Why do people swear?

[Sudeep]

It's been some 4-5 years since I last used the "F word". I don't understand why people need to swear at every moment of their lives. It's okay to lose control, and swear once in a while, but why at everything? I've friends who'd probably be swearing 1000 times a day. I just don't get it.

And yes, I'm really, really bored - and thus the topic.

[Langeveldt]

It's been some 4-5 years since I last used the "F word". I don't understand why people need to swear at every moment of their lives. It's okay to lose control, and swear once in a while, but why at everything? I've friends who'd probably be swearing 1000 times a day. I just don't get it.

And yes, I'm really, really bored - and thus the topic.

Its all to do with culture.. Chav culture in the UK.. People just hear it so often they end up using it inadvertently..

I only sware when I am annoyed with something.. If you take a walk into any British town centre I am sure you will hear the F word a minimum of three times every hour..

[BoyBrumby]

Swearing is both big & clever!!

I use profanity far more than I should. I guess constant use of it does lessen its effect &, for some, can indicate a paucity of other options to use in their vocabulary. I feel obliged to point out now that I do have an A-grade English Lit A-level, so I have a fairly decent sized vocab myself!

There is something that's just extremely satisfying about swearing! "Tw@t" is my personal fav!

[Sudeep]

It's so annoying. I mean, if a friend of mine wants to ask me for some notes he missed, he'd go - Hey *******, bring the notes.

[twctopcat]

Its all to do with culture.. Chav culture in the UK.. People just hear it so often they end up using it inadvertently..

I only sware when I am annoyed with something.. If you take a walk into any British town centre I am sure you will hear the F word a minimum of three times every hour..

Hmmm your sweeping things with the chav culture brush again rich. I swear out of anger, only usually at sport, but i suppose a lot of people don't see them as particularly harsh words. It's all a matter on interpretation of how tolerant/intolerant you are. By using it a lot it dumbs the harshness of the words down i suppose, not that i'm condoning that behaviour though.

[Langeveldt]

It's so annoying. I mean, if a friend of mine wants to ask me for some notes he missed, he'd go - Hey *******, bring the notes.

Haha, thats more abuse...

[Sudeep]

Swearing is both big & clever!!

I rather think of it as a sign of helplessness.

[Langeveldt]

Hmmm your sweeping things with the chav culture brush again rich. I swear out of anger, only usually at sport, but i suppose a lot of people don't see them as particularly harsh words. It's all a matter on interpretation of how tolerant/intolerant you are. By using it a lot it dumbs the harshness of the words down i suppose, not that i'm condoning that behaviour though.

My chav brush is wide and long...

[twctopcat]

My chav brush is wide and long...

You don't need to tell me that!

[Linda]

People swear because they assume the words they are using will express their emotions more accurately. For example screaming "F***!" at the height of anger is probably more accurate than screaming "FUDGE!"
The rest are just bogans.

[BoyBrumby]

I rather think of it as a sign of helplessness.

How so?

I mean, if you think about it, classifying some words as profane & beyond the pale, is pretty arbitrary; "f*ck" is no more intrinsically offensive than "flip".

[Sudeep]

People swear because they assume the words they are using will express their emotions more accurately. For example screaming "F***!" at the height of anger is probably more accurate than screaming "FUDGE!"
The rest are just bogans.

But if using the F word doesn't have any effect on the opposite person, then why use it? As I said, to me it's just a sign of helplessness - someone annoys you so much, angers you so much, and yet the only thing you can do in respose is bark out a four-letter word that isn't going to make a difference to that someone.

[steds]

I swear alot. I think it's because of my familyand the people I knock about with. I've grown up with my mum swearing and my Grandad swearing, and my friends are hardly going to be offended by the odd expletive. It's just accepted as part of our culture

[Slow Love™]

But if using the F word doesn't have any effect on the opposite person, then why use it? As I said, to me it's just a sign of helplessness - someone annoys you so much, angers you so much, and yet the only thing you can do in respose is bark out a four-letter word that isn't going to make a difference to that someone.

Yeah, that's why it's best used in conjunction with a smack across the chops.

[andyc]

my friends are hardly going to be offended by the odd expletive. It's just accepted as part of our culture

yeah thats pretty much the same with me. i swear quite a bit, but my friends swear a bit more. its really just culture and where you grow up and who youre friends with. im more interested as to who decided f**k should be some bad word you shouldnt say...