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Thread: To Swear Or Not To Swear

  1. #1
    Knight's Aide
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    To Swear Or Not To Swear

    This is a topic I've been wandering about for some time now. Is swearing a good thing or a bad thing?

    I know that research has been done that suggests that swearing immediately after an injury can act as an analgesic, but only for a person who doesn't swear very often, as opposed to thos f-ing people who f-ing swear all the f-ing time. People who never stop swearing, even to point where they say "f-ing" rather than "erm".

    Then again there are those who say that swearing is a degredation to one's vocabulary. I would disagre with that claim as in certain contexts swearing can enhance how somebody feels about a certain topic or just to express an emotion. Of course if used at the wrong time it can be offensive and words such as those with racial origins should be avoided, but used moderately and sensibly, I advocate that swearing is an important function of language that should no longer be shunned.
    "Mere flim-flam stories, and nothing but shams and lies." - Sancho Panza, in Don Quixote, pt. 1, bk. 3, ch. 11 (1605)

  2. #2
    Registered User Emil Miller's Avatar
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    I don't like swearing and it seems to be becoming more prevalent. Only the other day I heard some fould-mouthed bastard sounding off on the radio.

    All joking aside though, it shows an inability to express oneself articulately without resorting to crudely offensive language and that alone, except when occasionally used in jest, makes it a no,no.
    "L'art de la statistique est de tirer des conclusions erronèes a partir de chiffres exacts." Napoléon Bonaparte.

    "Je crois que beaucoup de gens sont dans cet état d’esprit: au fond, ils ne sentent pas concernés par l’Histoire. Mais pourtant, de temps à autre, l’Histoire pose sa main sur eux." Michel Houellebecq.

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    Word Dispenser BookBeauty's Avatar
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    Any kind of swearing, in any context, is often disturbing to me. I frown upon it. It just seems uncouth and unnecessary. Although I tolerate it in conversation as the norm, I simply do not approve.
    There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. ~Oscar Wilde.

  4. #4
    Knight's Aide
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    At the end of the day though, they are just words, however they are used. They are always on standby in moments of extreme emotion in case you temporarily lose your ability to be articulate.
    "Mere flim-flam stories, and nothing but shams and lies." - Sancho Panza, in Don Quixote, pt. 1, bk. 3, ch. 11 (1605)

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    Registered User Emil Miller's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sancho Panza View Post
    At the end of the day though, they are just words, however they are used. They are always on standby in moments of extreme emotion in case you temporarily lose your ability to be articulate.
    This may well be true, but if you know how to remain articulate in circumstances where the cause of your annoyance happens be another person, it's possible to punish the perpetrator by keeping cool and destroying their belief in themselves with language that is more like a rapier than a bludgeon.
    "L'art de la statistique est de tirer des conclusions erronèes a partir de chiffres exacts." Napoléon Bonaparte.

    "Je crois que beaucoup de gens sont dans cet état d’esprit: au fond, ils ne sentent pas concernés par l’Histoire. Mais pourtant, de temps à autre, l’Histoire pose sa main sur eux." Michel Houellebecq.

  6. #6
    Word Dispenser BookBeauty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Emil Miller View Post
    This may well be true, but if you know how to remain articulate in circumstances where the cause of your annoyance happens be another person, it's possible to punish the perpetrator by keeping cool and destroying their belief in themselves with language that is more like a rapier than a bludgeon.
    There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. ~Oscar Wilde.

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    I swear when I am really mad, but I don't swear at people, except my husband, once in awhile. Someone would really have to do something horrible for me to react in that way, (except for my husband, he gets it when he is being too clueless). I also don't give the finger to drivers who cut me off (unless it was my husband) my son did that once when he was a passenger in our car, I gave him a lengthy lecture on how that can get you killed.
    However I would like to swear at my Governor.
    Last edited by KCurtis; 02-11-2012 at 04:24 PM.

  8. #8
    Card-carrying Medievalist Lokasenna's Avatar
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    While I understand Emil's point, I do think there are times when swearing may be artfully and meaningfully employed. It is because I do not swear with every breath that, when I do it, people know that I mean business.

