People Who Get Pissed Off About "Curse" Words

[BroomJockey]

I'ld bet that most here would not feel the same about ethnic slurs. They are just words right?

Would you go back and check my post? I've got an example that pretty much addresses that. Anything can be used as a slur if you do it right, you bonkwally.

[Boozy]

Using curse words in professional settings is not very classy, and a bit rude. Same goes for certain social situations. It all depends on the context.

Around my close friends and family, I swear, because I know that they don't mind. But unless I'm sure that everyone in the room will be unaffected by my choice of language, I refrain. I don't personally have a problem with curse words, but I recognize that a lot of people do. And it's no big deal to choose my words more carefully.

If Greenday's friend doesn't realize that her language is offending others, then she can be excused to some extent. Some people have grown up in settings where no one blinks an eye when someone swears, and she may not realize that it's not appropriate in some situations. But once she's been made aware that it can and does offend others, the polite thing to do would be to lay off the language.

I suppose that if she feels very strongly that her penchant for cursing is a non-negotiable part of who she is, she should stay in jobs and social situations where it's unlikely that anyone will have a problem with it.

But I'm wiling to bet that she recognizes that some situations call for more professional language. I doubt she's ever cursed a blue streak in a job interview, for example. Most people who curse like sailors do understand that their language has the potential to offend. The question is, do they decide to moderate their language only when it suits their own purposes, or do they recognize the discomfort they are causing others and scale back at that point? There's nothing morally wrong with cursing, in my opinion, but I do think it's classy to consider the feelings of others.

[Flyndaran]

Would you go back and check my post? I've got an example that pretty much addresses that. Anything can be used as a slur if you do it right, you bonkwally.

I take offense! Kidding.
I just see a little irony in taking offense for others taking offense.

[tropicsgoddess]

I do have a colorful vocabulary, but there's a time and place for that. I don't like cursing in front of kids, unless the parents are comfortable with it. I could never bring myself to curse around my family (mainly because my parents are old school conservative), except with MIL (and of course SO) who is cool about it.

[MystyGlyttyr]

I take offense! Kidding.
I just see a little irony in taking offense for others taking offense.

Race card. Getting offended by a person who gets offended at you because they think you're treating them differently over their race, when you were not, is perfectly logical, because they are implying something insulting about you by their offense.

Circuitous, yes, but it happens a lot, heh.

[Flyndaran]

Race card. Getting offended by a person who gets offended at you because they think you're treating them differently over their race, when you were not, is perfectly logical, because they are implying something insulting about you by their offense.

Circuitous, yes, but it happens a lot, heh.

Ooh good point. It's sad that there are legitimate forms of offense from offense.

[powerboy]

As far as I'm concerned, actions are more important then words. So say fuck all the fucking time, I don't care.

But actually being an asshole to people for no reason, if you're cursing or not, is the real rude thing to do.

That is true. Curse words are just words. Like what was said, it is all about how you say it. What I want to know, is why are they considered bad? Who thought up that?

[BroomJockey]

That is true. Curse words are just words. Like what was said, it is all about how you say it. What I want to know, is why are they considered bad? Who thought up that?

Well, as someone else said, with words like "cunt" and "fuck," they're short, abrupt, and harsh sounding. Like an automatic interrupt on what anyone else is saying or thinking. Interrupting someone is disrespectful, which is bad. It shows you don't have any regard for what they're saying.

As for words like "bastard" or "shit," they tend to be cultural. Bastards didn't have the same rights to inheritance that an acknowledged child did, so they were lower. Shit is dirty and smelly, and only the lowest jobs and poorest people had to deal with it. So to say that someone "is shit," "smells like shit," or so on is to put them on a low social status, and call them something that no one wants to deal with. So, over time, curse words became short cuts to insulting people. Rather than having to explain all the implications behind a word, it was generally understood what someone's meaning was.

[BlaqueKatt]

From my experience, the people who get vocally offended by swearing are usually very self-righteous and sanctimonious.

I don't get offended by them but I will probably not pay attention to much a person that curses has to say-why you ask well there are 1,000,206 words in the English language why limit yourself to the lowest form of expression/lowest common denominator, if you can't express your thoughts without cursing, I'm probably not interested in them.

To put it another way;

If I am angry enough at someone to insult them, the language I use, by the time they process what I've just said to them/called them, I'm long gone, the argument is over, and they lost their chance to make a "witty retort" or some sort. While someone cursing a blue streak, will probably get the same thrown back at them and the argument will escalate.

I have called someone a misogynistic, simian sodomite-in the vernacular that translates to: woman-hating monkey fucker-being called either one which would you respond to first, and which would you need to think about/process while I left the area?

[AFPheonix]

I've got a mouth on me too, but you have to be smart enough to know what audience you're talking to, and change your speech to be mindful of that. It's one thing if I'm back by the filling counter with my coworkers where we can safely cuss up a storm and tell dirty stories. It's another if I'm by out-window and assisting a little blue hair.

Heck, I've even figured out that if you drawl a little, people seem to think you're all folksy and shit and don't really argue with you when you tell them something. Go figure.

[Flyndaran]

That's absolutely the truth. To be proper social animals, we must almost change our personalities and speech patterns to properly deal with others.

I never could get the hang of that. I 've always been the same person at home as I was at school as I was in public with friends. I always hated watching my brother change like a chamleon when in different situations.

[XCashier]

I admit, I have a colorful vocabulary at times. Anyone who has read my LJ (or been in my garage ) knows what I mean. I don't go around cursing like a sailor though--there's a time and a place for it.

There is a time and a place for it, and an amount. I had one temp job where the second-in-command swore constantly, and I mean constantly; literally every third word was an obscenity. And he wasn't angry, that was just his speaking style, even on the phone to clients! This was an office job, and I found it very unprofessional and uncomfortable, to say the least.

At school / job / place of worship / other non-casual setting, please curb the vulgarity. At home or a party, you can loosen up. Yelling a cussword after a sudden injury is understandable.

The way I see it, swearing in speech is like habañero sauce in cooking; a little sprinkled here and there might spice things up, but a gallon thrown all over renders it unpalatable. (My own humble opinion, your mileage may vary.)

[Lace Neil Singer]

I don't swear in front of children, customers or parents. XD I tend to say different things; at the moment, my cuss word of choice is "stickleback" which is certainly not a swear word. xD However, with my mates, I do swear a lot, probably as a reaction from not being able to swear at work, etc. Kind of like how when I first started earning my own money as a teen I went mad buying gum, cuz I wasn't allowed to have it at home.

[Lachrymose]

bonkwally.

I am so adding that to my repertoire.

[Teysa]

Swearing doesn't really bother me that much. I did find it amusing back in High School that the other kids would apologize for swearing in front of me. I had a reputation for being fairly strait-laced in those days. However, I was not nearly as offended by the occasional dropping of an f-bomb as those kids seemed to think.

I do occasionally swear, but I try not to very often. I prefer swearing in German though. It's just such a fun language for that purpose.