Heck
July 27, 2017 5:54 AM Subscribe
Susie Dent's Guide to Swearing ~!@#$%^&*~ Auntie Doris's That's Swearing ~!@#$%^&*~ Mapping the United Swears of America
Whoa, holy gender-based insult clusters in the South (3rd link).
I was sort of hoping to see something on the frequency of swearing nationwide. I spent a few years in the Boston area and was absolutely repulsed by the amount of swearing - casual swearing, swearing in public, parents swearing at their under-5 children. So gross. Now that I'm back in NJ, I'm keenly aware of the difference in public language.
posted by Miko at 6:08 AM on July 27, 2017
I was sort of hoping to see something on the frequency of swearing nationwide. I spent a few years in the Boston area and was absolutely repulsed by the amount of swearing - casual swearing, swearing in public, parents swearing at their under-5 children. So gross. Now that I'm back in NJ, I'm keenly aware of the difference in public language.
posted by Miko at 6:08 AM on July 27, 2017
NSFW (Not Safe for Fucking Work)
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:16 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:16 AM on July 27, 2017
I personally appreciated Auntie Doris's full article devoted to the very satisfying long version, Hell's Bells and Buckets of Blood.
posted by Wolfdog at 6:22 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by Wolfdog at 6:22 AM on July 27, 2017
My word! Re: mapping; given the high scores for "bastard" and "cunt", New England apparently still has some England in it.
posted by farlukar at 6:25 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by farlukar at 6:25 AM on July 27, 2017
well bless their hearts
posted by logicpunk at 6:29 AM on July 27, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by logicpunk at 6:29 AM on July 27, 2017 [2 favorites]
"Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." --Mark Twain, A Biography.
posted by kinnakeet at 7:19 AM on July 27, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by kinnakeet at 7:19 AM on July 27, 2017 [5 favorites]
Swearing makes for a fine condiment, but a poor main course.
posted by metagnathous at 7:32 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by metagnathous at 7:32 AM on July 27, 2017
Don't believe the maps. They got my area totally wrong except for "Asshole." I'm the only one who says that around here and people think it inventive.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 8:48 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by Mr. Yuck at 8:48 AM on July 27, 2017
people making infographics with maps love to pretend there are only 48 states. it doesn't even say contiguous anywhere in there! i want a very small data point for "faka" as tribute
posted by taskmaster at 9:25 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by taskmaster at 9:25 AM on July 27, 2017
I am both mildly surprised and somewhat dismayed to see the comparatively low rate of use of powerful swear words in the Deep South. I'm doing my bit to change that, you fucking cunts.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 9:41 AM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by BitterOldPunk at 9:41 AM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
I would love to know a) why "gosh" is considered a swear and b)why there's a doughnut hole of goshlessness right over the Sand Hills
posted by lollymccatburglar at 9:54 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by lollymccatburglar at 9:54 AM on July 27, 2017
(For what it's worth, I recommend the Susie Dent series of videos as the main thing - they're pretty interesting. The map is a colorful afterthought.)
posted by Wolfdog at 10:07 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by Wolfdog at 10:07 AM on July 27, 2017
WTF? tw@? twhat? I can now use twat without anybody I know even noticing.
posted by zengargoyle at 11:17 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by zengargoyle at 11:17 AM on July 27, 2017
fuck
posted by leotrotsky at 11:20 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by leotrotsky at 11:20 AM on July 27, 2017
I would love to know a) why "gosh" is considered a swear
If G-sh is omniscient, then surely He has enough grasp of basic semiotics to know a signifier is a signifier is a signifier, no matter how minced. Nicknames are still names, people! Throw that one around in vain, and you are definitely going to heck.
My word! Re: mapping; given the high scores for "bastard" and "cunt", New England apparently still has some England in it.
Yes. Fucktons. Also Scottish and Irish. It's New England, and Atlantic Canada too. "Arse" is pretty common throughout those parts, too. But of course, the makeup of the Upper South (WV, KY, TN) is pretty much the same, so it's a little odd that it's so different swearswise. Re: bastard, in New England and Atlantic Canada, "bastard" can refer to anything, including (especially!) inanimate objects, and may not necessarily denote anything undesirable. "Pass me that bastard," someone might say over the family dinner table. I think that's kind of old-fashioned nowadays, with "fucker" having mostly taking over, but you'll still hear it plenty. I think maybe "bitch" is more typically used like that down south?
posted by Sys Rq at 11:39 AM on July 27, 2017 [2 favorites]
If G-sh is omniscient, then surely He has enough grasp of basic semiotics to know a signifier is a signifier is a signifier, no matter how minced. Nicknames are still names, people! Throw that one around in vain, and you are definitely going to heck.
My word! Re: mapping; given the high scores for "bastard" and "cunt", New England apparently still has some England in it.
Yes. Fucktons. Also Scottish and Irish. It's New England, and Atlantic Canada too. "Arse" is pretty common throughout those parts, too. But of course, the makeup of the Upper South (WV, KY, TN) is pretty much the same, so it's a little odd that it's so different swearswise. Re: bastard, in New England and Atlantic Canada, "bastard" can refer to anything, including (especially!) inanimate objects, and may not necessarily denote anything undesirable. "Pass me that bastard," someone might say over the family dinner table. I think that's kind of old-fashioned nowadays, with "fucker" having mostly taking over, but you'll still hear it plenty. I think maybe "bitch" is more typically used like that down south?
posted by Sys Rq at 11:39 AM on July 27, 2017 [2 favorites]
Upper South... I'd say I'm originally from the little bit of VA that is tucked right in the middle of there and gawd I don't see any Scottish/Irish/NewEngland similarities. Y'all a bunch of yankees and probably heathen catholic idol worshipers or danmed jews rejecting the one true jesus christ our lord and savior.
