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As a European I find the phrase "dropping an F bomb" far more offensive than the word "fuck". "Fuck" is an expletive based on a slang term for sexual intercour

by pluma 11y ago

As a European I find the phrase "dropping an F bomb" far more offensive than the word "fuck". "Fuck" is an expletive based on a slang term for sexual intercourse. "Dropping bombs" is a violent military act that results in horribly maiming and murdering people, often including civilians. Get your priorities straight.

lisper 11y ago
I'm sorry if you were offended, but "dropping a bomb" is a common idiomatic expression that has nothing to do with physical violence. It simply means, "to say something shocking or unexpected." http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/drop+a+bomb http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/drop+a+bomb
- pluma 11y ago
  And you find that idiom less offensive than a slang term for having sex?
  - lisper 11y ago
    Personally I don't find either one offensive. But the word "fuck" is generally considered, at least in American culture, to be the most offensive of all expletives, while the idiom "drop a bomb" is considered completely inoffensive. In fact, it was news to me that it was considered offensive in Europe. Where in Europe do you live?
    - pluma 11y ago
      Germany. Maybe I should qualify by saying that I don't find "fuck" particularly offensive to begin with (American attitudes towards swearwords are strongly defined by its Puritan history). There is a similar idiom in German ("die Bombe platzen lassen", "letting the bomb pop") but it has a different meaning (i.e. revealing shocking/surprising information) and is different from how we refer to explosions (e.g. "zünden", "detonate") making it sound more like it's describing a balloon than explosives. I wonder why Americans consider "fuck" more offensive than other expletives, especially considering it's so widely used (and in some social contexts wouldn't raise any eyebrows at all). I guess it falls back to Puritanism again: not only is it a swearword, but it's describing a sinful act -- not simply sexual intercourse but likely sexual intercourse in a very non-Puritan way (i.e. not soberly between a married faithful couple for purely reproductive purposes). I should also add that English swearwords in German are generally far less offensive than the German equivalents, though even then they're far more socially acceptable. I also think that the German equivalent of "fuck" as an expletive is actually borrowed from English and an artefact of the influence of English language media. EDIT: I also find Puritanism far more appalling than any swearword or expletive.
      - lisper 11y ago
        > Germany. Heh, I was born in Juelich. But I've lived in the U.S. since I was 5 so I'm culturally American. > I guess it falls back to Puritanism again Yep, pretty much. > I also find Puritanism far more appalling than any swearword or expletive. I can't really argue with you about that. Nonetheless, I think it's important to be judicious in one's choice of occasions to break societal norms, even when those norms aren't rational.

by pluma 11y ago

lisper 11y ago

I'm sorry if you were offended, but "dropping a bomb" is a common idiomatic expression that has nothing to do with physical violence. It simply means, "to say something shocking or unexpected." http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/drop+a+bomb http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/drop+a+bomb

pluma 11y ago
And you find that idiom less offensive than a slang term for having sex?
- lisper 11y ago
  Personally I don't find either one offensive. But the word "fuck" is generally considered, at least in American culture, to be the most offensive of all expletives, while the idiom "drop a bomb" is considered completely inoffensive. In fact, it was news to me that it was considered offensive in Europe. Where in Europe do you live?
  - pluma 11y ago
    Germany. Maybe I should qualify by saying that I don't find "fuck" particularly offensive to begin with (American attitudes towards swearwords are strongly defined by its Puritan history). There is a similar idiom in German ("die Bombe platzen lassen", "letting the bomb pop") but it has a different meaning (i.e. revealing shocking/surprising information) and is different from how we refer to explosions (e.g. "zünden", "detonate") making it sound more like it's describing a balloon than explosives. I wonder why Americans consider "fuck" more offensive than other expletives, especially considering it's so widely used (and in some social contexts wouldn't raise any eyebrows at all). I guess it falls back to Puritanism again: not only is it a swearword, but it's describing a sinful act -- not simply sexual intercourse but likely sexual intercourse in a very non-Puritan way (i.e. not soberly between a married faithful couple for purely reproductive purposes). I should also add that English swearwords in German are generally far less offensive than the German equivalents, though even then they're far more socially acceptable. I also think that the German equivalent of "fuck" as an expletive is actually borrowed from English and an artefact of the influence of English language media. EDIT: I also find Puritanism far more appalling than any swearword or expletive.
    - lisper 11y ago
      > Germany. Heh, I was born in Juelich. But I've lived in the U.S. since I was 5 so I'm culturally American. > I guess it falls back to Puritanism again Yep, pretty much. > I also find Puritanism far more appalling than any swearword or expletive. I can't really argue with you about that. Nonetheless, I think it's important to be judicious in one's choice of occasions to break societal norms, even when those norms aren't rational.