I certainly would not dream of telling anyone how to behave in public - I would hope that they would afford me the common decency and respect of not having to listen to foul mouthed language...it appears that the people who use this kind of language could whisper over three fields...Sheffield, Huddersfield and Chesterfield...and for the uninitiated, that means they talk rather loudly.
major tom
- Thread starter major tom
- Start date
Best rule to gauge if language is suitable , ask yourself would you use it in front of your Mother or Grandmother, the answer is probably No , so don't use it infront of someone elses Mother or Grandmother , if you answered yes , then in my opinion you are nothing more than a sorry a**ed punk whos 'personal space' would be a five mile stretch of highway pushing a broom and picking up litter.
Steeljack, that is an excellent rule of thumb. I wish more people would use it.
Not really ... I think that using obscene lang in public is cyclical and cultural ... well in a sub-cultural way. I remember when the Everly Bros. song "Wake Up Little Suzy" was banned, probably in Boston. And now, a song can begin "C***sucker, Motherf***er, Dirty F***ing Ho" and be an instant hit (maybe I should write it myself). Some of the rankest porn pictures come from the Victorian era, a time when there were more hos in London than there are now. For a good read in filthy poetry, read Rochester; I particularly recommend "A Ramble in St. James' Park." And Chaucer. Among the young, swearing may be a sign of rebellion, like clothes, and body piercing.
If a person's language offends, tell him/her to "shut the f**k up." I remember my grandad saying to my gran when she heard someone swear: "Ee luv, better hear that than be deef."
Never heard a truer word
The old fashioned among us seem to only see a black and white situation here; it's either be a yob shouting obscenities from the back of a bus, or be Cliff Richard.
I have now said twice that I do not condone in any way abusing people with any form of language (well, maybe the odd referee). However I do believe that stripping people of their right to use whichever form of language they want to express themselves with is fundamentally wrong.
It worked a treat for Chaucer and Wilde and it'll do just fine for me.
It's just a shame that so many people, these days, are so vocabularily challenged that they have to punctuate every sentence with several "F words". It's gratuitous and, initially, was intended to shock.
As for Chaucer and Wilde, I can't remember either using impoverished language as a matter of course. To misquote Lady Bracknell, "To lose one f***ing parent may be f***ing regarded as a f***ing misfortune. To f***ing lose both is f***ing carelessness." It doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it?
As for Chaucer and Wilde, I can't remember either using impoverished language as a matter of course. To misquote Lady Bracknell, "To lose one f***ing parent may be f***ing regarded as a f***ing misfortune. To f***ing lose both is f***ing carelessness." It doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it?
One must get acquainted with The Miller's Tale, then.
I know there are many people who use 'swear words' out of context and grossly inappropriately, however I am defending one's right to free speech. Afterall you cannot possibly generalise every youth who swears into this obstreperous nature.
It is unfortunate that the English language is so awfully crafted that there is no room for exaggerated expression without the stiff upper lip getting involved.
Actually, I'm glad to know that Shaker. I guess it's a bit of a cultural acceptance thing then. I could have found myself on the tube admonishing some young chavs to watch their language. Thereby bringing forth either a physical or much worse verbal attack.
Again, over here, I don't know very many adults who wouldn't admonish kids for vulgar language. And also, most of the time but not all, the kids will invariably apologize and cease.
I even have a friend who will say to adults using vulgar language to refrain as it his wife and/or children are offended. Again, the people will typically apologize.
Lesson learned!
Brian
Shaker, Chaucer was speaking the language of the day...the words commonly used as swear words were Old English parlance......but personally I do not want to hear them bandied about by people who wouldn't know that fact if it bit them on the bum. You don't hear these same people using Latin do you...that is another one of the old languages.
The best compliment that I can offer you is to hope that you live long enough to be seen as 'Old fashioned'.
I think that swearing is just a sign of a lazy mind and it is a fashion of followers rather tham leaders. I would rather be a leader than a follower.
And I would rather be deaf than have to listen to the foul language of SOME of the youth(and not so young) of today.
