Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad LanguageHave we always "sworn like sailors"? Has creative cursing developed because we can't just slug people when they make us angry? And if such verbal aggression is universal, why is it that some languages (Japanese, for instance) supposedly do not contain any nasty words? Throughout the twentieth century there seems to have been a dramatic escalation in the use and acceptance of offensive language in English, both verbally and in print. Today it seems almost commonplace to hear the "f" word in casual conversation, and even on television. Just how have we become such a bunch of cursers and what does it tell us about our language and ourselves? In Expletive Deleted, linguist Ruth Wajnryb offers an entertaining yet thoroughly researched, lighthearted look at this development, seeking to reveal the etymologies of various terms and discover how what was once considered unfit-for-company argot has become standard fare. Wajnryb steps outside the confines of English in her search for answers, exploring whether offensive words in English are mirrored in other languages and examining cultural differences in the usage of dirty words. For instance, why is it that in some languages you can get away with intimating that a person and his camel are more than just good friends, while pouring scorn on a mother's morals guarantees you a seat on the next flight out? An amusing and idiosyncratic look at the power of words to shock, offend, insult, amuse, exaggerate, let off steam, establish relationships, and communicate deep-felt emotions, Expletive Deleted is a must-read for anyone who loves language -- or has ever stubbed a toe. |
Contents
1 | |
15 | |
Foul Is as Foul Does | 23 |
Where the Fuck? | 39 |
The Wild Thing | 52 |
A Cunt of a Word | 66 |
Shit Happens | 81 |
In the Name of God | 103 |
Born to Be Foul | 158 |
Bootleggers and Asterisks | 177 |
CrossCulturally Foul | 204 |
Epilogue | 237 |
Acknowledgments | 253 |
269 | |
275 | |
Son of a Bitch | 133 |
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Common terms and phrases
abusive swearing adjective American Andersson & Trudgill Annus horribilis Australian bastard Bill Bryson bitch blasphemy bloody Burridge called cathartic cited in Hughes common context coprolalia cultures CUNT curse cuss DAMN Dessaix Dictionary disgust dysphemism emotion English euphemism euphemistic example expletive expression fact feces female foul language four-letter FUCK function gender Germaine Greer God’s grammatical guage hell insult Japanese Kate Burridge Kidman Lady Chatterley’s Lover less linguistic male meaning metaphoric Montagu mother motherfucker negative notion noun oath obscene offensive one’s pattern perhaps PISS Planalp plosive profanity reference referential Richard Dooling Robert Dessaix rules scatological semantic sense sexual shit slang social swearing society someone speaker suggests swear words swearer Sydney Morning Herald taboo words taboo-loading talk target Teesh and Trude there’s thing Timothy Jay tion utterance verb verbal what’s woman women word’s
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