Swearing

Aava

A little survey about swearing! :rolleyes:

How often do you swear and how strongly?
I don't swear casually, sometimes I say crap, p**s and s**t to describe something (or someone... heheh). I'd use stronger words like the f-word only when I'm angry or have lost my temper.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
Not really, they aren't as offensive as they used to be. They don't bother me but I don't like people who throw the f-word into every sentence.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
Well I learned most in school (like you do :rolleyes: ) and some off my older brother. He "taught" me words like **** and c**t. I had no idea what they meant until my teens and it's really embarassing that I used to say them and I still remember when I called my mum a c**t.

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
Yes, because as I said above kids say words and they don't realise what they mean.

~~~~~

Feel free to add your own questions or whatever.

simu

Aava wrote:

A little survey about swearing! :rolleyes:

How often do you swear and how strongly?

Not all that often and quite mildly. I'd only use strong swearing in my (mostly failed) attempts at humour.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
Not by the words per se. I'd get offended if a person was being horrible to me no matter what type of language they were using.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?

I just picked them up from TV, I suppose.

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?

I wouldn't swear in front of kids but I don't think it's possible to censor what they hear. Kids are usually pretty good at figuring out what effects different words have, anyway.

billy the squid

How often do you swear and how strongly?

All the ****ing time

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?

Only if they are used in hostility, The irish tend to use swear words as adjetives that doesnt bother me at all.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?

learned the words from parents, learned what they meant from school friends.

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?

What? children use swear words more than I do

Sarky

Aava wrote:

A little survey about swearing! :rolleyes:

How often do you swear and how strongly?

Rarely enough these days. And if I really have to use expletives, then as strongly as the situation demands.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?

I may have been once, but they're only words. If someone tries to offend me with "Bad words" it won't work.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?

Parents and relations, mostly. There are some very interesting local idioms, you know...

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?

Not particularly. They've supposedly been kept from children until now, but I guarentee any 10 year old you meet will swear more vociferously than a cheap porn actress. If kids don't know what a word means, it's because someone hasn't told them. I'd probably encourage kids to be innovative in their insults. Anyone who has to resort to "F*ck" just isn't trying hard enough, in my opinion.

SantaHoe

How often do you swear and how strongly?
Depends entirely on what I'm talking about and who I'm talking about it to.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
Not the words as much as their context.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
Hah, rowing parents probably... ah happy days. :rolleyes:

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
I agree with Simu, you can't censor what they hear in everyday life.
But for TV/radio... yeah keep the swear words to a minimum, we need these words to stay special/rare/taboo or else they'll completely lose their function as expletives.
I prefer to have the timeless classics, rather than having to invent new ones... otherwise it's going to be all shizzle this and fo'dizzle that.

When did it become "swearing" and not "cursing"?
Some time in the mid-90's I'd say.

Sarky

SantaHoe wrote:

otherwise it's going to be all shizzle this and fo'dizzle that.

What? These are expletives? Why does nobody ever tell me these things?

SantaHoe

Sarky wrote:

What? These are expletives?

Well not those ones, I just use them as an example of existing daft makey-uppey words.
I'm sure the dee-oh-double-gee has 'izzle'ised some swear words in his time though.

CathyMoran

How often do you swear and how strongly?
I would tend to curse in work the odd time after putting the phone down to a very annoying person - less so now, though I tend to curse in foreign languages (either Italian or French).

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
I find blasphey very offensive and if they are overused or said in front of young children.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
My brother...

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
Yes - give kids a childhood!

luckat

In my youth I swore like a trooper; it was a symbol of liberation then. My child didn't pick it up. Later I realised it made me sound doltish and stopped.

ixoy

How often do you swear and how strongly?
Not often and not strongly. I dislike swearing, generally of the belief that you should be able to say things without swearing. When I do swear, it's more effective because it shows I'm irritated. More inclined to coarseness when I'm intoxicated.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
I find it irritating when certain people - generally young men - pepper every sentence with "colorful" language. It sounds both repetitive and redundant.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
Good question. TV and at school? Not really sure.

