Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Emerson on Curse Words (Commonplace Book)

My mother can never understand why her Oxford educated son talks like a truck driver. But I have Emerson on my side:
What a pity we cannot curse and swear in good society! Cannot the stinging dialect of the sailors be domesticated? It is the best rhetoric, and for a hundred occasions those forbidden words are the only good ones. My page about 'Consistency' would better be written thus: Damn Consistency!

9 comments:

sara d. reiss said...

cuss. it's cussing. and cussing is fun

brad said...

Fuck. Shit. Cock. Nuts.

Ping33 said...

"Tits doesn't even belong on the list, you know. It's such a friendly sounding word. It sounds like a nickname. 'Hey, Tits, come here. Tits, meet Toots, Toots, Tits, Tits, Toots.' It sounds like a snack doesn't it? Yes, I know, it is, right. But I don't mean the sexist snack, I mean, New Nabisco Tits. The new Cheese Tits, and Corn Tits and Pizza Tits, Sesame Tits Onion Tits, Tater Tits, Yeah. Betcha can't eat just one. That's true I usually switch off . But I mean that word does not belong on the list."

David Golding said...

"words are a motherfucker, they can be great" - Eminem

sara d. reiss said...

to brad:
screw suck pussy arse

brad said...

to sara:
boob butt anal rod

sara d. reiss said...

titty. muthafucker. donkeypuncher.

Anonymous said...

I was surprised when I looked up the infamous "Seven Dirty Words" and found that "tits" is one of them. Even my grandmother said tits. Well, actually, she said "titties" but, close enough.

Anyway, if people cuss all the time it loses it's impact so you don't have that shock value when you need it.

sara d. reiss said...

one of our favorite telly shows in england actually had a bit about "dirty words" and what was still dirty and what no longer had shock value. apparently wanker used to be really shocking but is so commonly used now it's like saying "jerk"

i love the "what's your favorite curse word?" question on Inside the Actor's Studio. sad but true.