Cursing: Fair or Foul?

This thread was inspired by the subject of language (proper vs. foul) discussed in a different context on another thread. My opinion is that most of us don't particularly enjoy being on the receiving end of rude, ugly, foul or poorly chosen words. It's never appropriate to verbally abuse any person (or pet or other living being for that matter). And I agree with those who say that a discussion of an issue should be kept within the bounds of civil discourse.

So does cursing have a place in the life of a respectable person? For example, the women on my mother's side were raised to be proper, and in public they conducted themselves in a "ladylike manner" according to the standards of the place and time in which they were raised. But in private, those ladies could cut loose with some very colorful language. They were all strong, beautiful and bright women, and most of them could cuss the wallpaper off the walls when they wanted to.

At times, I've also found it relieves some stress to release a few choice words of Anglo-Saxon origin. Not at people or the dog, but at inanimate objects or situations in general.

How does everyone else feel about cursing in general? Does it have a place in the life of intelligent, decent people, as long as its kept private and not used to offend non-users? Is it always bad, or a sign of inferior intelligence, vocabulary, taste, etc.? Or is it just plain fun? ;)

I think words are just words in general and don't get too upset with any of them. I don't care if people curse or not as long as they can get their point across without getting angry about it, but sometimes it seems that cursing actually gets people worked up as they speak. There aren't any other words I can think of that could be repeated as excessively as curse words often are without making the speaker sound ridiculously monotonous. It only makes someone sound uneducated if those are the only descriptive words they know how to use. That said, it does pay to be aware of your audience. Most people don't use the same language at a poker game or a nightclub as they might at church or at work.

that's funny. I never used to swear very much.

Since I entered the bluecollar work force it has become a part of who I am and seems very expressive to me.

my supervisor's(a mother of 3 but only 25 years old) favorite saying seems to be something like this - "if she doesn't like it she can just s*** my d***" which of course she doesn't have.

some things just seem to be expressed better through the use of profanity. WTF? really says what it means. FY - says it best.
E** Me

geez, what have I become? There is a time and place for everything and thankfully I think I still have a handle on that.
It is really just HERE that confuses me. We are all adults, of kind of a sensual and bold nature but how F-ing far can we go?

Because I work with teenagers, I try not to curse. I try to teach them good manners generally and so cursing is not the best idea. There are moments though when one or two of them come through - such as getting hit in the shin with a field hockey ball...yup, an explative came shooting out of this woman's mouth. But generally, the worst I say is that something "sucks".

For the most part, I dont' curse at all, either in private or public. I've spend an awfully lot of money on educating myself just so I can sound uneducated, I think not.

Even as a kid cursing was very harsh to my ears and I would never used it either in english or spanish. It propably comes from the arguments my parents used to have and the lack of respect for each other I observed as they try to outdo each other in that department. Shoot works pretty well for me in most all cases.

As a kid I knew I was going to be judge on my ethnicity and my race, so I learn to speak english so well most people think I'm french or british. The combination of having a new york accent and working for an English company for many years has certainly change my speech patterns. And when someone around me goes off on a cursing rampage, I'll usually stopped them and ask them to control their tongue as it really bothers me.

I was raised during a time when men didn't use such language in front of a lady and they always excuse themselves if it slip, but of cause, that was ages ago. Now we just don't care how we're treated, or how we're spoken to. You have to hear my cousin's husband, man, he doesn't care where he is, kids, in laws, me, he rips it into my cousin when he's angry. And my other cousin and her b/f...totally sickening. It saddens me. To curse at someone (especially someone you claim to love), whether angry or not, is just lack of bad manners and lack of respect for the other party because I'm sure your parents raised you better than that.

paris

I'm bad at swearing, though I do try to curb it. I try to be careful on who I swear around. I mean, my dad and me, when we go on our nightly walks...we'll swear cause it's only him and me...

Around my mother? I try not to swear too much. Just a few things sometimes come out, but she's use to them.

With Becky...I try not to swear too much 'cause I don't want her to think of me as some kind of big cromagnon oaf. *LOL* She doesn't usually swear, though she will drop the F bomb or the B witch...*LOL*...and, I must say, when she does, it's quite the turn on...

Not just 'cause she's swearing. But rather, because you get to truly hear the fire in her words.

Of course, I'm wierd like that. I am the guy, afterall, who always wanted to hear Mr. Rogers go ape and cut loose with a bunch of swear words.

I must say though, if I'm in mixed company with women who don't know me, I won't swear, at all. Once people get to know me and my personality, if I let an occasional swear word out, I don't feel as bad, and hopefully they won't take offense once they know me.

~Dan

I don't tend to swear much and if so, mostly around very close friends/family, not around strangers .... - still the few times I feel the need to swear - and yes, I think it adds an emotive factor ;) - it's exactly what I actually WANT to express then :D

Mind you, I think there are swear words and swear words, though, and the acceptance of one or the other seems quite culturally determined .... I remember a thread in Politics & War down there about why T. Blair is such a c*nt - and it showed that Brits and Americans tend to view the expression a bit differently ;).

