Just what IS a "Curse Word"? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

GakFace · 12-25-2003, 07:06 AM

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

krwlz · 12-25-2003, 12:39 PM

Interesting... I think I would tend to agree, however, good luck getting the rest of society to agree. Its simply been the way it is for sooo long, its not likely to change.

juanvaldes · 12-25-2003, 01:08 PM

A word that is CURSED!!

Jeeze dont' you watch South Park?!?

dragon2fire · 12-25-2003, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by juanvaldes
A word that is CURSED!!

Jeeze dont' you watch South Park?!?

you beat me to it

classic

World's King · 12-25-2003, 09:07 PM

The worst word I know of is "GakFace."

GakFace · 12-25-2003, 11:24 PM

Yeah I know what you mean krwlz, but change cannot happen until someone puts the notion out there. I am that man. The trend would take a while if it does, but if it happens, I think it would fix a lot of things.

krwlz · 12-26-2003, 12:54 PM

This is true man. I hope that your notion gets out there, and recieves a positive reponse. It would be nice to not have to "watch my mouth" when it was a fairly standard word.

Snakebyt · 12-26-2003, 02:38 PM

i swear alot, its just the way i talk, i cant count how many times i say fuck, bitch, cocksucker.. ect in a day.. its just the way i talk. I dont see anything wrong with it, but it annoys the hell out of my boss

legolas · 12-26-2003, 02:41 PM

I was thinking south park too.

sadatx · 12-26-2003, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dragon2fire
you beat me to it

classic

Yeah you really beat me to it.

Personally I think swear words lose some of their impact when you trace them back to their origins.

e.g. F.U.C.K. For Unlawful Caranl Knowledge

S.H.I.T. Stow high in transit: This came about because manure(spelling?) was always stowed in the bottom of the ship when transported overseas. This caused methane gas to build up and if someone brought a lit lamp to go down to the dark bottom of the ship BOOM! So they figured out that they should probably store it closer to the open air.

GakFace · 12-28-2003, 12:55 AM

Man, I hoped for a larger response, I wanted to know what TFP thought about this issue. Especially Art, where are ya man? Your thoughts are always insightful.

mrbuck12000 · 12-28-2003, 05:01 AM

I agree with a 100% on this issue, but the work buttfuck to me is an obnoxious word...Like 'you buttfuck.' also the word 'cunt' is a vile word IMHO. It is just degrading to men and women. all in all though i swear a lot during the day, especially on sunday when football is on.

mr b

Reese · 12-28-2003, 06:33 AM

OK, I'm going to make up a bunch of shit here so stay with me...

They have their place. There are so many words and they each impact your conversation differently. On one end of the spectrum you have the "sissy" words, and on the other you have your curse words.

In your definition of demean, It also says dishonor. Aren't you dishonoring someone by using a word that they have banned for whatever reason?

If your spectrum of words goes from 'poo to shit' and the person's your with word tolerance only goes to 'crap,' you shouldn't use anything worse than 'crap' around them. Anything worse than Crap is a curse word.. When the person's tolerance goes beyond your spectrum then you can say whatever and it's not a curseword.. It's all relative..

I hope this is readable.. Nyquil is just not starting to kick in...

flamingdog · 12-28-2003, 08:19 AM

All words are merely symbols of their meaning, and their meanings change over the years. I'm quite sure that 'arse' and 'bugger' were quite horrendous swear words a hundred years ago, and you can now hear them being said on prime time national radio and TV.

They're still considered swearwords, they're just mild enough to slip past these days. But it's going to be a long time before the meanings of 'fuck', 'bastard' and 'shit' are acceptable enough to see them being used freely.

'Cunt' is universally agreed upon as the most offensive word in the English language. I believe that has more to do with its sound and the way it is used than what it refers to. It has such a guttural, debased sound, it is probably one of the only words in the language that truly encapsulates its purpose in every way.

I don't know if 'Cunt' could ever be an acceptable word. Even to my ears, it sounds shocking if uttered unexpectedly, and especially if preceded by the word 'you'.

12-25-2003, 07:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
GakFace Go Ninja, Go Ninja Go!! Location: IN, USA	Just what IS a "Curse Word"? 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 __________________ RoboBlaster: Welcome to the club! Not that I'm in the club. And there really isn'a a club in the first place. But if there was a club and if I was in it, I would definitely welcome you to it.

