Swearing

Old Salt said:
One word I can't abide to this day and I cringe in disgust every time I hear it, and that is to hear a woman being called a b...h!
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hollydolly said:
I think that's the least offensive swear word..in fact I don't even think of it as a swear word..
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It is. And, hollydolly, you should be offended. Trust me, when used in reference to a woman, it has more meaning than you think.

When a (so-called) man says "stupid b#$%h," he's basically saying the same thing twice.
 
Murrmurr said:
It is. And, hollydolly, you should be offended. Trust me, when used in reference to a woman, it has more meaning than you think.

When a (so-called) man says "stupid b#$%h," he's basically saying the same thing twice.
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why does it have to have stupid in front of it... I just am not offended if people want to call me the name for a female dog.. it means very little to me tbh...it must mean a whole different thing in the US
 
Murrmurr said:
It is. And, hollydolly, you should be offended. Trust me, when used in reference to a woman, it has more meaning than you think.

When a (so-called) man says "stupid b#$%h," he's basically saying the same thing twice.
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When I first replied here, I was thinking of people just generally swearing but, of course, if someone is using it in an abusive way that is different.
I think most people find the C word offensive and, fortunately, I rarely hear people use it.
 
hollydolly said:
why does it have to have stupid in front of it... I just am not offended if people want to call me the name for a female dog.. it means very little to me tbh...it must mean a whole different thing in the US
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It doesn't, I was pointing out that the words "stupid" and "b...ch" mean the same thing to the (so-called) men who use them. Only in the US... I doubt it. Especially among guys who like rap music, that's universal.
 
hollydolly said:
fortunately I don't know anyone who likes Rap Music...
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I am so glad you brought up Rap Music / Hip Hop! @hollydolly I was tempted to start a conversation only this morning to see how many seniors had managed to keep up with the modern taste in "music." I was sure it was nothing but a short lived fad way back when! I am helplessly astounded at its popularity, world wide! To me it's bad poetry set to a beat, not music and yet ... it's earning awards from critics, favourable mention in magazines like billboard etc. I was always proud about not having been left behind but I've been left behind in this case!!!
 
hollydolly said:
why does it have to have stupid in front of it... I just am not offended if people want to call me the name for a female dog..
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So a brilliant or wise b**ch would be ok?

It is a kind of stupid thing to have made it's way to a swear word.

Not unique to English, in Mexico "cabrón" is a very common swear word, literally it just means a male goat but to call a man a cabrón would be quite insulting, like calling him a bastard or something in English. And bastard is another strange one, why would the marital status of one's parents be so important?
 
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Alligatorob said:
So a brilliant or wise b**ch would be ok?

It is a kind of stupid thing to have made it's way to a swear word.

Not unique to English, in Mexico "cabrón" is a very common swear word, literally it just means a male goat but to call a man a cabrón would be quite insulting, like calling him a bastard or the something in English. And bastard is another strange one, why would the marital status of one's parents be so important?
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I really don't care if someone calls me a btch, it wouldn't insult me, but it would tell me something abut the class of the person..other than that I don't care..calling someone a bitch here is not classed as swearing... One could choose to be insulted or not.. but it really isn't in the same class as the F or C word..
 
I don't personally find any swear words offenses, from either of the extremes of the spectrum. I don't find them threatening either. To me, they are just words, sounds. I have no issue with certain names being taken in vain; they mean nothing to me.

Swear words don't hurt me, in any way whatsoever, and never will. People's actions and behavior can 'hurt' me though, but thats something different. I look at people who have sworn at me with some degree of curiosity. In those situations, I sometimes think to myself, "Is that all you have got, words?"

The perception of individual swear words changes over time. Some that are now considered very bad were once acceptable words in normal conversation. Some acceptable words now were considered vulgar swear words in the distant past. I won't be dictated to by people's perceptions and feelings about words, as those perceptions do slowly change over considerable time. I'm not dictated to by society's whims in regard to words.

This might seem like a contradiction to some. I do swear, in certain circles, including words that some consider really bad. I don't swear in front of women and children; I wasn't brought up that way; I'm in my mid 50's. Women of all ages swear in front of me in normal conversation. I don't respond in kind.
 
Old Salt said:
I am so glad you brought up Rap Music / Hip Hop! @hollydolly I was tempted to start a conversation only this morning to see how many seniors had managed to keep up with the modern taste in "music." I was sure it was nothing but a short lived fad way back when! I am helplessly astounded at its popularity, world wide! To me it's bad poetry set to a beat, not music and yet ... it's earning awards from critics, favourable mention in magazines like billboard etc. I was always proud about not having been left behind but I've been left behind in this case!!!
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Dreadful Bilge... I thought it had all but died out here.. then I turned the car radio on yesterday and it was playing.. immediately turned it off..
 
hollydolly said:
why does it have to have stupid in front of it... I just am not offended if people want to call me the name for a female dog.. it means very little to me tbh...it must mean a whole different thing in the US
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Just the opposite for me. If someone made a direct insult towards me I’d be upset. I can’t ever recall it happening. A generic swear word is annoying but I can shake it off.
 
