Do You Use Profanity?

[SlowwHand]

You'd almost have to be.

[ZEE]

Do You Use Profanity?

IRL hardly ever around another person anymore.

when im losing at a video game, bang my knee, or during some posts i see no harm in it

[Murg]

Oh, come on.

"Go **** yourself", for instance. I think that perfectly articulates how I feel.

What would you say instead of that? Can you say it as succinctly?

Succinct isn't my goal. Assuming I did get mad at someone on a forum (very unlikely as I don't take this stuff seriously) Im more likely to be more descriptive than a generic cuss word people throw out because they can't/won't articulate. **** is simple, but it's just too used, it doesn't have any meaning anymore. For example I might comment that you hold an amazing record, for all the posts you make I have yet to read one that didn't waste my time. It isn't as succinct, but it more accurately conveys my feelings than merely showing aggrivation with a swear word.

But again, it's unlikely that Im ever going to get bothered enough to say something like that in first place.

[asleepathewheel]

No, I generally find that people swear because they are unable to articulate what they are thinking. Though that could just be because I came from a little farm town so most of the people that I grew up around that swear all the time tended to be the biggest uneducated rednecks you can find.

"Would you so kindly insert your fully engorged maleness into my aroused and lubricated female region"=flaccid dick.

Time to leave Yoknapatawpha.

[zakubandit]

Curse words are just more words to use when you swear that can get the point across. It has nothing to do with being uneducated, as most of us are educated on the uses of these words and usually can use them in proper context. We know inanimate objects we hurt ourselves on are not alive, but we express our anger to the object specifically as though it was alive "**** you, you ****ing **** sucking piece of ****!" Or in excitement we needs to express ourselves better than "whoohoo" so we say things like, "**** yea *****es, I'm alive!"

I swore more than I didn't when I was in the Army. I had Joes who did dumb stuff a lot and harsh language tended to get their attention better than soft cuddly words. Call someone "a piece of donkey **** that's stuck to your boot" or "**** brained **** up" you get your point across better than "not smart" "thoughtless" or "dumb".

I don't swear around my son, or any kids *habit I have always had*, and I try to not swear around my Chinese colleagues or students, even though most of them don't even know English swear words, it just is impolite to swear around others in a public place, calm setting, or work place.

[Asher]

Succinct isn't my goal. Assuming I did get mad at someone on a forum (very unlikely as I don't take this stuff seriously) Im more likely to be more descriptive than a generic cuss word people throw out because they can't/won't articulate. **** is simple, but it's just too used, it doesn't have any meaning anymore. For example I might comment that you hold an amazing record, for all the posts you make I have yet to read one that didn't waste my time. It isn't as succinct, but it more accurately conveys my feelings than merely showing aggrivation with a swear word.

But again, it's unlikely that Im ever going to get bothered enough to say something like that in first place.

The problem with your insult is it makes you look stupid. If the posts keep wasting your time, why do you keep doing it?

[asleepathewheel]

Succinct isn't my goal. Assuming I did get mad at someone on a forum (very unlikely as I don't take this stuff seriously) Im more likely to be more descriptive than a generic cuss word people throw out because they can't/won't articulate. **** is simple, but it's just too used, it doesn't have any meaning anymore. For example I might comment that you hold an amazing record, for all the posts you make I have yet to read one that didn't waste my time. It isn't as succinct, but it more accurately conveys my feelings than merely showing aggrivation with a swear word.

But again, it's unlikely that Im ever going to get bothered enough to say something like that in first place.

I was under the impression that this was about ordinary conversations and personal interactions as opposed to forum posting. As such, my experience is that 15 word "zingers" such as the one you've provided sound either rehearsed, in effect a snootier version of "yo momma" or it comes off a bit Costanzian "I had sex with your wife." I drop f bombs all the time and then move on, I don't have time to waste with unnecessary verbiage, I'm moving way too fast for that.

[Murg]

The problem with your insult is it makes you look stupid. If the posts keep wasting your time, why do you keep doing it?

I dont know why people would bother to post their anger at each other on a forum, it was just an example. As you suggest I tend to ignore stuff that doesn't interest me.

I was under the impression that this was about ordinary conversations and personal interactions as opposed to forum posting. As such, my experience is that 15 word "zingers" such as the one you've provided sound either rehearsed, in effect a snootier version of "yo momma" or it comes off a bit Costanzian "I had sex with your wife." I drop f bombs all the time and then move on, I don't have time to waste with unnecessary verbiage, I'm moving way too fast for that.

I can't say that I have much opportunities to really insult people in person (or on a forum) so it doesn't really come up. You are right that clever things may just sound rehearsed. Lets take a few examples of times you might swear:

1. In a fight with someone. This isn't something I typically do, but I would tend to say something more specific to the situation. But who knows, the only people I really fight with are my wife and my boys (normal family stuff) and I would never swear at them and I wouldn't expect that they would swear at me.