The best compliment that I can offer you is to hope that you live long enough to be seen as 'Old fashioned'.
I think that swearing is just a sign of a lazy mind and it is a fashion of followers rather tham leaders. I would rather be a leader than a follower.
And I would rather be deaf than have to listen to the foul language of SOME of the youth(and not so young) of today.
My work used to take me all over Great Britain, and some European countries, What I found was that in large cities, without wanting to single any one out, that swearing during normal conversation was the accepted norm, even amongst women. I am not defending the practice but it was very infectuous, so take heed when swearing in front of children, as they may catch the habit.
Like it or not, obscenity is the language of our day ... familiarity brings not only contempt but also a degree of immunity. And it can be a source of entertainment. I would recommend George Carlin's skit, "7 Dirty Words You Can't Say on TV." Or his latest book, "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?"
Still, I do believe that the rule of common sense should apply. If my buddy and I are trying to fix his geriatric Harley Davidson panhead, obscentiy is approriate, particularly as it is the quirkiest f**king bike on the whole c***sucking planet! But in the company of those who you know will take offence, let common sense take over and watch yo mouth.
No Eric, It is only the language of the day if you ACCEPT it as such and I don't.
I was on the bus yesterday with my daughters little three year old. Now at this age they are apt to say anything they hear. Two young men behind us were using a string of obscenities.....the three year old is listening to all this, and i do not think it is acceptable at all. A bus is a public space - they contaminated this space with foul language...all of it gratuitous. Call me wrong if you like, but I do not think it is fair or reasonable to expect me to listen to this. Can these young men not see that they are making themselves look bad? As I've said before....it isn't big and it isn't clever.
I was on the bus yesterday with my daughters little three year old. Now at this age they are apt to say anything they hear. Two young men behind us were using a string of obscenities.....the three year old is listening to all this, and i do not think it is acceptable at all. A bus is a public space - they contaminated this space with foul language...all of it gratuitous. Call me wrong if you like, but I do not think it is fair or reasonable to expect me to listen to this. Can these young men not see that they are making themselves look bad? As I've said before....it isn't big and it isn't clever.
Much ado about nothing!
Swear words have lost their impact through misuse and overuse and as someone has already mentioned using swear words establishes the ignorance of the speaker.
Although I cringe internally when someone uses foul language near me I’ve learned to ignore it and get on with my life comforted with the thought that come tomorrow I will have forgotten all about it. However come tomorrow the foul-mouthed swearer will still be the same obnoxious, ignorant twerp.
Swear words have lost their impact through misuse and overuse and as someone has already mentioned using swear words establishes the ignorance of the speaker.
Although I cringe internally when someone uses foul language near me I’ve learned to ignore it and get on with my life comforted with the thought that come tomorrow I will have forgotten all about it. However come tomorrow the foul-mouthed swearer will still be the same obnoxious, ignorant twerp.
Why is it regarded as highly offensive to refer to someone as a four-letter word from Scunthorpe, yet more or less acceptable to call him/her a berk ?
Berk is taken from the Cockney rhyming slang 'Berkeley or Berkhamsted Hunt, which, yes you've guessed correctly, rhymes with ****.
Berk is taken from the Cockney rhyming slang 'Berkeley or Berkhamsted Hunt, which, yes you've guessed correctly, rhymes with ****.
Oh, but one did, when one was studying for A level English. Chaucer didn't use the "4 letter word" to pepper every sentence for no reason other than bravado and an inability to express himself adequately.
One forgot the smiley in one's post
I still find it idiotic the way people who 'swear' are generalised into this yob culture, just because of these absurd old fashioned ideals.
Perhaps you find it absurd because you have no ideals.
I'm sorry, do you know me? No. Do you know what I believe in? No.
Don't be a fool.
No I don't know you personally, but you have stated in this thread some of the things you seem to believe in.
And if you are calling me a fool, then maybe I could ask you the same question....but I won't do a Gondola and answer the question myself.
And if you are calling me a fool, then maybe I could ask you the same question....but I won't do a Gondola and answer the question myself.