I think the bible belt southern baptist thing washed out any historic cultural similarities at least in that little area that's close to where all of those states meet. The maps were pretty accurate from what I remember, 'whore' was the first cuss word I ever looked up (or Jezebel if you wanted to sound edumacated) and 'damned' was a pretty strong word.
Note: it has been 30 years or so since I left the area and maybe things have changed a bit.
posted by zengargoyle at 12:14 PM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
I think the bible belt southern baptist thing washed out any historic cultural similarities at least in that little area that's close to where all of those states meet. The maps were pretty accurate from what I remember, 'whore' was the first cuss word I ever looked up (or Jezebel if you wanted to sound edumacated) and 'damned' was a pretty strong word.
Note: it has been 30 years or so since I left the area and maybe things have changed a bit.
posted by zengargoyle at 12:14 PM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
I had sort of the opposite of Miko when I moved from Oakland to DC; I kept having to catch myself because everyone here seems so prudish about swearing.
Now I just swear under my breath and pretend no one can hear me.
posted by aspersioncast at 12:21 PM on July 27, 2017
Now I just swear under my breath and pretend no one can hear me.
posted by aspersioncast at 12:21 PM on July 27, 2017
hijo de su chingada madre
chupaverga
*honorable mention* - didn't see these on the map
posted by strelitzia at 12:35 PM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
chupaverga
*honorable mention* - didn't see these on the map
posted by strelitzia at 12:35 PM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
When I lived as an Anglo fuck in Quebec fuck we took to using 'fuck' as punctuation fuck
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 1:14 PM on July 27, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 1:14 PM on July 27, 2017 [2 favorites]
Speaking as a highly uninformed New World-er who has only recently watched every single episode of 8 Out of 10 Cats does Countdown, maybe twice, I really appreciate the additional Susie Dent material.
posted by carsonb at 1:18 PM on July 27, 2017
posted by carsonb at 1:18 PM on July 27, 2017
Fundie teabaggers should be aware that fricking/freaking are variations of frigging, which means fingerfuck.
posted by brujita at 3:07 PM on July 27, 2017
posted by brujita at 3:07 PM on July 27, 2017
frigging, which means fingerfuck.
Wait, is that true?
posted by Literaryhero at 3:13 PM on July 27, 2017
Wait, is that true?
posted by Literaryhero at 3:13 PM on July 27, 2017
No.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:21 PM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Sys Rq at 3:21 PM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
Oh man, Quebec. My looseness with religious related exclamations were close to getting me in trouble there a few times. To me, those were the minor swears that stopped me from saying something more offensive. Then I went somewhere that worked the complete opposite way and had to adjust fast.
posted by Infracanophile at 5:20 PM on July 27, 2017
posted by Infracanophile at 5:20 PM on July 27, 2017
Not demographically related, but a chance to post two favorite bits:
Better Off Ted (video, 2min): Memo 314: Employees must NOW use offensive or insulting language in the workplace.
and
Ars Pardoxica (audio, 18min) Modern Scientist / Time Traveller Sally Grissom argues the value of swearing to her 1945 colleagues.
posted by bartleby at 9:44 PM on July 27, 2017
Better Off Ted (video, 2min): Memo 314: Employees must NOW use offensive or insulting language in the workplace.
and
Ars Pardoxica (audio, 18min) Modern Scientist / Time Traveller Sally Grissom argues the value of swearing to her 1945 colleagues.
posted by bartleby at 9:44 PM on July 27, 2017
Frig (/frɪɡ/) is an interjection in the English language that expresses contempt. The word can be used as a euphemism for fuck or to refer to masturbation or sexual intercourse.[3] The participle form frigging is used as an adjective to express annoyance or frustration. Oxford University Press' Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang argues that frig originally meant to move restlessly. A different etymology is proposed by Oxford University Press' Dictionary of Euphemisms, which argues that frig initially meant to rub and developed its sexual meanings from this origin...The word's use as a synonym for masturbate dates to 1598 in the United Kingdom, while its use as a euphemism for fuck dates to 1879 in the United Kingdom.
posted by Miko at 5:42 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Miko at 5:42 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
When I lived as an Anglo fuck in Quebec fuck we took to using 'fuck' as punctuation fuck
God forbid you bust out a "Tabarnak" though
posted by brand-gnu at 7:50 AM on July 28, 2017
God forbid you bust out a "Tabarnak" though
posted by brand-gnu at 7:50 AM on July 28, 2017
My reading of Louise Penny novels led me to believe that "Tabernacle" was the swear of choice in Quebec! I take it that's really more of a character detail than a cultural one.
posted by epj at 9:18 AM on July 28, 2017
posted by epj at 9:18 AM on July 28, 2017
My father kept his copy of the pearl(which uses frig in the context of mutual masturbation) in my parents' bathroom.
posted by brujita at 10:09 AM on July 28, 2017
posted by brujita at 10:09 AM on July 28, 2017
My father kept his copy of the pearl(which uses frig in the context of mutual masturbation) in my parents' bathroom.
And exactly how old are you, brujita? Hmmmm?
posted by Literaryhero at 3:46 PM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
And exactly how old are you, brujita? Hmmmm?
posted by Literaryhero at 3:46 PM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
Sorry, that was a joke about your father keeping a century and a half old magazine in the toilet. I wasn't trying to pry into your personal life.
posted by Literaryhero at 4:44 AM on July 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Literaryhero at 4:44 AM on July 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
Grove press collected the issues into a book in the late 60s.
posted by brujita at 6:02 AM on July 29, 2017
posted by brujita at 6:02 AM on July 29, 2017
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(And don't forget Very Bad Words!)
posted by uncleozzy at 6:06 AM on July 27, 2017 [2 favorites]