2. To show irritation. This is the big one where I suspect most people swear and I probably don't. Let say someone pulls out in front of you in traffic. Some people would swear or call them a name. Which leaves me wondering why they are so upset about it that they have to act out. Being the father of 2 boys it reminds me more of the physical tantrums they used to throw. I try not to let these sorts of things get to me.

3. Common conversational language. This is the category I meant where it just sounds uneducated to me (this is my bias, if you swear or not probably has little to do with your education and more to do with your upbringing and environment). Im not impressed by people that say: "Im going to the f***ing cafeteria to get a coffee, they better not have that same f***ing coffee that they had yesterday. That s*** was f***ing awful." To my ears it sounds like they have given up on appropriate verbs and adjectives.

4. Jokes. I use swear words all the time in jokes or to be funny. It isnt a morale issue for me and I have no problem tellign the dirtiest, ranchiest jokes possible.

5. During sexy time. This is actively encouraged.

[-Jrabbit]

Outside business and away from kids, I use profanity pretty freely.

[zakubandit]

The whole educated thing is over used. Even the most educated scholar has utter a curse word at some point in their life "****, I just drank acid," or something like that. Even one worder's don't make you uneducated. 5:00am before a flight out of town, you say to yourself, "****!" Why? Because you just realized you didn't empty the litter box and your going to be gone for a few days, man is that gonna smell...like ****. That doesn't make someone uneducated, forgetful or at the moments before leaving home very busy. Hell the Messiah of freedom even gets close to swearing in front of press, like when he was all mad because he just wanted to eat his waffle...or angered over having been asked 8 questions and they wanted more...you know what he was thinking, "****ers why don't you eat **** and die"

[Murg]

The whole educated thing is over used. Even the most educated scholar has utter a curse word at some point in their life "****, I just drank acid," or something like that. Even one worder's don't make you uneducated. 5:00am before a flight out of town, you say to yourself, "****!" Why? Because you just realized you didn't empty the litter box and your going to be gone for a few days, man is that gonna smell...like ****. That doesn't make someone uneducated, forgetful or at the moments before leaving home very busy. Hell the Messiah of freedom even gets close to swearing in front of press, like when he was all mad because he just wanted to eat his waffle...or angered over having been asked 8 questions and they wanted more...you know what he was thinking, "****ers why don't you eat **** and die"

Your example all fall under category 2 (showing irritation). The uneducated sounding one (to me) is the category 3 (conversational swearing).

To your examples I tend to wonder what the need it to swear when you realize that you forgot to change the kitty litter before getting on the plane. It the adult form of acting out, like a little kid stomping his feet or crying.

That probably sounds a lot harsher than I mean it. I dont mean to imply that people to swear when irritated are big babies that are throwing mini temper tantrums. Its much more minor than that, and its probably just a habit. In some ways it may even be a healthy way to let that irritation out. So Im just describing my thoughts on the matter, Im not suggesting that my thoughts apply to anyone but me.

[zakubandit]

I get what you mean. I see it as just a simple word to use in revelation. Like "**** these are some good cheese fries" or "good ****, Shawshank is on tonight" or maybe even "what the ****?!" (as a bum jerks off on the street corner). Or in excitement, "good ****" (friend gives you tickets to a game) "good ****" (friend hooks you up with an unlocked iphone 3gs) "**** yes" (your wife lets you go to the strip club with the credit card).

[Sava]

How does Murg claim to have the educated high ground, so to speak, when his posts are filled with grammatical errors and occasional misspellings?

Swears are words that, aside from the actions or objects they may represent, carry unique emotional weight that articulately worded blather simply does not. "****!!!!" is a cathartic expression. So is "STFU you ****ing douchebag!!".

Sure, I can intellectualize why I want you to cease all communications. I can articulate my frustrations. I can write a novel detailing exactly how and why your piss the ever loving **** out of me. But it's so much easier to just tell you to SHUT THE **** UP. It feels as good as taking a **** on your face.

now go **** yourself

[Felch]

I cuss in ordinary conversation in order to show where I would be placing my punctuation if I were writing. I think it helps clarify my speech.

[Murg]

How does Murg claim to have the educated high ground, so to speak, when his posts are filled with grammatical errors and occasional misspellings?

Swears are words that, aside from the actions or objects they may represent, carry unique emotional weight that articulately worded blather simply does not. "****!!!!" is a cathartic expression. So is "STFU you ****ing douchebag!!".

Sure, I can intellectualize why I want you to cease all communications. I can articulate my frustrations. I can write a novel detailing exactly how and why your piss the ever loving **** out of me. But it's so much easier to just tell you to SHUT THE **** UP. It feels as good as taking a **** on your face.

now go **** yourself

Im not pretending to be smarter than anyone. Just stating that when I hear people swearing conversationally they sound uneducated to me. Just like others may think I appear uneducated because of my poor grammar and spelling. Both are equally fair, or unfair, depending on how you want to look at it. Which is why I specified that it was my bias that was causing the judgement to be made, not an actual fact (swearing doesn't make you dumber, stopping swearing doesn't make you smarter).