Why is cussing bad?

[pepharytheworm]

^^

[General Chaos]

Inazuma, this is pretty much the same as your marriage questions, or any questions about social norms, values, beliefs, customs, etc. They're all social constructs. There are any number of theories that seek to explain how this construction process works. If these types of questions interest you it seems like you would enjoy taking sociology classes. Have you ever?

On a personal note, I don't really cuss but I certainly have nothing against it. There are certain social contexts where it benefits me to adapt my language, fit in, and gain some credibility by doing so, but for the most part I've managed to get along just fine without doing it.

I am a fan of some casual cuss words though, including "ass, bastard, and damn." Of course I'm imputing my own socially and culturally influenced interpretations on the other ones, but depending on the context and speaker, they can sound crude, tactless, and just plain trashy--all depends though.

[miked]

Why the fuck would I know?

To be more serious though you never know who you might offend. I cuss CONSTANTLY. In front of my wife, daughter, boss and in public, though I have learned to control myself alot better in the past couple of years. It also runs in the family. I can remember sitting in the back seat of my grandmas car with her dropping f-bombs and giving the finger to someone that cut her off. I think thats actually one of my earliest memories....

That being said cussing has got me in trouble many times throughout my life, but its something I am working on. Its pretty tricky to change something that I have done pretty much all of my life. My parents should have raised me better I guess.

pepharytheworm wrote:
Don't try to bait people.


But Inazuma is the master baiter.

BA-ZING!

[Luke]

It isn't.

That being said, some people find it offensive. Out of respect for those who do find it offensive, and in general around women, I don't curse.

Fuck that around here though.

[classicgamer5]

...Fuck that around here though.

[MrPopo]

The reason that swear words are considered taboo to varying degrees is due to the baggage that is associated with those words. Taken in a purely clinical sense most of the cuss words describe common nouns or verbs in the language. However, decades of societal norms has led to the words having an impact beyond the dictionary meaning. Compare the impact of these two sentances:

I made love to your dog and defecated in your purse.

I fucked your dog and shit in your purse.

The second sentance has more impact because of the taboo nature of the words used. The situation is similar to that of racial slurs. Taken at the dictionary meaning the word simply describes a certain ethnic group. However, the slur has a lot of emotional baggage that is caught up in it, causing usage of the word to be deeply offensive.

[oldschoolnesgamer]

[dgamemuster]

here's what the dictionary says:

fuck
 
 /fʌk/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [fuhk] Show IPA Vulgar.
Use fuck in a Sentence
See web results for fuck
See images of fuck
–verb (used with object)
1. to have sexual intercourse with.
2. Slang. to treat unfairly or harshly.
–verb (used without object)
3. to have sexual intercourse.
4. Slang. to meddle (usually fol. by around or with).
–interjection
5. Slang. (used to express anger, disgust, peremptory rejection, etc., often fol. by a pronoun, as you or it.)
–noun
6. an act of sexual intercourse.
7. a partner in sexual intercourse.
8. Slang. a person, esp. one who is annoying or contemptible.
9. the fuck, Slang. (used as an intensifier, esp. with WH-questions, to express annoyance, impatience, etc.)
—Verb phrases
10. fuck around, Slang.
a. to behave in a frivolous or meddlesome way.
b. to engage in promiscuous sex.
11. fuck off, Slang.
a. to shirk one's duty; malinger.
b. go away: used as an exclamation of impatience.
c. to waste time.
12. fuck up, Slang.
a. to bungle or botch; ruin.
b. to act stupidly or carelessly; cause trouble; mess up.
—Idiom
13. give a fuck, Slang. to care; be concerned.
Origin:
1495–1505; akin to MD fokken to thrust, copulate with, Sw dial. focka to copulate with, strike, push, fock penis