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
Little point really - they'll hear it outside in the streets, in the schoolground, etc. John Kelleher certainly has it far down on his list of priorities when it comes to classifying his movies - and that's after consultation with the general public who, in general, aren't too bothered by it.

OfflerCrocGod

Aava wrote:

I still remember when I called my mum a c**t.

That's nothing, once when one of my teachers was feeling low and asked the class what she could do to make herself happier ( she was quite depressed ). I used a word I had heard only last night on TV, which was used in the general context of people being happier ( it was a sketch show ), I didn't understand the word at all. I said to her "You could masterbate!". Oh boy. The class burst out laughing. I though it was to do with fishing.

bizmark

How often do you swear and how strongly?

Offen enough most of the time F**k or s**t

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?

Na its a irish past time

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
Star trek The number of times captian picard said "F**k you you f**king romulan c**t" just isnt funny

......From school and my 3 older brothers of course

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?

No point really go talk to any child they know most of them by age 5 .

Crucifix

How often do you swear and how strongly?
I swear a fair bit, and quite strongly, but I always try to swear effectively.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
The words themselves don't matter, it's how they're intended.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
I don't know really, School probably.

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
Yeah, I guess so.

embee

How often do you swear and how strongly?
I swear a LOT. I don't even realise I am doing it half the time tbh.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
Not really. I do think that, depending on where you are from, swearing ranges from being pretty commonplace to people rarely swearing. Where I am from, people swear quite frequently, so I wouldn't get offended by swearing, unless there was real malice in it.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
The same way I learned all other words - from hearing them being said. A lot of the time, even if I didnt know for sure what they meant, I knew the intent behind them. Words like "c*unt" and "****" I wouldnt have heard that much and didnt really know what they meant.

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
Yeah, I suppose but it is unrealistic to think that children wont learn swear words and use them when their parents arent around. As long as they dont have "potty mouths" I suppose its okay.

alleepally

How often do you swear and how strongly?

Quite a lot... What IS considered strong nowadays. I suppose if anything, c*nt would be strong and I wouldn't use it that often so that's the ultimate curse word for me.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?

Nope, not at all. Anyone that doesn't use swear words I find a bit odd or either that they're on prozac!

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?

I went through a phase with a neighbour when I was about 7 or 8. I can't recall it myself but we used to march around the road just roaring any of the curse words we knew at the top of our voices. Guess we heard them from older kids. Would have been 13 onwards that I would have known what they meant.

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?

Ideal world, Yeah of course but how do you that? Virtually impossible really. But I do hate to hear children using curse words. God knows what my mother though of me at 7 going around cursing on the street. hmmm, why did she let me. THat just occurred to me. The stupid c*nt!!!

Makaveli

How often do you swear and how strongly?
Far too much for my liking. If I get mad it can be quite caustic too. Although I don't tend to swear at people more just throw it out there. I do swear in front on my parents which they hate but there are certain words I wont use in front of them, I say f**k alot but would never say c**t in front of them.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
No. I'd be a hypocrite if I did.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
Don't really remember, school and television more than likely.

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
Yeah, althought children these days aren't as innocent anymore.

Phil_321

How often do you swear and how strongly?
Just about every sentence I'd say would have at least one fúck in it. It's my favourite word.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
Never.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
I suppose my dad and friends.


Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
No, because they hear them all the time in school anyway. I don't think swear words should censored in the media in general either. At the end of the day, they're just words and they're not inherently offense.

Waltons

How often do you swear and how strongly?
I swear a good bit while talking to friends and the like. It depends who is there at the time. I've taken to swearing so much with certain people that nothing less than c**t will show that I'm píssed off, while with other people )eg parents) around, merely saying s**t will be enough.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
Not that often. What the person is trying to say might offend me, but not the actual swearing itself

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
Most likely school. I do remember a certain time though when 2 of my older cousins taught me to write 'Bollox' and told me that the next time my dad's car was frosted over I should write it into the frost.