Magna-Carta said:
I don't personally find any swear words offenses, from either of the extremes of the spectrum. I don't find them threatening either. To me, they are just words, sounds. I have no issue with certain names being taken in vain; they mean nothing to me.

Swear words don't hurt me, in any way whatsoever, and never will. People's actions and behavior can 'hurt' me though, but thats something different. I look at people who have sworn at me with some degree of curiosity. In those situations, I sometimes think to myself, "Is that all you have got, words?"

The perception of individual swear words changes over time. Some that are now considered very bad were once acceptable words in normal conversation. Some acceptable words now were considered vulgar swear words in the distant past. I won't be dictated to by people's perceptions and feelings about words, as those perceptions do slowly change over considerable time. I'm not dictated to by society's whims in regard to words.

This might seem like a contradiction to some. I do swear, in certain circles, including words that some consider really bad. I don't swear in front of women and children; I wasn't brought up that way; I'm in my mid 50's. Women of all ages swear in front of me in normal conversation. I don't respond in kind.
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@Magna-Carta I sincerely admire your self-esteem and wish I had some of it! In my case words hurt every bit as much as actions! Regrettably!
 
..the C word, I've never had directed at me.
when it is almost exclusively used in a derogatory manner toward women; I think the manner in which it is used is what makes it more offensive. Yeah, I hate the word.
 
Murrmurr said:
It is. And, hollydolly, you should be offended. Trust me, when used in reference to a woman, it has more meaning than you think.

When a (so-called) man says "stupid b#$%h," he's basically saying the same thing twice.
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I think personally I would be far more offended by someone telling me what I should or shouldn't be offended by, than any perceived swear word. And even that would quickly tail off into insignificance.
 
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Old Salt said:
I am so glad you brought up Rap Music / Hip Hop! @hollydolly I was tempted to start a conversation only this morning to see how many seniors had managed to keep up with the modern taste in "music." I was sure it was nothing but a short lived fad way back when! I am helplessly astounded at its popularity, world wide! To me it's bad poetry set to a beat, not music and yet ... it's earning awards from critics, favourable mention in magazines like billboard etc. I was always proud about not having been left behind but I've been left behind in this case!!!
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Me, too! Never could get into it.
 
Funny how words are misused down the ages…the “C” word originated in India through the Goddess Kunti, the word has since evolved from the Old Norse “kunta,” referring to …

Read the rest here:

https://theestablishment.co/a-brief...nating in India through the,Dutch, meaning “b

The only two swear words I use infrequently are BS (just the initials) and bl**dy. I would love to be a fly on the wall of those who say they never swear, except for my parents and my husband. Never heard bad words from any of them or my brothers (they may have done among their friends).

Interestingly, Reboot analysed over four million comments on Reddit and examined the UK's most populated cities' subreddits to find that Glaswegians were the most guilty of breaking out the profanities online, with over 15% of comments including a swear word!
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Old Salt said:
@Magna-Carta I sincerely admire your self-esteem and wish I had some of it! In my case words hurt every bit as much as actions! Regrettably!
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I sometimes wonder if I should or need to be offended by them. Based on some around me who are really surprised when I show no offense. Some seem shocked that I'm not offended or feel threatened. I therefore at times think is there something missing in me.

I don't see myself as not being personally offended as something I have consciously worked towards. It's just that I don't really care less about people's swear words towards me. Perhaps strangely, if I see someone swearing at a woman, that seems different somehow. Not in the words themselves, but in their behavior. In that I'm watching them intensively. Their general manner; their facial expressions; their body language. In case things get 'aggressive', physically.
 
LadyEmeraude said:
..the C word, I've never had directed at me.
when it is almost exclusively used in a derogatory manner toward women; I think the manner in which it is used is what makes it more offensive. Yeah, I hate the word.
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Thats interesting, in the UK I hear it used towards men far more than toward women. I can't even remember the last time I heard it directed towards a woman.
 
I swear most often when I'm driving and someone does something stupid on the road. I'm the only one in the car. My partner and I sometimes use swear words in private, but it is only between us. I don't use them in public.

I guess my Southern Baptist roots sometimes come into play. I remember when Frankie Valli released "Swearin' to God" and it was unanimously maligned by my church. Now it seems so tame.

I do hear the "F" word used frequently in public by younger people and it still makes me wince. I guess I'm a bit of a hypocrite since I use it in private, but I don't use it casually... only when I'm angry.
 
Bella said:
According to this article, I must be brilliant! 👩‍🎓😊

"Swearing could actually be an emotional release valve and studies show that people who swear like a sailor are more honest and more intelligent." Surprise, surprise... 😆

"Well, damn. Maybe you stubbed your toe first thing in the morning. Or some thoughtless commuter forced you to slam the brakes on the drive to work. Perhaps you’re just fed up with it all and feel like sinking to your knees and cursing the heavens.

