Bad Language

[poliphilo]

According to a recent survey British people swore less in 2014 than they did in 1994.

Yes, that accords with my experience.

The fun of swearing is that it's transgressive. As it becomes normalised- as happened in the 90s- the fun factor diminishes. Where's the dividend in saying "fuck" if no-one is shocked?

There's a fashion is swear words. "Bloody" is well out of favour. From my own observation I'd say the same is true of "damn"- which was considered pretty strong when I was a kid but can now be printed without asterisks in even the mildest of family publications.

Incidentally the convention that you can disguise a swearword by inserting asterisks has always struck me as daft. Is there a person on the planet who is doesn't know what is meant by "f*ck", "sh*t" and "b*gg*r"?|

Comments

[cmcmck]

Those asterisks used to be a censorship requirement.

[poliphilo]

Indeed.

And censorship is daft.

[lokbiiviing]

And now the asterisks make it *funny*. With them the word becomes comedy! Obviously. Like in comics. :D

[shewhomust]

I look forward to reading more about that survey than the headline. At present I'm wondering whether we compensate for swearing less by doing something else instead - I'm thinking of the way that racial / personal insults, which used to be ill-mannered and stupid, now have that genuine magical frisson: the N-word, for example, can't actually be spelled out in full even to point out that it can't be used...

[cmcmck]

But sadly, the 'G' word and its offshoots still seem to be acceptable insults.

And for me, that's personal!

[poliphilo]

I assume you mean "gay".

Which falls into the category of words that can be positive and affirmative or dismissive and insulting depending on context. "Ian McKellen is gay" is uncontroversial. "That's so gay" is insulting...

The "N" word is in a slightly different category- in that one group of people can use it freely and without offence and another group has to tip-toe round it- as I am doing.

[cmcmck]

No- I'm not gay after all. The word for Romani that so many people seem to think is okay to use but is only okay for those who own it (I have the blood so that's me)- Gypsy. It's in the same category.

[poliphilo]

Yes, I guess...

But whereas the "N" word always is and always was abusive, the "G" word has a chequered history- and is sometimes used admiringly and positively. People in "housen" have always had an ambiguous attitude towards travelers- at once resenting and envying their freedom.

[cmcmck]

And the Romani have a 'G' word for them. Gauji.

However, it isn't an insult, simply meaning people wot live in houses!

P** P* B**** B** D*******

[qatsi]

Yeah, it's weird the way some words get "reclaimed" or repurposed by an oppressed group. When I was younger, even the B in "LGB" was a bit out-there; now it can be LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQIA, or the future-proofed LGBTQ+ - quite why "queer" became empowering, other than an in-your-face way, I am not sure. Recently I recall there was some controversy over "faggot" too which I infer belongs to a similar category as the N-word. I recall a former colleague claiming to have had some very odd looks at US immigration, say 15-20 years ago, coming off an 8-hour flight and saying "I'm desperate for a fag".

Only the C-word is left for special occasions, but maybe I am just being polite.

Re: P** P* B**** B** D*******

[cmcmck]

And of course in the UK a faggot is also a sort of meatball made from all the less posh bits! :o)

It's been going on for years. I'm a Quaker by faith and that started out as an insult in the 17th century which got owned.

Re: P** P* B**** B** D*******

[poliphilo]

It's never straightforward. "Stupid cunt" is insulting, but "daft cunt" is affectionate. I believe Muriel Belcher of the Colony Room used to address all her favourite customers- Bacon, Hurt, Freud etc- as "Cunty".

"Bugger" has already completed that journey- and is hardly rude any more. No-one takes offence at being called a "silly old bugger".

I caught the Mail putting asterisks in "pussy" this morning- a word which in certain contexts is completely inoffensive.

[poliphilo]

We still swear- only not as much- and it no longer has the impact it once did. Racial insults are not in quite the same category, I think- as their utility is limited. You can use them to insult people and that's about it- whereas "fuck" and "fucking" are wonderfully versatile. I remember a scene from The Wire which illustrated this: two detectives were investigating a crime scene- and the only word they used was "fuck"- each time with a different inflection and shade of meaning.