Ya know, I made a journal entry of this, and I even kinda Hijacked a thread about this.. I figure I'll just edit in a link to this thread so we can actually further discuss this issue.
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The thread I jacked was "How Often Do You Swear?" This gets me to think about my own working defination of "swear words", "Cuss Words", "Curse Words", "Bad Words" those all mean the same, but thats just to get the Title out there.
I grew in a Catholic Church with Catholic parents. Cursing was just wrong, and we weren't allowed to use them. Somehow it was got across not to stick our middle finger up too. I once in middle school ended up speaking like a sailer... as in, I said "those words" every other word almost. For that I am ashamed as speaking with a certain word so much looks like you lack intelligence. Later on in my years though, I listened carefully to how people speak and how they use words. Through many english courses (I always got the rough ones), I have been told to analyze things. I already like to ponder things, combine these two and now I REALLY analyze the heck outta things. I remember during my senior year when I really dove into the "Curse Word" thing. I listened how people used the "worst word" of them all.
FUCK
I noticed how it wasn't used in a rude sense at all! Often times, people used it to say shut up. Like, say for instance that you are working on a program and you type something in and as you do it, one of your friends corrects you. You believe yourself to be right, so you ignore them. Lo & Behold you did it wrong. Then I'd hear them say "Fuck you." It wasn't meant to be rude, it merely was used as the equivolent of saying "Shut Up, Go Away, I Was Wrong, You Were Right... Don't Make Fun Of Me
" All that in just two words. I found that kind of amazing. From this, it finally came upon me that every word that is a "bad word" has more than one meaning. Should a word be condemned because of ONE of its many meanings? Look at the word "Gay." Before I was around the word meant Happy. In fact its still in a classic Christmas song today. When they say, 'Gay Apparel' they do NOT mean homosexual or stupid. These are the two newer meanings that the word has taken on. It rarely has that happy feeling to it anymore. In one context you are talking about people that like the same sex, while in another context you are saying that something is just flat out stupid. So again... How can we condemn a word that has more than one meaning?
At this point, I examed the Middle Finger Gesture. It too has that "fuck you" tone to it. The actually flipping off of the finger does no harm in any way.. I actual felt kind of relieved to finally flipped off a wall... as it had always been "wrong" to do. It too was used both to be rude, and also to be funny or say shut up.
I was now realizing just how much I had conformed to society, even though I thought I had done all this on my own. I realized that Society has chosen a select group of words and told us to NEVER USE THEM!.. because they must be evil or something. Can anyone tell me just why THESE words are "banned" yet any synonyms are not? And please dont' give me that "holding back" eexcuse that I hear so often. How is one 'holding back' when you say the "safe word" with just as much hate, anger, and force as the "bad word"? This makes no sense to me, and this rationalization doesn't seem very rational. I started to wonder what a "curse word" really was. What actually should fit in this group so as to let people know that they are doing something bad? Certainly there should be guildlines rather than specific words. Words change, yet guidelines can continue to work well.
This is what I have come up with.
A word is a word is a word. I don't care WHAT word you use: shit or shoot, heck or hell, fuck or fudge... the context remains the same. Either both are "curse words" or neither of them are. There is no middle ground here. (Your personal Preference is fine, I prefer Friggin' to Fuckin', its just more fun to say.) Of course, in order for this statement to argue whilst I am not here, I shall put up a quote by a famous Author. Shakespear once wrote:
"What is in a name? A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet"
So now we know what words would also be on the list if it can imply the same meaning (but Only
that meaning is on the list.. no others unless they apply for yet another word), but now we need to know what actually Constitues a "Cuss Word," Right?
A "Swear Word" is a word that is used to *demean someone. Examples would be to say the word through anger, hatred, or simply put someone down. This is what I find a "Swear Word" to be. From this, if you were to call someon an idiot, and it is not rather obvious that you are joking.. then you have just cursed. If you get angry at someone and tell them to "Go To Hell!!" then you too have cursed.
I simply cannot understand how the meaning of a word can be ok by one standard but absolutely wrong by another. When a word is used in the same context and used to convey the EXACT same thing, they should be considered the same... not different. "Curse Words" should not be defined by the words that are in the group, but rather by rules so that, like words, it can change with time. We, as a people, evolve every day.. if our language does not, we are merely holding ourselves back.
*demean
v : reduce in worth, character, etc.; disgrace; dishonour