If you’ve ever suppressed the urge to unleash a string of obscenities, maybe think again. Some research suggests that it might be a better idea to simply let the filth fly.

Scientifically speaking, a penchant for profanity doesn’t seem to be such a bad thing. Studies have shown that swearing relieves stress, dulls the sensation of pain, fosters camaraderie among peers and is linked with traits like verbal fluency, openness and honesty.

And the effects of cursing are physical as well as mental. A 2018 study in Psychology of Sport and Exercise found that letting out a few choice words during a workout can actually make you stronger. In the study, participants who cursed aloud while gripping a hand vise were able to squeeze harder and longer.

Timothy Jay, professor emeritus of psychology at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, thinks that humans partly developed taboo language as an emotional release valve.

“There’s a point where it’s just more efficient to say, ‘F*&^ you,’ than it is to hit somebody,” adds Jay, a world-renowned expert in cursing. “We’ve evolved this very efficient way to vent our emotions and convey them to others.”

Pain Relief ​

As anyone who’s ever struck their thumb with a hammer can attest, swearing is a pretty common response to pain. But for years, some pain specialists thought that cursing doesn’t really help much in those situations. They theorized that swearing might actually have a “catastrophizing” effect, meaning that it prompts people to exaggerate or overstate the severity of pain.

In 2009, researchers from Keele University’s School of Psychology in the U.K. set out to study whether swearing alters someone’s experience of pain. Based on previous assumptions that swearing was a “maladaptive” response to pain, the scientists guessed that swearing would make pain feel worse.

But, surprisingly, the scientists found that swearing actually increases an individual’s pain tolerance. The team tasked 67 undergraduate volunteers with plunging their hands in ice-cold water for as long as they could handle it while repeating a swear word of their choice. Then, they did the experiment again — but this time, the students said a neutral, non-taboo word. The research team found that volunteers were able to keep their hands submerged in the frigid water for longer while repeating the swear word.

In addition, because swearing was accompanied by an increase in heart rate, the scientists think that cursing may trigger an individual’s “fight-or-flight” response. They suggest that swearing triggers negative emotions that serve as an alarm bell, alerting someone to danger and sparking an innate defense mechanism.

Damn Honest ​

Beyond swearing's impacts on the body and mind, research has shown that cursing can influence our social dynamics, too. A 2012 study found that swearing can enhance the effectiveness and persuasiveness of an argument. In addition, cursing can also convey an emotional reaction to something without us resorting to physical violence.

And while many might consider swearing less than savory, a recent study revealed that people who curse often actually lie less and have a higher degree of integrity.

After the scientists surveyed how often participants use profanity, they conducted a series of tests to determine how truthful an individual was. The research team found a positive link between profanity and honesty. Cursing was associated with less deception on an interpersonal level, and higher levels of integrity overall.

Fluent in Foulness ​

For many, the use of obscene language isn’t just a sign of boorish behavior — a common assumption is that people swear because they lack the vocabulary, education or even intelligence to express themselves in other ways. In other words, when language fails, we curse.

“It’s a form of linguistic snobbery,” says Jay, referring to the presumed link between swearing and intelligence. “It’s a cultural stereotype. But the more I became sophisticated in language studies, the more I realized that every language scholar knows that’s not true.”

To deconstruct this myth, in 2015, Jay and a research team explored another possibility — that “fluency is fluency,” regardless of linguistic content. The psychologists found that an individual’s fluency in the English language was linked to fluency in swearing. In other words, swearing may actually be a sign of greater intellect, not less, and a more robust vocabulary.

In the study, the researchers asked volunteers to think of as many words beginning with a certain letter of the alphabet as possible in one minute. Afterwards, they tasked the volunteers to rattle off as many swear words as they could within the same time frame. By comparing the scores in both fluency experiments, the scientists found that those who scored higher in verbal fluency were also better equipped to spout off obscenities. "

“People who are good at producing language are good at producing swear words,” adds Jay. “It’s not because they don’t have language — it’s because they have a whole toolbox full of words.”

Swearing Like A Sailor May Not Be Such A Bad Thing > https://www.discovermagazine.com/he...mouth-swearing-could-actually-be-good-for-you


Bella ✌️
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Thanks for posting that article. I enjoyed reading it & I can relate. I swear a lot, but I will watch where & who I do it around.
 
Lilac said:
Thanks for posting that article. I enjoyed reading it & I can relate. I swear a lot, but I will watch where & who I do it around.
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You're welcome, Lilac. :)

Just to be clear, I don't swear or curse at people. I don't call people names, and I don't curse in conversation with people I don't know well. I'm careful around people who I know have delicate sensibilities because I don't want to have to resuscitate anyone.
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