Related forms:
fucky, adjective

moth⋅er⋅fuck⋅er
 
 /ˈmʌðərˌfʌkər/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [muhth-er-fuhk-er] Show IPA
Use mother fucker in a Sentence
See web results for mother fucker
See images of mother fucker
–noun Slang: Vulgar.
1. a mean, despicable, or vicious person.
2. anything considered to be despicable, frustrating, etc. (used as a general expression of contempt or anger).
Origin:
1955–60; mother 1 + fucker


bitch
 
 /bɪtʃ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [bich] Show IPA
Use bitch in a Sentence
See web results for bitch
See images of bitch
–noun
1. a female dog.
2. a female of canines generally.
3. Slang.
a. a malicious, unpleasant, selfish person, esp. a woman.
b. a lewd woman.
4. Slang.
a. a complaint.
b. anything difficult or unpleasant: The test was a bitch.
c. anything memorable, esp. something exceptionally good: That last big party he threw was a real bitch.
–verb (used without object)
5. Slang. to complain; gripe: They bitched about the service, then about the bill.
–verb (used with object)
6. Slang. to spoil; bungle (sometimes fol. by up): He bitched the job completely. You really bitched up this math problem.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME bicche, OE bicce; c. ON bikkja

ass⋅hole
 
 /ˈæsˌhoʊl/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [as-hohl] Show IPA
Use ass hole in a Sentence
See web results for ass hole
See images of ass hole
–noun Vulgar.
1. anus.
2. Slang.
a. a stupid, mean, or contemptible person.
b. the worst part of a place or thing.
–adjective
3. Slang. stupid, mean, or contemptible.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME arshole anus; see ass 2 , hole


shit
 
 /ʃɪt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [shit] Show IPA noun, verb, shit or shat, shit⋅ting, interjection Vulgar.
Use shit in a Sentence
See web results for shit
See images of shit
–noun
1. excrement; feces.
2. an act of defecating; evacuation.
3. the shits. diarrhea.
4. Slang. pretense, lies, exaggeration, or nonsense.
5. Slang. something inferior or worthless.
6. Slang. a selfish, mean, or otherwise contemptible person.
7. Slang. narcotic drugs, esp. heroin or marijuana.
8. Slang. possessions, equipment, mementos, etc.; stuff.
–verb (used without object)
9. to defecate.
–verb (used with object)
10. Slang. to exaggerate or lie to.
–interjection
11. Slang. (used to express disgust, disappointment, frustration, contempt, or the like).
—Idioms
12. give a shit, Slang. to care; be concerned.
13. no shit, (used to express amazement, incredulity, or derision).
14. up shit creek, Slang. in a desperate or hopeless situation; in serious trouble. Also, up shits creek, up shit creek without a paddle.
Origin:
(v.) var. (with short i from ptp. or n.) of earlier shite, ME shiten, OE scītan; cf. MLG, MD schiten (D schijten), OHG skīzan (G scheissen); (n.) re-formation from the v., or continuation of OE scite (in place names)

[crux]

Your question is an unanswerable question. Its like asking why is being nude seen as bad, why is public defecation seen as wrong

Not that I'm trying to play Devil's Advocate here, but cursing is nothing like public defecation. I could make a stretch for nudity (which is largely a taboo in religious circles, though hygiene also plays a role as with many religious taboos), but public defecation is unsanitary and leads to diseases. Just thought I'd clear that up.

As for profanity, the simplest answer is to simply define the word "taboo." It's a inhibition derived from social custom. For an ever so slightly more complex answer, see "curse," "obscenity," "profane," or "blasphemous." To get even more complex, look up dysphemism. I can't cite the specifics of each and every profanity without looking into their etymology, but obscenities and blasphemy cover nearly 100% of them. (In fact, the original definition of "profane" referred to items not belonging to the church.) If you want the complex answer, you'd have to look into the specific etymology for each profanity, which is considerably difficult considering the age of most profane words. More than anything, religion and social class determines taboos.

Given the constructs of language, there's no reason certain words shouldn't be charged more than others. We express ourselves through language, and it's often through language that we convey our emotions. Any construct that carries such a burden is potentially, inevitably, and justifiably powerful, even if in the end they can be represented by scribbles on a piece of paper. Insults inherently carry no more weight than profanity should, but it's the way the language is used that determines its offenses. Through their uses, benign words can transform to become idioms, show emphasis, be abusive, or just otherwise dysphemistic.

[Hobie-wan]

Now there's a time and a place for it, usually in conjunction with strong emotions. If you're using them all the time, they aren't special anymore. I've had friends in the past that overused them, but most of the time I use them when appropriate. I also try to avoid directly insulting people with them.

I've pondered this question myself. Here is a video that will help you understand how these words became part of the english language.

I'll see your video and raise you a Stephen Fry.