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May 27, 2020, 09:57 AM
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Member Since: Nov 2002
Location: Mid World
Posts: 18,125
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I can relate to Rainbowvampire and Sarah. I can swear like a sailor, but can also go days without saying so much as dagnabbit. I have some friends who find swearing offensive so I curb myself around them. I work with kids and do not swear around them. I'll confess to getting creative around them at times.
While I know some believe swearing is a sign of a limited vocabulary I disagree. Yeah, folks who cuss non-stop get boring to listen to, but cussing can also be creative. It can also be the only way a person knows how to express themself. Most of the kids I work with are adolescents with behavior problems. Need I add their language is peppered with "colorful" words? At the same time they can get tongue tied trying to not swear on front of me. I tell them it's okay if that's what they need to say to express themselves. Then I talk about the impression it creates with others.
sidenote: cursing in American English is so limited. Most of it applies to bathroom or bedroom talk. Other languages are so much more creative. A friend who speaks fluent Russian taught some their curses. One that still cracks me up is "don't stick your (word for male sexual organ) in the tea!" Sounds like mighty fine advice to me.
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