    As for the taboo nature of it all, I must admit I have no difficulty saying f*** when the need arises, and it certainly causes no blushes. About the only word I actually have difficulty expressing due to the offensive nature of it is c**t.
    "I should only believe in a God that would know how to dance. And when I saw my devil, I found him serious, thorough, profound, solemn: he was the spirit of gravity- through him all things fall. Not by wrath, but by laughter, do we slay. Come, let us slay the spirit of gravity!" - Nietzsche

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    TobeFrank Paulclem's Avatar
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    There has been research into swearing as a painkiller, which is referenced by several articles on the web.

    Here's one.

    http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2...er-study-shows

    I can testify to the painkiller effect of swearing. The number of times i've caused myself those minor toe stubs, or ankle twists are too numerous to mention, and each time i'm sure my sturdy and florid use of swearwords has helped me through the pain barrier.

    I think comdy swearing is funny. It might be a blokey thing, but one of the things my friends and I used to do all the time was think up and use the most abusive phrases we could. Classics such as:

    You ******* *** ******* and You flat nosed *** **** are common, the humour being in the appropriateness of use and the emphasis of the words.

    Having said that, I don't use swearwords in normal conversation, and not at work. A well placed swearword - in the right company - can enhance a comic line, whereas overuse is just tedious.

  10. #10
    Original Poster Buh4Bee's Avatar
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    Well according to this article posted by Paul, we should swear away, particularly women when in pain. Personally, as I get older, I swear less and less often, but as a teenager, I swore like a sailor. There are particular instances that do bring on a round of swears, like when my beagle goes out to piddle and gets his line wrapped around the step. Then he can't get inside, because the line is too short. Following my awareness of this highly annoying scenario, I have to step out into 18 weather in my PJs to untangle him. He gets called a thing or two. But at work I rarely swear. I do know who it offends and am very conscious of watching my mouth.

    I agree with Emil's point that people who speaks with too much profanity sounds foolish. If you are frustrated, you can express yourself in a controlled manner and make a more hurtful point than using profanity.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Emil Miller View Post
    This may well be true, but if you know how to remain articulate in circumstances where the cause of your annoyance happens be another person, it's possible to punish the perpetrator by keeping cool and destroying their belief in themselves with language that is more like a rapier than a bludgeon.
    Yes, because the artful use of language will surely be appreciated by the man whose most clever insult is, "Go eat ****, mother****er."

    I curse. Sometimes I curse a lot. I usually keep it in context though, like when I'm with friends or my dad (who also curses a lot). I never curse when meeting strangers. I usually only curse when joking around or emphasizing a point.

    I hate the argument that when someone curses, it just means that they're unable to articulate themselves. While it may be true with some people, it is hardly a universal rule. I can use myself as an example. I can also use a few of my professors as an example, as their vocabularies are through the roof, but that doesn't keep them from using curse words every now and then (usually just in private conversation, because we know each other well enough to know that we can be ourselves).

    Like someone said, they're just words. Get the **** over it, will ya?
    Last edited by Mutatis-Mutandis; 02-11-2012 at 06:44 PM.

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    Original Poster Buh4Bee's Avatar
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  13. #13
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    Who gives a fcuk?

  14. #14
    Original Poster Buh4Bee's Avatar
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    no one

  15. #15
    Registered User Emil Miller's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=Mutatis-Mutandi;1114453]

    Like someone said, they're just words. Get the **** over it, will ya?
    "You silly twisted boy", as Hercules Gryptpipe Thynne was wont to say.
    Last edited by Emil Miller; 02-11-2012 at 07:52 PM.
    "L'art de la statistique est de tirer des conclusions erronèes a partir de chiffres exacts." Napoléon Bonaparte.

    "Je crois que beaucoup de gens sont dans cet état d’esprit: au fond, ils ne sentent pas concernés par l’Histoire. Mais pourtant, de temps à autre, l’Histoire pose sa main sur eux." Michel Houellebecq.

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