C: @%#*($#$!

no swearingDo you ever say “bad words?”  I admit it, I occasionally lapse.  But, then, I run with a rough crowd—lawyers.  We hear it all and see it all.  Sometimes, try as we might, we pick some of that up.

There are times, I must admit, when a “bad word” is the only thing that seems to fit.  My son told a story recently that just illustrates it:

Three of his friends (fine, church-going, Christian friends—none of them known to swear) were playing basketball at the local Y.  One of them took a flying fall and grabbed his leg, yelling “X@#&#!!” (very bad word).  The two other guys rushed over, “shsshing” him and saying, “Don’t say that!  There are kids around!”

Then they looked down at the leg he was holding to see his foot danbasketballinjurygling, his ankle clearly broken.  Simultaneously, they both let out a “X#$%#@!!”  (same very bad word).

The manager of the gym came running over,  “Guys!” he scolded.  “You will HAVE to tone it down…we have families here!”  Then he looked down at the injury and fairly yelled, “X@#(J$#!!”  (Exactly the same very bad word).

Who oh picklesdecides what is a very bad word, anyway?  I mean, we have words of  varying acceptability that actually end up meaning the very same thing.  Some of them are totally verboten, while others—of the same meaning—might be used with your child.  So, it’s not the meaning of the word that counts, it’s the word itself…interesting.

Anyway, I try to be socially acceptable.  But I occasionally slip.  Sorry.  I’ll try not to do it here.  C

Comments

Vickie said…
I know what you mean, C. I do great most of the time, but there have been a few times when I've absolutely blown my top at something I've done and let one fly. I've tried to be so careful around my kids, friends and family. I also HATE the substitute words that the kids use today. Burns me up cuz they think they can say the other "f" word, and it's okay, when it's only a substitute for the real thing. It's getting really BAD on TV. We all become numb to it. My daughter asked me tonight why didn't we get DISH or Satellite TV and I told her no, it was bad enough on cable, but inviting even more filth into our home I was not gonna do. We just keep numbing ourselves and we're not shocked any more. I want to keep some of that shock factor in my life.
June 22, 2010 at 11:13 PM
Molly Anne said…
I read a book recently set back in the pioneer era. One of the characters was a rough, poor girl taken in by a family and they kept correcting her language - things you'd think were completely tame! And the book gave the "behind the meanings" of the sayings. Very interesting.
As an English language aficionado I don't like that every adjective is being replaced with f-bombs. I may say impolite things but no one (besides God and my cat) are ever around to hear it.
June 22, 2010 at 11:43 PM
kath001 said…
I just read something recently about why using expletives makes us feel better in certain situations. Something about using swear words activates strong negative emotions which triggers our brain to choose 'fight' rather than 'flight' and we therefore can tolerate more pain.

That's my story from now on, and I'm stickin' to it! :)
June 23, 2010 at 12:18 AM
Zuzana said…
Ah yes, I have learned many new languages over the years and the funny thing is, the bad words are the ones I always knew first.;) Heck I know the bad words even in languages I do not speak, hehe.
I swear, I admit, but only in English. As it is not my native tongue, it feels less profane.;) I very rarely swear in Slovak, which is my native language.;))
Great post.;)
xoxo
June 23, 2010 at 2:44 AM
Kathy's Klothesline said…
Remember when even a mild expletive would be bleeped out on a television program? Not anymore. It is now socially acceptable to say the most profane things and I am as guilty as anyone. I find myself making a bigger effort to clean up my image, so to speak.
June 23, 2010 at 7:45 AM
Vee said…
I don't think God is so concerned about the word. I think He's more concerned with the attitude behind the word so someone could say "sugar" with a bad attitude and that would be equally wrong. I once heard a pastor describe someone's hitting his thumb and saying "praise the Lord." I actually have witnessed those scenes and they always make me laugh. You just know that someone is doing a whole lot of stuffing.
June 23, 2010 at 10:53 AM
Jody Blue said…
My Mom cussed like a sailor, I grew up around a swearing crowd. Not my husband family. Swearing is one of my pet peeves, working in a high school for 10 years drove it home. I tell my kids there are so many interesting and creative things that one can say why the same ol' same ol'. I think every one in a time of duress can slip and use a bad word, it is when it is laced into every thing that comes out of someones mouth that makes me crazy.
June 23, 2010 at 11:02 AM
HappyK said…
I VERY rarely say a bad word and when I do I shock everyone!
June 23, 2010 at 12:18 PM
Milton said…
Hee, hee - good one :)

Muttie was reprimanded recently by her eight-year-old niece for saying a bad word.

Muttie is a bit clumsy and while chatting with her niece put her hand down on a pile of bird shit. And no, that's not the bad word. That came after she realised what she'd done.

Now Muttie's mother, partner, step-father etc were also in the garden. Her niece, on hearing Muttie swearing, jumped up and down as if she'd won the Lottery and screamed: "Auntie Jill swore!! Auntie Jill swore!!" Then she proceeded to spell it out, very slowly - in case any of the assembled company had missed it.

Milt x
June 23, 2010 at 1:51 PM
Kat_RN said…
I try to save the very bad words for when I really need them. The dangling foot would have been a good time for it. If you over use them, they lose their punch.
I have to bite my tounge quite often.
Kat
June 23, 2010 at 8:43 PM
Anonymous said…
Cursing is one of those lines I draw. I guess I grew up in those times that cursing was NOT lady-like, and women that cursed were considered less than honorable. I am trying to keep honor in my life, so my tongue is one area I use great effort to control. It's hard, but it can be done. Really good post.
June 25, 2010 at 11:34 PM
Linda Lou Rogers Averitt said…
well, I may be the black sheep here:) I never cursed when my children were little, once I started working out side of the home, curse words filtered in my life, I had a journal I had kept and looked back in it, 10 years from the day I was reading I was asking God to help me quit cursing, then believe it or not I had written the same prayer 10 years later:( I knew it was not God but me who had the problem in the answer of that prayer:) I am better, but still will curse without even knowing it. Not the big words, I know and sometimes say it on purpose, it does feel good and I have read where it does release endorphins in your brain, at one time let that be and excuse for me:( BUT I too do not think it is professional or lady like, I like to be treated like a lady and would like to totally stop cursing, esp. when I do it and do not even realize it:((( This usually happens when I am on over load and tired or really, really angry and pushed against the wall:(
June 27, 2010 at 8:38 AM
carla said…
My daddy swore a lot, but never the "hard" words in front of the females in our family. Once when I was little I went with him and a friend of his on an errand. They were talking and Daddy said "f***". Immediately he put his hands over my ears and apologized profusely. I'd never heard the word before, and I never heard it again from him.

A few years ago, I told my husband that story and he said that when the women would leave the room, Daddy would turn the air blue. But never in front of us.

He died almost 24 years ago and I don't think he would understand the common usage of the sailor language now.

Yes, sometimes I swear but I know that it's wrong and I don't want to do it.

Isaiah 6:5 talks about being a man of unclean lips among people of unclean lips. Me, too. I do believe that God is holy and he wants us to be holy. The phrases "Holy s*** or c**p" bother me as much as the R rated stuff.
June 27, 2010 at 11:49 PM
Connie said…
I surprise myself sometimes! My children (all grown now) used to tease me b/c I said Jeepers or Oh My Stars...working as the only female in the electrical business, well you can imagine what I hear and have picked up. Good grief, I will try to be better :)
June 28, 2010 at 10:46 AM
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