I would like to discuss the importance of curse words in my life and the current affair regarding the F-Bomb.
I am not a prude. Yet, I do not like the casual use of profanity in everyday language. Curse words are the unexpected spice or the verbal equivalent to a punch to the nose that helps us get thru the day. Curse words convey power to the recipient and more importantly the speaker. My prefered use of curse words is in unexpected humorous situations and when I accidently bang my head on the corner of my kitchen cabinet.
This brings me to the current trend of using the F-bomb as a everyday word. Making such a great angry word like F**K part of everyday life has striped aways it’s power. So all you people who are following this current trend, why are you doing this? To be cool, or hip? How can you take away the power of this word yet not give us a subsistute expletive. I love profanities like SH*T, CR*P, and G*D D*MN IT. I try to stay away from vugarities that relate to sexual organs because they make me feel like a sexually frustrated teenage boy. So my list of great curse words has self imposed limits. Limits give power, commonality waters down vulgarity.
Sometimes it seems like much of society has come down with Tourettes. So think before you open your filthy mouth. Are you prepared to strip the power from F**K?
Here is my current list of curse words in order of power. I realize that you may feel differently about the order of these words depending on how you where raised.
Least powerful, great for use in humorous situations:
Sh*t
Cr*p
Medium potency. Best used in times of frustration:
D*mn
D*mn It
G*d D*mn
G*d D*mn It
Son of a B*tch
Highest importance. These words are useful in car accidents, being injured by inanimate objects, and just before you think you might have to hit someone.
F*ck
F*cker
Mother F*cker
God D*mn Mother F*cker
Please notice I left out B*tch and Wh*re. These words are sadly just mere shadows of themselves.
Too funny.
I’ve found cursing in foreign languages to be very effective. The German word for sh*t always works well for me.
i just laughed out loud when i said the the last 4, in quick succession, with a fair amount of vehemence (under my breath, of course…there are children around these parts). and i totally agree. overuse cheapens, surely.
Well said, m’lady!
I myself am partial to a mixed “G*ddamned motherf*cking piece of sh*t.”
Just rolls off the tongue–so to speak.
AMEN sista!!
Andrea you have me cracking up!!! You are too funny, I like it!
LOVE YOUR BREAKDOWN!! I totally agree, and say “Here, Here!” to your rules of use!
Sooo funny! I also love it when someone drops a sort of newish cuss-type phrase, like “son-of-a-crack-wh*re” and “dirty little *ss face”, the latter used in referance to a lawn mower. Maybe they’re not new, but creativity cracks me up when used like that!
When I was in college and working at GS camp, language had to be at it’s most pristine, but in private one year, our favorite expression was:
sh*t-f**k-d*mn-p*ss-hell – all spoken as one word. I still say it when I am extremely frustrated.
Profanity is just a weak mind trying to express itself forcefully.
[There's many variations of that quote ...
"feeble mind"
"futile attempt of a _____ mind" ]
Other similar quotes:
Profanity is the use of strong words by weak people.
The blatant use of colorful metaphors is a tell tale sign of an uneducated, lowbrow, peon.
Obscenity is the currency of a bankrupt vocabulary.
I seem to have a reputation of being Polly Pureheart … Miss Priss … whatever you want to call the ‘prim and proper’. I don’t MIND that I have that ..hmmm… aura … about me. I know it’s not the ‘full’ me … it’s just what I want the general public to see.
Now, imagine my son’s surprise when I was asking him about part of his military uniform and I used the C-word (part of a woman’s intimate anatomy) when asking about a “GARRISON CAP”. My son had *never* heard me use the word before …. I believe he was shocked that I even knew the word [Ha! Fooled him!]. But, I didn’t know the PROPER name for the cap … and my father (god rest his soul) … ex-airman … had only called it a “c*** cap” … at least to my knowledge.
hee hee! i love this post! i do the “son of a b***ch ” all the time. but i do try and tone it down and end up saying “son ofa buck” i am not sure where i got that from.
I appreciate the effort ilively pit into her/his comment.
I learned to swear in the Navy where there was literally no other word for a trash can but “s*** can*–and after a while I became proficient. Then I taught at a university and my students used swear words ALL the time–which didn’t help me.
It wasn’t until I was working labor on a construction job and one of the young workers said–after my usual foul language–”I thought you used to be an English teacher.” that I became ashamed and cleaned up my speech.
Now I very rarely use a “bad” word.
Enjoy your blog.
You are my hero!!
I totally subscribe to that!
regards,
Sonia Luísa
Hi Andrea-
I love your blog! I thought I’d comment on the F-bomb. I sometimes use it, but more often lately, I’ve been using expletives that pop into my head in front of the sewing machine, and some others that have been with me for years. For example:
“Crudmuffins”
“Poopers,” which came originally from “Pooperscoopers.”
“Douchenozzle” I mostly like the soft shh sound contrasted by the hard Zs.
“Monkeybutts”
“Monkey Lover”
and from an old favorite, Nipple Man, “You magnificent bastard!”
Of course, when I do stub my toe, the F-bomb is usually followed by a “nuggets.” ‘Cause I like it. ‘Nuff said.