Cursing/Swearing

[Dilla]

Maybe I should using Pootie Tang phrases instead of curse words, see how that works out.

Honestly, I tried to go completely devoid of curse words for a while, but the alternates sounded really tacky and awkward coming out of my mouth with my particular accent (though, I still use crudmunchers sometime), and my friends/cousins though so too. So, I just said the hell with it. Like I said before, I have enough sense to watch my mouth when needed.

[ReiKoko]

i don't swear myself, but everyone i know except my mum swears all the time, which doesn't affect me. i'm in no way offended by it at all and i have absolutely no problems with people swearing around me, or even at me. the reason why i don't swear myself, is cos a long time ago, i decided that it just 'wasn't me' . . . if that makes any sense at all xD

[Drake]

I cant help swearing its just how and where I was brought up.

Although I obviously have enough restraint not to use it around people that I should'nt especially given my occupation is in retail.

I cant really hold it against anyone who does swear as its just something thats varys in acceptance from person to person and place to place.

[Solidus1321]

Used to swear a lot, dad always did it around me and I got into sports with a team that, lets just say didn't do to well. That was all through high school.

Now I sound kind of werid but I just would say the first letter of the word, and now its just become a habbit for me. So around other I really never swear, but alone when I either get real stressed out or I do something like stub my toe, I sometimes let something slip out.

No I don't have a problem with it from my friends and others, if its a little controlled not just every other word. If I have kids now, im pretty sure I beat there ass if anything like that comes out till there over 18 years old.

[Theowne]

I rarely curse whether in public or in private. It's not something that comes naturally to me, I don't get the "urge" to do it.

[Shinoto]

I remember my first time swearing, playing soccer. Sliding about 5 feet through the bushes and my leg going through a wooden fence. Thus a painful experience, yet they were all completely impressed I could swear! Not the fact my leg was bleeding heavily...the swearing was the focus

I'm odd, sometimes I'll say something stupid like Fudgling Diggling Bars, Pickle sprouts, or other such comedic phrases, other times I'll blast the F word like its the only word in the English book.

[npcomplete]

Originally Posted by Vexx

The first curse word my first child ever uttered was when he was three years old. He was riding with his mother (shotgun in the "carseat of protection +5") when the garbage truck in front of them lost a load of garbage cans.

When my son saw the cans go airborne towards them, he grabbed his seatbar and yelled "Shit!!!!!" at the top of his lungs.
Usually my wife goes into a volley of oaths in such situations, but she was swerving and braking through the obstacles, too busy to say a word.

My later joke to her was "you must have been so proud... "

At least he didn't learn to recite his ABC's the "adult" way...


When I went to the UK, I sat on a bus next to some school boys and was surprised at just how much they cussed.. I mean it was like every other word. Maybe it's because I have this perception of British folks having a more sophisticated air about them..

And then again in New Zealand.. I was in a boat next to some girls and was surprised to hear that level of cussing.

But somehow.. I dunno, maybe it's the accent or good english nonetheless, I also find it kinda amusing when Brits/NZ/Aussies swear.. perhaps sounding a bit more flowery if that makes any sense.

Personally I'm not really bothered by other people swearing, but I can't bring myself can't swear out loud (except for damn, crap, etc)

[Haladflire65]

For us schoolkids, I guess swearing's like a part of our culture. Especially for Koreans - we can't live without cussing. Heck, even teachers swear; they can't tell the kids not to... I started swearing a lot when I went to school in Korea. And the habit hasn't been broken ever since - it's depressing.

[Jazzrat]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

The more pressing reason for me is that it shows an insensitivity about the cursing person. I'm rather sensitive to the emotions of those around me (especially if I know a person well). Cursing, unless used comically (I'll get to that next), expresses a lot of anger. A person who curses over every little thing is, to me, someone who is not at peace. Each curse underlies a lot of negativity. I actively recognize that and dislike it; I wonder how many others are negatively impacted without really recognizing that their mental state was just littered on.

Originally Posted by Vexx

Aye, the radiation of emotional negativity was one reason I cut back a lot (really didn't fit into buddhist and related philosophy).

That's assuming you're in a polite well mannered environment. In my current job, cursing and swearing is very common especially with the field engineers. Most of us swear and curse to unwind or destress. Just to let out some of those trouble bottled in us. It's a sort of camaraderie among us.

Peace is doesnt exist during our working hours. Although compare to other construction company, our engineers are quite tame in their choice of words.

Off work behaviour is another matter entirely though.

[Autumn Demon]

Fuck is a useful word when used as a verb or exclamation; as an adjective and adverb it's completely unnecessary.

[rave]

Originally Posted by Narona

Rarely, especially IRL. I consider that it is wrong to swear/curse. As my mom says, cursing/swearing is unladylike (and she is quite strict about that xD).



Same here...

It is not wrong to swear curse,please.It is a natural reaction most of the times that someone can tone down,but it is not wrong.And unladylike what?You know,sometimes you should not do what your parents say,and do what you feel like doing.

[dec4rhapsody]

Ok...This may be off topic...But now I really want to use the dirtiest words possible and need a place to do so.

Sorry I have to launch the F-word against the Green Dam Youth Escort software...

[KholdStare]

I don't curse or swear (IRL). I do it online often, but it rarely slips out face to face, even among my closest friends.

[ChainLegacy]

I swear fairly often, but it depends on who I'm with. My diction is completely different between different groups of people, as I'd assume is the case with everyone.

[danin8r44]

Swear too much, you appear stupid and boorish. Swear too little, you appear weak and close minded. Swear just at the right times either in a joke or when something truly surprising or enraging happens and definitely not in formal environments, it ends up just right.