12-25-2003, 09:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
World's King Here Location: Denver City Denver	The worst word I know of is "GakFace." __________________ heavy is the head that wears the crown

12-25-2003, 11:24 PM	#6 (permalink)
GakFace Go Ninja, Go Ninja Go!! Location: IN, USA	Yeah I know what you mean krwlz, but change cannot happen until someone puts the notion out there. I am that man. The trend would take a while if it does, but if it happens, I think it would fix a lot of things. __________________ RoboBlaster: Welcome to the club! Not that I'm in the club. And there really isn'a a club in the first place. But if there was a club and if I was in it, I would definitely welcome you to it.

12-26-2003, 02:41 PM	#9 (permalink)
legolas shit faced cockmaster Location: CT	I was thinking south park too. __________________ "To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."

12-28-2003, 12:55 AM	#11 (permalink)
GakFace Go Ninja, Go Ninja Go!! Location: IN, USA	Man, I hoped for a larger response, I wanted to know what TFP thought about this issue. Especially Art, where are ya man? Your thoughts are always insightful. __________________ RoboBlaster: Welcome to the club! Not that I'm in the club. And there really isn'a a club in the first place. But if there was a club and if I was in it, I would definitely welcome you to it.

12-25-2003, 12:39 PM	#2 (permalink)
krwlz Fledgling Dead Head Location: Clarkson U.	Interesting... I think I would tend to agree, however, good luck getting the rest of society to agree. Its simply been the way it is for sooo long, its not likely to change.

12-25-2003, 01:08 PM	#3 (permalink)
juanvaldes Banned Location: shittown, CA	A word that is CURSED!! Jeeze dont' you watch South Park?!?

12-26-2003, 12:54 PM	#7 (permalink)
krwlz Fledgling Dead Head Location: Clarkson U.	This is true man. I hope that your notion gets out there, and recieves a positive reponse. It would be nice to not have to "watch my mouth" when it was a fairly standard word.

12-26-2003, 02:38 PM	#8 (permalink)
Snakebyt Psycho Location: Lubbock Texas	i swear alot, its just the way i talk, i cant count how many times i say fuck, bitch, cocksucker.. ect in a day.. its just the way i talk. I dont see anything wrong with it, but it annoys the hell out of my boss

12-28-2003, 05:01 AM	#12 (permalink)
mrbuck12000 Psycho Location: wisCONsin	I agree with a 100% on this issue, but the work buttfuck to me is an obnoxious word...Like 'you buttfuck.' also the word 'cunt' is a vile word IMHO. It is just degrading to men and women. all in all though i swear a lot during the day, especially on sunday when football is on. mr b __________________ "There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, it's probably in Tennessee --that says, fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me ... You can't get fooled again." - G.W. Bush quoted by the Baltimore Sun - Oct 6, 2002

12-28-2003, 06:33 AM	#13 (permalink)
Reese Delicious	OK, I'm going to make up a bunch of shit here so stay with me... They have their place. There are so many words and they each impact your conversation differently. On one end of the spectrum you have the "sissy" words, and on the other you have your curse words. In your definition of demean, It also says dishonor. Aren't you dishonoring someone by using a word that they have banned for whatever reason? If your spectrum of words goes from 'poo to shit' and the person's your with word tolerance only goes to 'crap,' you shouldn't use anything worse than 'crap' around them. Anything worse than Crap is a curse word.. When the person's tolerance goes beyond your spectrum then you can say whatever and it's not a curseword.. It's all relative.. I hope this is readable.. Nyquil is just not starting to kick in... __________________ “It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” - Dave Barry

12-28-2003, 08:19 AM	#14 (permalink)
flamingdog Still fighting it.	All words are merely symbols of their meaning, and their meanings change over the years. I'm quite sure that 'arse' and 'bugger' were quite horrendous swear words a hundred years ago, and you can now hear them being said on prime time national radio and TV. They're still considered swearwords, they're just mild enough to slip past these days. But it's going to be a long time before the meanings of 'fuck', 'bastard' and 'shit' are acceptable enough to see them being used freely. 'Cunt' is universally agreed upon as the most offensive word in the English language. I believe that has more to do with its sound and the way it is used than what it refers to. It has such a guttural, debased sound, it is probably one of the only words in the language that truly encapsulates its purpose in every way. I don't know if 'Cunt' could ever be an acceptable word. Even to my ears, it sounds shocking if uttered unexpectedly, and especially if preceded by the word 'you'.