I'm quite fond of the term "F-bomb". It's an appropriate descriptor much of the time. A bomb produces a "sudden and violent release of energy", typically inte

I'm quite fond of the term "F-bomb". It's an appropriate descriptor much of the time. A bomb produces a "sudden and violent release of energy", typically intended to destroy a target or to draw attention. Similarly, the word "fuck" is often used to intensify a destructive or dismissive sentiment, or to draw attention or produce shock. The emotional content the word "fuck" carries is (sometimes) the conversational analog to an explosive payload. It's useful for meta-discussions even among people who are comfortable using the term "fuck", because it conveys information about the intent and effects of usage. Likewise, the term "F-Pepper" (used in the article) conveys additional information that the scare-quoted "fuck" would not. If I say a guy lobbed a couple F-grenades into a political discussion I was having with a friend, you can infer some things about his intent. Part of effective swearing is knowing whether you're dropping a bomb or some pepper, and part of effective meta-discussion is being able to describe those differently. That said, I do find that some people use the term "F-bomb" in ridiculous ways. Similarly for S-bomb, C-bomb, B-bomb, and some others. Calling everything a bomb even if it has no bomb-like effects really cheapens the word and worsens the meta-discussion.