tired cuss words at each other over and over and over again. For the life of them, they couldn't come up with any new and daring insults. It was always "You SOB" and "You mother******". Never anything clever, new or daring. I got so tired of it, that I was preparing a manuel for them of varied curses they could use in place of those. I mean, I felt that since I had to hear them, I had a vested interest in what they said. But they moved out before I could give the manuel to them. It was a relief to see them go.

 

[Bastet]

Hehee, apparently I'm kind of like Bastet, it seems, in that, when I do feel the need to curse, I take my curse words from other universes. "Frell" from 'Farscape' and "smeg" from 'Red Dwarf'.

Did you see the first 4 letters of my email addy? Not a coincidence lol. I only lengthened it, cause most usernames need at least 6 characters.
I also use "sonofamotherlessgoat" from 'The Three Amigos' quite a bit.

The only time I've ever 'taken the Lord's name in vain' was by instinctivly combining these when I realized that a roller coaster I'd reluctantly agreed to go on was much higher than I'd though. According to my sister, the loudest phrase one could hear, as the coaster began to drop, was "God, Jesus, frelling smeg!"

I don't swear on rollercoasters. I just scream. Loud.

 

[standing_on_one_foot]

It takes away the point when you cuss too much...I mean, you can't use those words with any impact when you're mad if you always say them anyway. You either have to say some pretty innapropriate stuff or put a lot more feeling and effort behind it. That's why I almost never swear outside of "hell" and "damn" (although I've been known to make comments on the ancestry and conditions of conception of various pieces of furniture I've banged my shin on and the like)...when I'm really mad, I don't have to swear too much I put far too much thought into my laziness.

 

[Bastet]

It takes away the point when you cuss too much...I mean, you can't use those words with any impact when you're mad if you always say them anyway. You either have to say some pretty innapropriate stuff or put a lot more feeling and effort behind it. That's why I almost never swear outside of "hell" and "damn" (although I've been known to make comments on the ancestry and conditions of conception of various pieces of furniture I've banged my shin on and the like)...when I'm really mad, I don't have to swear too much I put far too much thought into my laziness.

Again, I think of Monty Python. I used to use some of these quite a lot lol...


GUARD: You don't frighten us, English pig-dogs! Go and boil your
bottoms, sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you,
so-called Arthur-king, you and all your silly English kaniggets.
Thppppt!

GUARD: I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed
animal food trough water! I fart in your general direction! Your
mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!

 

[Feathers in Hair]

"Now go away before I taunt you some more!"

 

[Quoth The Raven]

One of my personal favourites: I hope your scrotum spontaneously explodes.
Useful for all occassions.

 

[Ardhanariswar]

i usual swear in my head, though my speech is much cleaner. im very quiet in school so you kno, im constantly thinking. i dont swear that much, just a lot of damns and goshs and Jesus Christ. once i said Jesus facking Christ. but thats all my friends fault. yes, i can blame.

 

[Runt]

I think cursing is a poor replacement for the wide variety of much more specific, scathing things one can come up to say about people or situations WITHOUT resorting to bad language... however, I will admit that at times it is immensely satisfying, and occassionally in writing it is far more appropriate to have a character say, "Sh--!" than to have them say "Well, golly gee" or the slightly more fun but still not as effective, "Curses!"

 

[Ceridwen018]

I read Hardy Boys books when I was little. They say such things as "Raspberries!" Even at my young age I still burst out laughing at the novelty of it.

 

[meogi]

I read Hardy Boys books when I was little. They say such things as "Raspberries!" Even at my young age I still burst out laughing at the novelty of it.

Haha, that reminds me of the plethora of Robin quotes from Batman (Mr. Adam West style). "Holy tax payers, batman!" - I always wondered if he ever was thinking "Holy sh**, these villans are dumba**es, batman!"

I wont lie, I swear a lot, usually only on the internet bit**ing with my friends, or if I'm too dumb to think of a good word to describe something as either "really super awesome" or "really un-super not-awesome," or if it's the word f'in, because that's just a good adjective. I do it mostly in my head though, and they rarely make it out in natural speech. I don't see anything wrong with them though. They're words, and you use them to convey a point. (Sure, there are better words, but I'm lazy and am learning a different language right now, so I'm content with my english vocab atm, however lacking it may be).

And although you never really do it, I love swearing in Japanese... there's just something about it that makes it sound better... probably the whole 'different language' thing.