Personally, I don't mind people swearing, I only have a problem with people who cannot express themselves in any OTHER way but swearing ... ;)

Probably I am quite hardened from my online gaming experience, where a lot of swearing is going and coming round ... :p

Y'all quit that damn cussing!

Of course, I'm wierd like that. I am the guy, afterall, who always wanted to hear Mr. Rogers go ape and cut loose with a bunch of swear words.

ROTFLMAO...me too. Just once... to hear him get really PO'd and start ranting and raving...Are we Northeasterners tweaked or did Mr. Rogers need some lessons in keepin' it real? :)

The only way I could see it, forever, is when Saturday Night Live did thier parody with Eddie Murphay. "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood."

I always remember the one skit...

This is how you answer the door in my neighborhood kiddies, WHO IS IT?!?!

Mr. Rogers, god bless his soul.....just wish he would of lost it, once! Just once! Of course, knowing him, it would of sounded like Ned Flanders from The Simpsons.

LOL Dan....

My father swore a lot and my mother never uttered a cuss word,
unless she was REAL mad, and I tell ya, when Mom swore, it made a heck of a lot more impact than when dad did, (he did it all that time!)

I have had too many idiots in my life use cuss words ALL the time.

There was one person I was related to by marriage, that used the "F" word to describe everything. We were camping with this person one summer and I got up one morning and noticed him across at his campsite having coffee and so I hollered over to him, "Good Morning!", he grinned and hollered back to me, "F You!".
I was dumbfounded and embarrassed. His voice echoed over the campsite for all to hear and all I could think was, "What a simple minded idiot!".
Needless to say, this person's children use the same word just as readily and they come across just as simple minded as their father does, (and they get a LOT of calls from the principal at their school)

I try to not swear as much as possible mainly because I am raising children and I don't want them to swear.
It IS a learned behavior and can become a bad habit real quick.

Should it be allowed on these threads?
Well, I am not going to shrink away and be scarred for life if I read a few swear words here.
If a person needs to pepper a post with the "F" word over and over, chances are I would quit reading their posts altogether.
If a person uses swear words here and there, no bother to me.
I've heard it all!
LOL

I will say this though, if you want to get your point across and have people accept your opinions in a serious manner, a stream of swear words will only discredit yourself.
It does cause one to appear uneducated, as Pink Panther pointed out in her post.
And I also agree with what Pink stated about the fact that swearing does seem to fuel one's aggression.
Many think that swear words "toughen up" their persona.
No, it repells people stuck in the position of listening to you.

I have adopted the thinking of my mother. I rarely swear and so when I DO, man, the kids KNOW I am seriously peed off.
It gets their attention, I will say that.
But still, it does NOT get their attention as well as calm and stern talking when matters are of a serious nature.

One more advantage in not allowing cuss words to become a habit is that I never have to worry about the "wrong words" slipping out of my mouth in any given situation.
I want people to take what I have to say seriously most of the time and I want to present myself to others as being a respectful and intelligent woman.
Profanity just doesn't come off as "intelligent" or "respectful".

Guess it all comes down as to how one wants to present themselves to others.

As usual, Dan's onto something here. So now I'm curious -- does anyone else have well known public figures they'd like to see lose it? Certain presidents were known for their ability to let it fly (Presidents Truman and Johnson come to mind here, though Nixon seems to have been more the closet curser type).

I'd love to be a fly on the wall and see ladies like Margaret Thatcher or Queen Elizabeth throw a royal fit. Ditto Laura Bush, Alma Powell, Condoleeza Rice, and just for good measure, Renee Zellwegger. Anybody else?

Originally posted by Foreveryoung
As usual, Dan's onto something here. So now I'm curious -- does anyone else have well known public figures they'd like to see lose it? Certain presidents were known for their ability to let it fly (Presidents Truman and Johnson come to mind here, though Nixon seems to have been more the closet curser type).

I'd love to be a fly on the wall and see ladies like Margaret Thatcher or Queen Elizabeth throw a royal fit. Ditto Laura Bush, Alma Powell, Condoleeza Rice, and just for good measure, Renee Zellwegger. Anybody else?


Julie Andrews?

Ladies, not to ignore your posts, I agree with each of you, and Joe -- you're right too, this **** cussing has to %%%% stop right ##### now! :D

Julie Andrews ....Yesssss!

Originally posted by Foreveryoung
Julie Andrews ....Yesssss!

Actually I think it would greatly disrupt my finely balanced psyche and warp all that I have come to know as being "well and good" in the world if I were to witness profanity spewing out of Julie Andrew's mouth.
:p

"Just a teaspoon of sugar helps the medicine go down.."

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. Many people do however love to judge us cussers as "low-lifes"...why? They just don't do it, and so okay...I understand that. Just respect that I do and I'll respect that you don't. Fair enough?:cool:Live and let live.