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
Ideally, yes, but it's not going to happen because there will always be some kid whose heard one of his/her parents swearing and tell all their friends about it.

mp3guy

How often do you swear and how strongly?
Sometimes mildy, and occasionally strongly when angry or something, best keep them for when they'll have a good impact

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
No, i consider them a part of the english language, adjectives

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
I forget who, and i found out when I had my mouth washed out with soap

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
No, it's the real world

Stark

How often do you swear and how strongly?

As little as possible, like ixoy said I find it coarse and redundant and when I do swear I chalk it down to a lack of vocabulary on my part. Depends on the situation as well. I use "ffs" (full version) quite regulary.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?

Not offended, but get irrated if I hear them overused. For example fuck being used to qualify every second adjective. Nate from Six Feet Under pisses me off that way. Ganster shows that overruse swear words also piss me off.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?

Can't remember where I picked them up. Didn't find out what they meant for years. Knew what shit meant. Didn't know the literal meaning for fuck until in 4th year of secondary school or thereabouts. Expected something better


Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?

No. But they shouldn't be exposed to "peppered" speech either. I don't think it's harmful for them to be exposed to the likes of an expletive if someone stubs their toe for example. They should just be reminded not to say it themselves as they could get into trouble with their teachers and stuff.

I hate when swear words are completely censored. Especially in an adult environment where stuff "may be" overheard by kids.

Dr. Loon

How often do you swear and how strongly?

I swear like a fúckin bástard.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?

No, although cúnt is pretty much the most evil swear word IMO.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?

Friends, family, books.


Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?

No but there's no need to over expose kids to swearing.

Ph3n0m

How often do you swear and how strongly?
All the motherf**king time

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
F**k no

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
Indoctrinated at birth into the Church of the Almighty F**k (school, friends, 18 rated movies - whilst underage)

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
Its easy enough to bit your tongue and not swear infront of children, but dammit the little bástards do rile you up sometimes and you have to let loose

Sleepy

How often do you swear and how strongly?
Far too often for someone with a good vocabulary, more out of habit than anything else. I'm planning to cut it down for my new year's resolution this year. The strength varies on how shockable the company I'm in. Around friends, I've a mouth like a Roddy Doyle character.

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
**** no, Cúnt is my all-time favourite swear word and it amuses me that people get so offended by it. Surely it's worse to imply that a woman is a prostitute or worse than it is to call her a slang word for a part of her anatomy?

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
Friends, cousins, TV and books.

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
Only up to the point where they're old enough to understand the company and situations in which it's acceptable to curse.

I have to agree with Sarky though, I find original curses far more effective than the tired old clichés most of us use.

Cactus Col

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How often do you swear and how strongly?
I swear quite often and quite strongly .. have nothing against using c0nt in my everyday conversations (but obviously not in formal occassions)

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
No, more on the intent of thier usage

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
don't know

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
Yes

_blank_

How often do you swear and how strongly?
I swear all the time, except when I am talking to Parents, siblings, parents of friends and people higher than me in work, in work related situations.

I use swear words as I do any otheer word in everyday usage.

There is a difference between a "big x" and a "f-ing big x".

And there is also a difference between calling someone a "not very nice person" and a "b'stard".

Do you ever feel offended by swear words?
Depends. If they are used as I use them, then no. If they are used to accentuate the language, then fine.

However, if a person I am dealing with in work, a customer, starts to use swear words in an attempt to get me to give them preferential treatment, that is a big no-no in my book. I see it as a sign that the person has become aggressive with me.

Same goes for managers etc.

I would never reverse the situation.

Who did you learn your swear words off as a kid, and when did you find out what they meant?
TV, School, friends, the usual.

Do you think swear words should still be censored from children?
I never swear in front of kids, but you cannot censor everyday life, and people do swear.

I cannot see the point of censoring these words from kids.