Why are "bad" words bad?

[Tom_Wescott]

Damn it = darn it
Sh*t = Shiznit, Shite
Jesus Christ = Jiminy Christmas (which is where Jiminy Cricket's name derived)
Hell = H-E-double hockey sticks.

There's a million examples of people using words and phrases similar to "bad" words and phrases, yet somehow it's not bad, even though it carries with it the same emotion. Is there a word yet for this practive? Would 'euphamism' fit?

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Steven Russell]

Hello, Tom.

"Minced oaths" or "pseudo-profanities" apparently.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[Steven Russell]

[quote=corey123;156749]Hello Steven,

I now pledge to never say **** again, though, I might, on occasion slip faeces out in the air.

You wouldn't want to do that round here, Corey. We've got about six inches of snow at the moment. Brrr!

Steve.

[corey123]

Hello Steven,

Meaning the word not the...uhhh..never mind.

[Limehouse]

That's interesting. The Wikipedia article on Polari claims "naff off" had previously been used in place of "f*** off" in Keith Waterhouse's Billy Liar in 1959.

Indeed - 'naff' is a word that comes from Polari (an interesting language that I have researched) and its real meaning is not available for fu**ing' It was a coded term used by some gay men when homosexuality was illegal and it refers to men/boys who are not available due to their age or sexual preferences.

[Victor]

Interestingly, the writers of "Porridge" (a sitcom set in a prison) wanted a swear word, because they knew that the idea of convicts saying "Oh goodness gracious" was ridiculous. But they couldn't use a real swear word, so they invented one - the prisoners told each other to "naff off."

"Naff off" never became a forbidden expression in real life, though. Indeed I think Princess Anne used it once!

There are a few others too:-
Smeg in Red Dwarf
Rack Off in Neighbours

I was once disciplined at work for setting a password on a shared account to "sm3gh3ad" because it was deemed offensive. I suppose they might have had a point becuase smeg does derive from smegma aka knob-cheese.

KR,
Vic.

[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 !

[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.

[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?"

[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.

[Steven Russell]

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

[Ally]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.