COMMENTS

  1. Do You Use Swear Words?

    In the Opinion essay " The Secret Power of Swearing ," Rebecca Roache writes about how certain words have become off-limits in polite company: Swearing can be so satisfying that it can help us ...

  2. The Power of Profanity: The Meaning and Impact of Swear Words in Word

    People hear and use swear words more often than ever before (Stapleton 2010): .5% to .7% of all the words spoken in daily conversation are swear words ().This percentage is considerable given that first-person plural pronouns such as "we" and "our"—a central part of speech—occur at a 1% rate (Mehl and Pennebaker 2003).Swearing is even more prevalent online: 7.7% of Twitter posts ...

  3. On the Psychology of Swearing

    By Jessica Love | September 6, 2012. Consider cuss words, also known as curse words, swear words, profanity, bad language, and what not to say on television. Most psychologists use taboo words, a term so nonjudgmental that it seems to pass judgment on those who would call them anything else. But however we reference them, the fact remains that ...

  4. The History of Swear Words: Where the &%@! Do They Come From?

    Swear Words in Ancient Rome. The history of swearing is filled with fascinating twists and turns. But, perhaps surprisingly, obscenity in Latin shares a few striking similarities with swearing today, with both drawing from taboos about sex and excrement. The sexual and cultural norms of ancient Rome, however, were markedly different from ours ...

  5. Naughty words What makes swear words so offensive? It's not their

    Hello, thank you for this piece, just a couple of quick questions before likely others: How are swearing words context-sensitive?.You don't seem to acknowledge the fact that swear words have, over and above their semantic content, an expressive function — namely the function of signalling the kind of attitude, mood or "evaluative" point of view of the utterer.

  6. The power of swearing: how obscene words influence ...

    Laboratory-based experiments also show cognitive effects. We know that swear words command more attention and are better remembered than other words. But they also interfere with the cognitive ...

  7. The Context of a Swear Words

    Some examples are bloody which means 'bad' or Gosh referring to 'God'. Even though they might not seem as profane today, the context is still present. The modern swear words have become sentence fillers and replace many other words. For example, shit can be used to describe some 'things' that were done during the day.

  8. The Case for Cursing

    Curse words can help you more accurately communicate your emotions, which contradicts the folk belief that people use profanity because they lack vocabulary skills. "This is the 'poverty of ...

  9. A History of Swearing and Censorship in Writing

    Part 2 in Our Series on the Grammar of Swearing. Written by Taylor Dennis. It's time to continue our awesome exploration of swearing by looking at the role historically played by swearing in written work. Last week, we looked at the etymology of seven swear words. This week, we'll be looking at the history of swearing and censorship in writing.

  10. [Pdf] Swear Words and Their Implications for English Language Learning

    This study attempts to explore the frequency of use of swear words and their implication for English language learning-teaching. Swear words or expletives are usually considered negative or rude to be used even in the United States or United Kingdom as English-speaking countries. In English language learning-teaching, swear words become part of linguistic studies and socio-cultural knowledge ...

  11. SWEAR WORDS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ...

    In English language learning-teaching, swear words become part of linguistic studies and socio-cultural knowledge for teachers and students. This study aims to resolve two questions, namely first ...

  12. Swear Words and Argumentation

    Argumentation serves as a branch of discourse and is a node of convincing an audience of something ("Discourse Examples and Definition"). In this chapter, I analyze the positive effects of swearing in argumentation (such as humor and elicitation) and the negative effects of swearing (offending the audience and conveying a lack of education ...

  13. The Good Side of Bad Words

    Swearing is unlikely to make the desired impression on in-laws, but it could be good for your blood pressure. That's the suggestion of recent research revealing that the use of four-letter words can relieve stress, ease pain, and build camaraderie. Catherine Caldwell-Harris, a College of Arts & Sciences associate professor of psychology, is ...

  14. Swear Words in American English

    Common one-word swears in English: Very mild: d*mn, b*lls. Mild: cr*p. Moderate: sh*t, *ss. Strong: f**k, *sshole. Religious: h*ll, god, Jesus, Christ. In closing, let me just say that swear words in English are not all that common, even if they do seem to be common in American movies and television.

