Word Usage (Semi-Fluff Debate)

[Maleficent13]

Today in one of my favorite comic strips, Non Sequitor, a little girl asks her father if she says a word that is not a cuss word, but clearly means it in the same way, is it still swearing?

I pose the question to you!

 

[Eeyore1954]

I like Bart Simpson's take on this: You sure as hell can't talk about hell without using the word hell.

 

[Maleficent13]

I agree. I have a friend who says "Fudge!" alot, and it just kills me. I never understood why specific words are considered "bad" when it's clearly the sentiment behind them that is the problem.

Words are just words. It's the meaning the person imparts to them that makes them have power.

 

[onecoolmama]

Mal that is partly true. But if you look at the words..most if not all the "curse" words have very harsh sounds.


That is what makes them more effective than "fudge"

 

[kild]

I agree with you Maleficent, but I still wouldn't want my 2 yr old walking around saying the f word.
Even if he doesn't know the meaning or intent.

 

[Big Dude]

credit to National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation

Welcome everyone, I'm your dam tour guide Arnie. Im about to take you through a fully functional power plant. So please no one wander off the dam tour, and feel free to take all the dam pictures you want..now..are there any dam questions??

Yea! where can i get some dam bait?

Adam aka Big Dude

 

[Maleficent13]

So if I substituted "Clock!" or "Stack!" for a take your pick curse work, it would be worse than fudge?

Plus, drat, crap, and shoot all have hard syllables, but they aren't nearly as "bad" as some others.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

Originally posted by Big Dude
credit to National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation

Welcome everyone, I'm your dam tour guide Arnie. Im about to take you through a fully functional power plant. So please no one wander off the dam tour, and feel free to take all the dam pictures you want..now..are there any dam questions??

Yea! where can i get some dam bait?

Ahhh, a true classic.

I use heck and crap all the time. It just sounds better to me.

 

[floridaminnie]

Some words aren't as offensive to others and are more acceptable.

 

[kild]

I kinda like that.
What the clock do you think you're doing?!?

Society has made the words bad and not the use of the word.
If I sit in my office and say dang it a few times, no one says a anything.
If I said f a few times, I would get a visit by the director of nursing next door.

 

[Eeyore1954]

Originally posted by Maleficent13
I agree. I have a friend who says "Fudge!" alot, and it just kills me. I never understood why specific words are considered "bad" when it's clearly the sentiment behind them that is the problem.

Words are just words. It's the meaning the person imparts to them that makes them have power.

Mal, you're scaring me. Even scarier ... I am agreeing with you -- to a degree.

I believe that some words have an inherent power that is culturally, ethnically or nationally attributed to them. These words maintain that power because of repeated use in intense situations. For example, when VP Cheney dropped the F-bomb on Sen. Leahy, there was no need to clarify what Mr. Cheney meant. There was no need to impart any additional meaning, because that word or words are quite pregnant with meaning that is, at least, nationally recognized & understood.

However, I agree that the word in and of itself is not inherently bad or evil. A word is a word is a word. As Shakespeare said, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

But we endow words with meaning by their normal use and some words have been endowed with less than desirable meanings through regular use. To un-do that would require a massive overhaul of our national culture ... something that I doubt is going to happen.

 

[Lanshark]

If intention is the measuring stick I'm in BIG trouble

 

[Indyman]

Originally posted by Eeyore1954
Mal, you're scaring me. Even scarier ... I am agreeing with you -- to a degree.

I believe that some words have an inherent power that is culturally, ethnically or nationally attributed to them. These words maintain that power because of repeated use in intense situations. For example, when VP Cheney dropped the F-bomb on Sen. Leahy, there was no need to clarify what Mr. Cheney meant. There was no need to impart any additional meaning, because that word or words are quite pregnant with meaning that is, at least, nationally recognized & understood.

However, I agree that the word in and of itself is not inherently bad or evil. A word is a word is a word. As Shakespeare said, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

But we endow words with meaning by their normal use and some words have been endowed with less than desirable meanings through regular use. To un-do that would require a massive overhaul of our national culture ... something that I doubt is going to happen.

Exactly. Go fudge yourself doesn't sound like such a bad thing, does it?

 

[Maleficent13]

Originally posted by Indyman
Exactly. Go fudge yourself doesn't sound like such a bad thing, does it?

Ewww. Sounds sticky!

Originally posted by Eeyore1954

But we endow words with meaning by their normal use and some words have been endowed with less than desirable meanings through regular use. To un-do that would require a massive overhaul of our national culture ... something that I doubt is going to happen.

I agree with you again... I just hate to see people scared of words. Language is such a great gift, and the ability to express ourselves is something we should never take for granted.

Kild: Gonna incorporate "clock" into my daily vocab too! Adding to my sig as we speak!

 

[onecoolmama]

Originally posted by kild
If I said f a few times, I would get a visit by the director of nursing next door.

 

[kild]

That's clocking great, Mal!!



OCM I don't need a visit by her. SOme of the nurses maybe....

 

[Saffron]

My little tiny, petite, elderly, "butter would melt in her mouth" mom came to my office one day to have lunch with me. She entertained my coworkers with stories from her youth while she was there. Everyone just loves her. She looks just like a white haired Irish pixie, with big green eyes, a gentle smile and she is just as sweet as anything. I have no idea how or why this came to mind for her, but as she was leaving the office she turned around and said, "Oh and girls ... don't say "freaking" because I just heard from the group down at the Senior home that it means the same thing as ..." I don't think I've ever heard my mom say a cuss word in her life and she comes out with THAT!

So ... my mom taught me and my coworkers that day, that intent does indeed add weight to some words.

 

[Beth76]

When I was in the fifth grade (I went to a Lutheran school) there were some boys sitting around me doing somthing that was bothering me. I went up to the teacher and said "The boys are irritating the crap out of me." This was a perfectly fine word for us to say in our family. My teacher just about lost it. "Don't say crap, do you know what crap means? Crap means sh--!" Here I'm thinking my teacher just said sh--, that's *much* worse than crap. I think it took all my will power not to laugh.

I guess some words just have more harsh connotations than others that mean the same thing. I don't get it either.

 

[LadyAurora]

Personally, I really don't like to hear "those" words, or their substitutes in public places.
I am almost as irritated by hearing someone at work, where customers can hear, use "freaking" or "crap" or "fudge," in their conversations. It makes me cringe.
It's not the particular word, per se, but that they can't express themselves without some kind of vulgar phrase.

 

[shortbun]

DS isn't allowed to say "crap" or "sucks" or "freaking".
He thinks we are weird but I explain that those words are
just substitutes for other worse words and smart people
can think of a better. more civilized way to talk. Yesterday,
his best friend was in our car and said, "Mimi, does Wyatt
lose his allowance if he says "crap?" I said, "No, did he say
he did?" He said, "No, my parents won't let me say it and if
they catch me twice, I lose my allowance." I told him his parents
were right and they were trying to help him make good choices.
My DS listened quietly and hopefully he gets now that I'm not
the only weird parent.