Why do we (you) cuss?

[sleeplessdragn]

I view language like how I view religion. A few hundred years ago the Roman people believed in thier system of many gods, and today the majority looks at this system and wonders how they could be so primitive. In the same manner, a few hundred years ago it was considered immoral to even think about talking about sex. Today we implemented sex ed classes, and it has become a central part of many comedic routines.

The point is that cussing is a part of language, and language is a evolving, adapting process. IMO, if the "power" of swear words in dulled down in the future, then that is simply cultural growth.

[blargherness]

I hardly ever cuss, but when i do, i usually have a pretty good reason

[deltro300111]

I hardly ever cuss, but when i do, i usually have a pretty good reason

What a constructive post.. please- if you are going to blindly comment, keep it in GD.

[bbcc]

i started cussing because i wasnt allowed to (that gave me a rush for some unknown reason)
another was because of the music i use to listen to
and now, its because i've been cussing for so long its normal.
BTW i think we all know when we can and cant use profanity.

[sleeplessdragn]

BTW i think we all know when we can and cant use profanity.

You think wrong.

Some people, like me, do not take part in an active religion. Around certain friends passing the F word around is common. Around some of my Mormon friends, it's a dangerous venture. It is easy for someone to not know if someone is Mormon, thus they wouldn't know when to use profanity.

[igotrhythm]

It strikes me that many people use cuss words just because they know they're bad, and don't know the true meaning behind them. For example, "bastard" is properly applied to an illegitimate child. In this sense, cussing can be seen as expanding your vocabulary.

And as previously noted, while there are words that are technically not cuss words, they're still considered inappropriate. Now you know why there are so many slang terms for "penis."

[suicidalmuskrat]

First of all, I agree with whoever wrote the lengthy post a few pages back on why people who say that "people who swear don't have as big of a vocabulary, are stupid, etc..." are stupid. Most of the swears I hear are used as an expression: "Son of a Bitch!", "Dammit!", "What the Fuck?", "Piece of Shit!", etc...But they're just expressions, just like "Son of a gun!", "Darn it!", "What in the world?", "Piece of junk!", etc...So why am I stupider, or have less of a vocabulary because I say "Son of a Bitch", rather than "Son of a gun!". Doesn't make any sense. Also, I disagree with people who say it's a power word. Maybe if your friends know that you never cuss, and then you do it can add some power. But if I was talking online, or in person before I really knew the person I was talking to, and they said a cuss, it wouldn't mean anything. And I also disagree with it because if you combine expressions and words to say "I hope you die", or "I hope you burn in hell", or "I hate you", I think it can be 10 times as powerful as "Fuck you!", "You asshole!", "Go to hell!", etc...This can be shown by when you're young, and you're in trouble, and your parents scream at you, punish you or whatever, and it sucks, but you get over it because you deserved it and you move on. Whereas when they just remain silent, and just walk out of the room, or say something softly like "i'm very disappointed", it hurts so much more. And they didn't have to swear once.

I forgot a few other things I was going to say, maybe I'll think of them later.

[magister_negi_magi]

I say that when you curse, you do it to add emphasis to your point. People know that these words are bad, and stating them in a sentence means that you don't intend on fooling around. But I also say that cursing is a pretty vulgar way of getting the point across. I don't know what it is, perhaps my upbringing, maybe my religion(I'm just Catholic, nothing special), but I usually have no need for cursing. And the "People who swear are stupid" thing, some people who do swear often either have short tempers, or really don't have have a more civilized way to converse. The other people who are excluded from the previous comment probably just do it because they're accustomed to it.

[magister_negi_magi]

I say that when you curse, you do it to add emphasis to your point. People know that these words are bad, and stating them in a sentence means that you don't intend on fooling around. But I also say that cursing is a pretty vulgar way of getting the point across. I don't know what it is, perhaps my upbringing, maybe my religion(I'm just Catholic, nothing special), but I usually have no need for cursing. And the "People who swear are stupid" thing, some people who do swear often either have short tempers, or really don't have have a more civilized way to converse. The other people who are excluded from the previous comment probably just do it because they're accustomed to it.

[Feuergeist]

Why do you say the word 'the'?

The more you say something the more ingrained it becomes.

[magister_negi_magi]

Carp(I did mean to spell it that way)...I double posted...can some Mod get rid of it or something?

[gardyloo]

search results for eff: 2003 posts
I dont think that's accurate

[pntballa18]

Try ef

[gardyloo]

no, I searched fuck

[gardyloo]

but not censored.