  15. Definitions and Examples of Swear Words

    A swear word is a word or phrase that's generally considered blasphemous, obscene, vulgar, or otherwise offensive. These are also called bad words, obscenities, expletives, dirty words, profanities, and four-letter words. The act of using a swear word is known as swearing or cursing. "Swear words serve many different functions in different ...

  16. Heck and Darn! How and When to Swear in Writing

    Do not use swear words in formal business or academic writing. Think about whether your audience would be offended by bad language. Only use swear words in creative writing when it fits the context. In general, moreover, it is wise to hold back on profanity in writing. The odd swear word can be expressive, adding emotion and emphasis to what ...

  17. The 1600s Were a Watershed for Swear Words

    The 16th century was a period when what was considered obscene was in flux. The most offensive words still used God's name: God's blood, God's wounds, God's bones, death, flesh, foot, heart, arms, nails, body, sides, guts, tongue, eyes. A statute of 1606 forbade the use of words that 'iestingly or prophanely' spoke the name of God ...

  18. Swear words among young learners: A case study of the ...

    Abstract. This case study examines the usage of swear words among young learners. It aims to find out the most frequently used swear words, the intense emotions that triggered the participants to ...

  19. The origins and different functions of swear words, from 'gadzooks' to

    When Kate was growing up, saying "bum" was completely taboo. Lee says her 87-year-old mum is horrified by the f-word, but will use "bloody" in almost every sentence. And Anna, a grandma, drops the ...

  20. Is it okay to use swear words in my college essay?

    11 months ago. Hi there! It's great that you're considering the impact of your word choice in your college essay. While emotions can sometimes be best conveyed with strong language, I would generally advise against using swear words in your essay. College admissions officers come from diverse backgrounds and what may be acceptable to one person ...

  21. Is it alright to use swear words in my college essay?

    10 months ago. Hey there! It's great that you want to be authentic and true to your voice in your college essay. However, using swear words can be a bit risky. While some admissions officers may be more lenient, others might find it unprofessional or offensive. Ultimately, your essay should showcase your best self and your ability to ...

  22. Origin Of Swear Words In English English Language Essay

    Research looking at swearing in 1986, 1997, and 2006 in America found that the same top ten words were used of a set of over 70 different swear words. The most used swear words were fuck, shit, hell, damn, goddamn, bitch, boner, and sucks. These eight made up roughly 80% of all profanities.

  23. How to handle swear words in quote / transcription?

    54. In research, you should quote them verbatim. Editing, or censoring, swearing is wrongly representing your research subjects and is thus a form of scientific misconduct. If you need to edit the quote for specific audience you must make it clear that you have done so:

  24. The Evolution Of Swear Words In Indian Culture And Literature

    The use of swear words has always been common in society, but earlier writers avoided depicting it in their writing. In Indian society, abuses target a person's strengths and weaknesses, caste ...

  25. 35 English Swear Words That You Should Use Carefully

    Rubbish. Rubbish is a synonym for 'trash.'. It's literally described as a waste material, so if you want to offend someone, you can describe them with this word. This one isn't a real cursing word, though, it can be very offensive to some people. Calling someone 'rubbish' means you want to offend them and with this word, to show ...

  26. Fact Checking Trump's Mar-a-Lago News Conference

    Former President Donald J. Trump held an hourlong news conference with reporters on Thursday at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, during which he attacked Vice President Kamala Harris, his general ...

  27. Trump reportedly used slur against Kamala Harris in private

    Former President Trump reportedly has used a slur often targeted at women to describe Vice President Kamala Harris during private conversations.

  28. Attacks on Walz's Military Record

    In introducing her pick for vice presidential running mate, Kamala Harris has prominently touted Tim Walz's 24 years of service in the Army National Guard. Now, however, GOP vice presidential ...

  29. What we know about military records of Walz and Vance

    Walz's military record has been under scrutiny after a series of claims made by veterans and leading Republicans.

  30. Today's 'Quordle' Hints And Answers For Tuesday, August 13

    Word 1 (top left) hint — the extent of one's capabilities Word 2 (top right) hint — stroll, wander Word 3 (bottom left) hint — a collections of an artist's songs, otherwise known as an LP