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Thursday 23 January 2014

Strong language: a rant.

Oi! YOU!

Don't you already ******* know that strong ******* language isn't really ******* strong at all?

It's the ******* opposite, isn't it.

Yes, it's ******* weak ********language. I mean, if it were strong you wouldn't need to keep ******* swearing all the ******** time, would you.

So.

Have you ******** got it, now?

OR MUST I SHOUT SOME MORE?

Word To Use Today: asterisk. This word comes from the Greek asteriskos, a small star. Which is actually rather sweet.

6 comments:

  1. Dash my buttons!! No need to shout now!
    I've bleeping got it! :)

    I know somebody who does cuss that much.
    It hurts my ears!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suppose that swearing is useful for avoiding the hard work of thinking about what you think.
      And it usually IS better than hitting somebody.

      Delete
  2. I so agree. That swear word has almost altogether lost its force from sheer familiarity and repetition!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I'd better pretend not to know which one I think you mean, Adele!

      Delete
  3. I hardly ever swear. Something really bad has to happen to make me swear. I used to work a lot with ex-soldiers, and it's no exaggeration that probably every third or forth word was of the industrial strength variety. When that's the case, it certainly loses all potency. There would be no difference between one saying "I wanna speak with you!" and "I wanna ******* speak with you!" They would both be exactly the same.

    However, for someone that (virtually) never swears, is it not a tool in my linguistic armoury, kept ever sharp by its lack of (mis)use? Should I ever unleash a volley of blue invective, people would be shocked and really get a sense of just how angry / upset / agitated I am. And what about it's pain-relieving properties? Should I ever be an accident, will I thankful for the anodyne effects of a freshly unleashed sailor's tongue?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I agree absolutely, Eddie. Swearing can be a release and a help, but it has to be occasional because it so swiftly loses its power.
      I'd never thought of this before, but all important words used for unimportant purposes do the same, don't they. Like REALLY, for instance.

      Delete

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