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> "WTF is, generally, acceptable as not excessively vulgar in social contexts" Which social contexts? Social contexts where people don't know what "WTF" expan
by Crito 12y ago
> "WTF is, generally, acceptable as not excessively vulgar in social contexts"
Which social contexts? Social contexts where people don't know what "WTF" expands to? It's not even a "minced oath".
- frenchy 12y ago"WTF" is less vulgar than "fuck" for roughly the same reason that "the f-word" is less vulgar than "fuck".
- Crito 12y agoI don't buy it. "The f-word" is used exclusively by people being descriptive. Nobody says "So I was f-wording my spouse..." or stubs their toe and exclaims "oh f-word!". It is used when people are reporting what other people said. That is why it is considered less offensive; it is never properly used. It signals to the easily offended, "I want to convey this information to you, but I am deliberately mangling words so that you know I too disapprove of the terrible word that was unfortunately used by somebody else." "WTF" isn't used that way. When people say it, they are using it, not describing somebody's usage. There is zero implication of an apology or empathy with the audience's word-phobia.
- dllthomas 12y agoIt's arguably ambiguous as to whether the oath would have been minced, if expanded. I've certainly heard people say "what the frick" or similar.