Foul language

[rowyn]

Quick question: what's your vote for the most foul word in the English language -- a word so offensive you wouldn't even be inclined to think it, much less say it or write it? Y'all can just put down the first letter and ---.

Funny thing is, I know what word gets TREATED most often as unspeakable ... but I don't think it's any of the words people usually think of in that context.

Comments

Re: Why words are offensive

[krud42.livejournal.com]

(It's times like this that I wish I had the option to not have a picture next to my comments, because this coming from a cartoon dog might lose something, I think.)

I have a morbid fascination with this topic, since my first word ever was S---, picked up from my parents when they were mad (burned their hand, dropped something, whatever), and unveiled for the first time (to their horror) during prayer in church, when I dropped a hymnal I had been playing with. I was like 14 months old at the time.

Was that offensive? Yes and no. Yes, it was, because it was generally considered an inappropriate word, especially under the circumstances. But at the same time, it wasn't otherwise offensive, because I didn't mean it. I was just mimicking the sound I'd heard uttered when things fell. I don't think I was referring to excrement, and I don't think I was trying to emphasize my emotions. I was still just a baby. But it became an infamous anecdote, and my parents never let me forget it.

Fast-forward to third grade. I'm on the playground, and some bully shoves me hard, causing me to collide with a girl named Valerie. She didn't know what was happening, other than that I'd ran into her. She responded by digging her fingernails deep into my arm, drawing blood. It hurt very badly, and in my anger and frustration I yelled, "You b-----!" (I am not proud of this, and if I could go back in time and undo it, I would.) I was again mimicking what I'd heard, but this time it was very offensive because 1.) There was anger behind my words, and 2.) I targetted her gender.

I didn't understand this all at the time. I did recall that neither she nor the bully got in trouble for the events that led up to my epithet, but I got detention. In hindsight, I'm glad. (Not that they didn't get in trouble, but that I did.)

To me, it's not so much the word as it is the meaning or purpose. If you're trying to be offensive, or intending to put emotion or other meaning behind it, it takes on a whole new tone. On the other hand, I can't stand it when people start using swear words like they were Smurfs, using it as adjectives, verbs, adverbs, etc.

But I don't think that any word should be considered inherently vulgar or wrong. (Even, believe it or not, the "N" word.) What I mean is, I think that out-of-context use should not be so cumbersome. One should be able to refer to a word without being accused of "using the word", if that makes any sense. The only reason I "refer" to words with asterisks and the like is because people are more comfortable that way, and also to avoid whatever text-search routines root out inappropriate online content.

What gets me is why certain swear words are deemed "less vulgar" than others. What I mean is, why is cr*p generally regarded as being less offensive than s***? It means the same thing and has the same uses. So what's the difference? Who decided that one was more okay than the other?

And ordinary words and phrases start to get tainted, when used in certain contexts. I'd give an example, but...

Okay, this comments has gotten too long. Sorry about that, Rowan. To answer your original question, to me the most offensive words are the compound ones of the "noun-verber" variety. (Where the noun and verber are vulgar, that is. I have no problem with "nit-picker", however.)