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Do you think swearing is a bad habit? It’s not polite, that’s for sure. However, swear words are a part of every language and they can sometimes help us reduce stress. English cursing words have different styles and variants, depending on the country.
Swear words, often referred to as curse words, expletives, or profanities, are words or phrases that are considered offensive, vulgar, or inappropriate in certain contexts.
Learn everything about English curse words, also known as swear words, bad words, or insults, and download your 3 Cheat Sheets to understand all of them!
- Swearing in Media
- Why Swear?
- Uses of Swear Words
- What Makes A Word Bad?
- David Cameron's 'Jokey, Blokey Interview'
- Censoring Swear Words
- Supreme Court Rulings on Swear Words
- The Lighter Side of Swear Words
- Sources
Profanities in today's society are about as ubiquitous as air, but here is an example from media nonetheless. Spock: Your use of language has altered since our arrival. It is currently laced with, shall we say, more colorful metaphors, "double dumbass on you," and so forth. Captain Kirk: Oh, you mean the profanity? Spock: Yes. Captain Kirk: Well, t...
If using swear words is considered offensive or wrong, why do people do it? As it turns out, there are many reasons that people might choose to pepper their language with colorful curse words, and profanity actually serves a few meaningful roles in society. Here's what the experts have to say about why, when, and how people swear.
"A final puzzle about swearing is the crazy range of circumstances in which we do it," begins Steven Pinker. "There is cathartic swearing, as when we hit our thumb with a hammer or knock over a glass of beer. There are imprecations, as when we suggest a label or offer advice to someone who has cut us off in traffic. There are vulgar terms for every...
So how does a word become bad? Author George Carlin raises the point that most bad words are chosen rather arbitrarily: "There are four hundred thousand words in the English language and there are seven of them you can't say on television. What a ratio that is! Three hundred ninety-three thousand nine hundred and ninety-three ... to seven! They mus...
Just because many people swear doesn't mean that swear words aren't still controversial. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron once proved in a casual interview how quickly conversations can turn sour when swear words are used and lines between what's acceptable and what's not are blurred. "David Cameron's jokey, blokey interview ... on Absol...
In an effort to use swear words without offending, many writers and publications will replace some or most of the letters in a bad word with asterisks or dashes. Charlotte Brontë argued years ago that this serves little purpose. "[N]ever use asterisks, or such silliness as b-----, which are just a cop-out, as Charlotte Brontë recognised: 'The pract...
When public figures are heard using especially vulgar expletives, the law will sometimes get involved. The Supreme Court has ruled on indecency countless times, spanning many decades and multiple occasions, though often brought to the court by the Federal Communications Commission. It seems that there aren't clear rules as to whether the public use...
Swearing doesn't always have to be so serious. In fact, swear words are often used in comedy like this: "'Tell me, son,' the anxious mother said, 'what did your father say when you told him you'd wrecked his new Corvette?' "'Shall I leave out the swear words?' the son asked. "'Of course.' "'He didn't say anything,'" (Allen 2000).
Allen, Steve. Steve Allen's Private Joke File. Three Rivers Press, 2000.Carlin, George, and Tony Hendra. Last Words. Simon & Schuster, 2009.Holmes, Janet. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. 4th ed., Routledge, 2013.Hughes, Geoffrey. Swearing: A Social History of Foul Language, Oaths and Profanity in English. Blackwell, 1991.- Richard Nordquist
- Buzzfeed Staff, UK
- Rory Lewarne
- 46 sec
- Arse, arsehole – n., variants of ass and asshole. Can also be used to mean bothered ("Can't be arsed") or acting the fool ("Stop arsing about!"). Mild.
- Bastard – n., illegitimate child or mongrel; objectionable fellow, probably one who has won one over on you; unpleasant situation ("I'm having a bastard of a morning!").
- Bell, bellend – n., head of a penis; fool. (Only write as "bell end" if referring to the end of an actual bell.) Medium strength. See also: dickhead, knobend.
- Berk – n., idiot. Very mild, yet apparently originated as rhyming slang for "Berkeley hunt".
Jul 15, 2010 · Cuss is simply an American alteration of curse, and its meaning “to say bad words” was first recorded in 1815. Swearing. How does swear come to simultaneously mean “to bind oneself by oath,” and “to use profane oaths or language”?
Profanity, also known as swearing, cursing, or cussing, involves the use of notionally offensive words for a variety of purposes, including to demonstrate disrespect or negativity, to relieve pain, to express a strong emotion, as a grammatical intensifier or emphasis, or to express informality or conversational intimacy.
