Why are "bad" words bad?

[Stephen Thomas]

I remember being quite shocked when I visited the US in the 1960s and heard people merrily using the words c*cksucker and motherf*cker, both words being totally unknown in Britain then. Even now nobody here ever uses them. On the other hand, back then, the exclamation 'Sh*t or 'Oh, sh*t' was never used by Brits but it's certainly widely used here now.

Would I be right in thinking the 'polite' US word Jerk refers to 'unmentionable vices'.

[Chris]

That was my attempt at a reference to popular culture (popular about a decade ago, anyway). I nearly didn't use it because I thought it might be too obscure. But it turned out to be the second hit on a Google search for the first of those phrases ...

[Sally]

Alright, bad words are often bad because of context. Many such words relate to private activities - Fxxk, Sxxt, etc. Using them in public is inappropriate, so it becomes 'bad'.

Swear words - the ones with religious connotations, work in a similar way. Using them in a secular context is fundamentally taboo

Bloody, I'm sure everyone knows, is a swear word in origin. Nowadays, its a pretty mild expletive.

[Victor]

Surely the answer is "Because it's wrong" (or alternatively "Because it's naughty").

Hi Chris,

Surely those are just synonyms for bad - therefore "bad" words are bad because they are bad.

KR,
Vic.

[Chris]

Surely the answer is "Because it's wrong" (or alternatively "Because it's naughty").

[Steven Russell]

Tits indeed, Claire. And anyway, really bad words are things like aggressiveness (aggression) and appropriateness (propriety) as used ad f*cking nauseum by my old boss.

Regards,
Steve.

[claire]

Problem is with trying to assign logic to a value statement ('bad'). There are plenty of social/sociological/socio-linguistic reasons a word becomes viewed as unacceptable, many of which have been noted here. But you aren't going to be able to construct a formally logical argument around it. The fact is, as mentioned, the rise in the number of words considered unacceptable in polite company accompanies the rise in that 'polite company,' ie. the dreadful middle classes whose need to maintain control over everything in their orbit predominates most of their actions. The control of swearing is just like the rise in health and safety legislation, the geographical partitioning of the poor and so forth. Tits to the lot of it, I'd say. There's a shitload of things a lot more ******* important than worrying about whether some bugger says **** in public.

[Chris]

"Nerk" was another Porridge one. "You stoopid nerk, Godber" etc.

I suppose they didn't want to use "berk" in those days because in cockney rhyming slang it signifies yet another unacceptable four-letter word. Though "berk" became quite a mild and polite term of abuse later on.

[Steven Russell]

Of course, as entertaining as this all is, still not one logical reason as to why precisely "bad" words are bad.

I think some of us have put forward a few logical reasons, Ally.

Best,
Steve.

[Ally]

Of course, as entertaining as this all is, still not one logical reason as to why precisely "bad" words are bad.

[Steven Russell]

"Nerk" was another Porridge one. "You stoopid nerk, Godber" etc. And Judge Dredd has something like "Drokk!" Neo-profanities?

[Chris]

Rack Off in Neighbours.

I'm not sure that was invented for Neighbours, either. I certainly remember "Racked Off" as a synonym for "P***ed Off" when I was at school 30+ years ago.

[kensei]

Once again, a thread I've caught up with because of the strange hours I keep. I'd just like to quote a couple of noteworthys:

The late great George Carlin (and let's see if this gets censored here): "You can prick your finger but you better not finger your prick!"

And Robert Downey Jr. in the movie "Zodiac" had a line I don't think anyone will ever hear anywhere else: "Jesus Harold Christ on rubber crutches, Bobby, what are you doing?"

[Ally]

My favorite invented for TV swear word is from the recent Battlestar Galactica show- Frak. Used with all the fluidity of its obvious parent, as an adjective, a verb, a noun, an adverb and in every part of speech imaginable. I use it a lot.

[Rubyretro]

I suppose they might have had a point becuase smeg does derive from smegma aka knob-cheese.

KR,
Vic.[/QUOTE]

Yes, there used to be a Brighton band called 'Smeggy and the Cheesy Bits. They made TOTP at a time when ridiculously innocent things were being banned from the airwaves (XTC -Statue of Liberty) -because the programmers clearly didn't know what 'smeggy' mean't !