[WanderingKnight]

Uh, I dunno, I guess I swear a lot? Then again our language has a far more colorful repertoire of "bad words" than English, both in intensity and variety of topics (in English it's more like "fuck fuck fuck fuck" and the occasional genitalia references--funny how it all has to do with sex somehow ).

Never really thought about it, and no one seems to care. Guess it must be cultural differences. There aren't also any sort of "no swearing" enforcements on the media, either. Of course I wouldn't run around swearing in extremely formal situations, but normally no one gives a damn. I swear in front of my boss, my boss swears in front of me, everyone's happy.

[Hyperion]

I swear once in a while, usually if I'm mad or if I'm gaming (which usually get's me mad if I'm loosing poorly). Regularly I say "damn, shit or ass". Damn is my main thing I say, the other two if I'm pissed.


I refrain from swearing as best I can. I'm around friends that do nothing but swear, so I think I'm doing good for what little I use.

[Narona]

Originally Posted by rave

It is not wrong to swear curse,please.It is a natural reaction most of the times that someone can tone down,but it is not wrong.

I exposed my personal opinion, and didn't force it into the other people. If you disagree, it's your right. *I* think it's wrong, and so i don't curse/swear, but what the other do is not my problem.

And unladylike what?You know,sometimes you should not do what your parents say,and do what you feel like doing

It's not as if I was forced I think that's the right way, so it's now my opinion.

Replace Unladylike by Not Classy if you prefer.

And again, it's a personal opinion, so you can disagree. No need to call me out again over that.

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by rave

It is not wrong to swear curse,please.It is a natural reaction most of the times that someone can tone down,but it is not wrong.And unladylike what?You know,sometimes you should not do what your parents say,and do what you feel like doing.

It is not natural, it is learnt and adapted given the environment.
I’m sure there were pleeeenty of refined women back in the Wild West who came across crude language of the cowboys (or even the women who worked in the brothels) who could communicate fine without resorting to the harshest of them as the cowboys may have done.
It also can be self-controlled or a person simply has no desire or sees/feels a need for it.
It's not wrong as in a definite black and white case such as murdering someone, however as sooooo many people are posting it has its purpose, right?

It lends strength to your sentences (short of using it for any situation so much, you fail at synonyms of the English language to express the same feelings)
- It's crude, it's brash, it's harsh, it's aggressive, it's explicit, and it’s strong.
That's its function within language in terms of register, so how a person uses those is a display of your character or social setting.
I said it and I believe Ledgem and Vexx said something similar about being on the receiving end and hearing it all the time, there's this negative, sometimes aggressive vibe to it, cause a lot of us may only swear at extreme moments.

So to hear it regularly is a turn off.
Of course if it's natural to you cause you grew up in it, you'll be jaded to its effects but a person will at some point in life have to learn to curb their foul mouth given a situation; I doubt you can go about expressing yourself peppered with swearing throughout life in various situations where you encounter unknown people.

As for it not being ladylike, it isn't.
It isn't also very gentlemanlike either.
Meet someone for the first time and casually begin swearing cause “hey, it’s only words”, 9/10, it’ll leave a negative impression.

Originally Posted by danin8r44

Swear too much, you appear stupid and boorish. Swear too little, you appear weak and close minded. Swear just at the right times either in a joke or when something truly surprising or enraging happens and definitely not in formal environments, it ends up just right.

I have and I far prefer my friends who have the natural born talent (gift of the gab) who can put someone down so damn hard and not a single swear word is needed.
(If they wanna add to it, it just becomes obliterating.)
For some reason, I’m attracted and drawn towards a guy when I see they can do that.
But they can manipulate the English language so well and then to add tone and stress (which also conveys emotion you know), it's more than enough.
But trust me, there noooooooooooooothing "weak" about what comes out of their mouths. You don't even have to be on the receiving end of it, but can come out of it feeling just as worthless, upset, shocked or hurt, it's that effective.

A swear word is a single entity in itself to portray the nuance and tone of a sentence (or on its own).
But some insults when taken in context overall are far harsher than a few blue curse words.
It's a kinda sarcasm and way of insulting that British people do very very very well for hundreds of years (BBC sitcoms are a good place to begin to get an idea of this)
The British (well middle/upper class) are a prime example of withholding obvious and blatant strong swear words but can put a person down, or cuss eloquently or express anger, shock or pain just as well without them.
As I’ve said earlier, swearing is an art in itself and doesn’t have to even involve the “middle or higher” level curses.

Swearing is easy, thus easily used and can be easily addictive if it’s a constant part of your usual lexicon.
To achieve similar effects without resorting to the harshest of them is impressive.
It's something as someone who for 80% of her life couldn't get a swear sword past her lips (mental block, it felt wrong to me) to now having to resist to pepper my lexicon with middle level ones, is something I'm challenging myself to achieve.
I guess it's more my inner writer's sense that demands I learn to manipulate the English language better than resorting to cursing, it’s too easy a tool to use.

(And for some reason for me, it's kinda a turn on if a guy can display that kinda mental wit and play with the English language.
On the other hand, those who can curse on a blue streak creatively using suitable metaphors and similes to fit the environment or situation or person perfectly, I also find hot) xD

[Claies]

My first "curse" was when I was three. My dad came home from work and asked me what one is, and I raised my index finger smiling. He then asked me what two is. Well, now.

The thing is cursing at the right time really adds to the fun and brings some excitement up. Any other time will make everything uncomfortable. You just need very, very good censor-fu and figuring out when you need to switch to family-friendly mode.