3 ms·

For some people swearing is natural and cultural. For me it's just part of my vernacular, and to varying levels that's true of all my colleagues and most of my

by corin_ 14y ago

For some people swearing is natural and cultural. For me it's just part of my vernacular, and to varying levels that's true of all my colleagues and most of my friends. I don't stop to plan when swearing would best fit or use it tactically, it just comes out in sentences. When I'm hungry there's a good chance I'm actually "fucking starving", and if I'm referencing someone who can be a bit annoying there's a good chance he's "a bit of a cunt". However I do have an automatic filter to tone down or remove swearing based on who I'm talking to. Around a new person, especially work-related, I'll cut it out completely until I have the feeling they're comfortable with it. In particular around clients, there are some who I know well enough to swear at my normal levels around, others I know well but still keep swearing away. I guess sometimes I think about this stuff but for the most part it's just my subconscious knowing when not to swear. Interestingly I very rarely swear when talking to my parents, despite the fact that my mum reels through "fuck bugger damn shit" when something goes wrong (so not regularly but maybe once every few days) and my dad swears... a lot. When someone swears a lot it just removes the strength of that swearing. When I call someone a cunt or someone calls me a cunt we judge their meaning not on the word but the tone of voice, most of the time it's not at all offensive - but obviously I wouldn't just hop onto HN and type "you're a cunt" to somebody as contextually it's completely different.

theorique 14y ago
As a resident of the USA, I have to express how much I love the English (UK) swear words. Unfortunately, I think calling someone "a bit of a cunt" here would be taken somewhat more seriously than across the pond.
- sjtgraham 14y ago
  Your comment made me laugh. As a Brit, my reaction to that word depends on context, it will jar me if I'm not expecting to hear it, e.g. from someone I'm not familiar enough with, but it definitely gets thrown around a lot impunity too.
StavrosK 14y ago
Ugh, I hate people using the word "cunt" willy-nilly. It's the one word we have left that will still make people flinch and has any force left in it, but many people using it for ordinary situations are making sure that doesn't stay that way. I like a language to have a swearword that gives people an emotional response. Something that you can use and people can say "oh shit, the other guy is fucked now". The nuclear bomb of swearwords. The only word that approaches that that's left in English is "cunt", but that's also quickly losing its power. The word "nigger" is also supremely powerful (I bet you flinched when you read it, and I'm dreading the consequences this comment will have while I'm writing it), but it's completely useless for universal swearing due to its racial implications, and also completely useless in general due to the fact that racism is fucking retarded and doesn't even make any sense. So, please don't overuse "cunt". Excuse my French.
- Nursie 14y ago
  Are you American? 'cunt' has largely lost its power here in the UK. You still wouldn't say it in front of your mother, but even my very middle class mother drops the odd F-bomb now and again. 'nigger' is deeply unpleasant but I don't flinch when reading it on the internet because I spent time on a few sites (in the old days...) where people thought it was clever to say as often as possible. I was at a gig the other week that ended with the (dire, dreadful, untalented) band singing "Cunt, cunt, cunt, pussy cunt!" and looking just so pleased with themselves, like they'd just done something so revolutionary and intellectual. Maybe 40 years ago guys... I think the only punch that's left is making compound words. And even then 'pigfucker' is sort of funny.
  - StavrosK 14y ago
    > Are you American? Nope, Greek. I know "cunt" has lost its power in the UK (hell, Charlie Brooker says it five times per show), but I think americans still flinch a bit.
- corin_ 14y ago
  I find that cunt can still be just as powerful if you say it the right way - maybe over time that will change, but if it does I suspect new words will appear which are as strong. I also disagree about nigger, it didn't make me flinch at all despite the fact that I know neither racists who use it, nor black people who use it about themselves (i.e. I don't hear it regularly). I'm not sure I even consider it a swear word, just a racist word.

by corin_ 14y ago

theorique 14y ago

As a resident of the USA, I have to express how much I love the English (UK) swear words. Unfortunately, I think calling someone "a bit of a cunt" here would be taken somewhat more seriously than across the pond.

sjtgraham 14y ago
Your comment made me laugh. As a Brit, my reaction to that word depends on context, it will jar me if I'm not expecting to hear it, e.g. from someone I'm not familiar enough with, but it definitely gets thrown around a lot impunity too.

StavrosK 14y ago

Ugh, I hate people using the word "cunt" willy-nilly. It's the one word we have left that will still make people flinch and has any force left in it, but many people using it for ordinary situations are making sure that doesn't stay that way. I like a language to have a swearword that gives people an emotional response. Something that you can use and people can say "oh shit, the other guy is fucked now". The nuclear bomb of swearwords. The only word that approaches that that's left in English is "cunt", but that's also quickly losing its power. The word "nigger" is also supremely powerful (I bet you flinched when you read it, and I'm dreading the consequences this comment will have while I'm writing it), but it's completely useless for universal swearing due to its racial implications, and also completely useless in general due to the fact that racism is fucking retarded and doesn't even make any sense. So, please don't overuse "cunt". Excuse my French.

Nursie 14y ago
Are you American? 'cunt' has largely lost its power here in the UK. You still wouldn't say it in front of your mother, but even my very middle class mother drops the odd F-bomb now and again. 'nigger' is deeply unpleasant but I don't flinch when reading it on the internet because I spent time on a few sites (in the old days...) where people thought it was clever to say as often as possible. I was at a gig the other week that ended with the (dire, dreadful, untalented) band singing "Cunt, cunt, cunt, pussy cunt!" and looking just so pleased with themselves, like they'd just done something so revolutionary and intellectual. Maybe 40 years ago guys... I think the only punch that's left is making compound words. And even then 'pigfucker' is sort of funny.
- StavrosK 14y ago
  > Are you American? Nope, Greek. I know "cunt" has lost its power in the UK (hell, Charlie Brooker says it five times per show), but I think americans still flinch a bit.
corin_ 14y ago
I find that cunt can still be just as powerful if you say it the right way - maybe over time that will change, but if it does I suspect new words will appear which are as strong. I also disagree about nigger, it didn't make me flinch at all despite the fact that I know neither racists who use it, nor black people who use it about themselves (i.e. I don't hear it regularly). I'm not sure I even consider it a swear word, just a racist word.