# Asterisks are not a substitute for letters in particular words! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 25, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372 "2009-02-25T15:47:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/1 "2009-02-25T15:47:42Z")
One of my pet hates- not so much “Pet” as in “With name tag, collar, microchip, vaccinations up to date and part of the family”, but more in a “Shows up at the back door so I feed it and leave milk out for it” way, are people who blank out, asterisk out, or use symbols in place letters in Certain Words. Words like Fuck. Or Shit. Or Cunt. If you type “F\*\*k” or “Sh!t” or “@ssh0l3” we still know what you mean. And you look like a wuss, because you’ve defeated the purpose of using those words in the first place- to make a strong, emphatic point of some kind. This Messageboard is, by and large, uncensored. You are (generally) free to use The Seven Words You Can’t Say On US Television in conversation here. You do not need to asterisk out letters and hope no-one notices you’ve just called Senator X a F\*\*king @ssh0le" instead of “Elected Representative With Whom I Strongly Disagree On A Number Of Matters Both Political And Ethical.” Swear words exist for a reason. And they are, when used correctly (or even incorrectly), a valuable addition to a statement which requires more emphasis or a direct approach. But that gets neutered when you wuss out and take a perfectly good swear word and change some of the letters for asterisks or exclamation marks or dashes or other things that are not the letters used to spell the word as it should be. Don’t. Fucking. Do. It. If you can’t bring yourself to type “Fuck” or “Shit” then use another word. If you’re worried about offending someone, use another word or don’t make the point at all. But don’t pretend that typing “F\*\*k” isn’t a Swear Word. Your Mum isn’t going to come along and wash your mouth out with soap for using Naughty Words on the Internet. Putting a couple of asterisks in doesn’t make the word any less of a swear word. If you’re going to use a swear-word, be an adult about it. “Yes, I’m going to say _Fuck_ now; and not only am I secure in my use of the word “Fuck”, I am giving 100% support to my decision to use the world “Fuck” at this time.” Try it in the privacy of your own home, if you like. Open a word processing programme on your computer and type a Swear Word of your choice in. Don’t use any asterisks or other symbols; just type the word in its entirety. It’s OK, I’ll wait here for you. See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? A plague of locusts haven’t descended upon the land. Cows haven’t suddenly started giving sour milk. There aren’t Nazis riding Dinosaurs outside. In short, there’s no reason at all for you to neuter perfectly good swear-words on messageboards where you can use them in their unedited form. Just remember that the next time you’re invoking a time-honoured Anglo-Saxon Oath and find yourself reaching for the “Shift” and “8” keys… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/2 "2009-02-25T15:57:59Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > \ > Your Mum isn’t going to come along and wash your mouth out with soap for using Naughty Words on the Internet.\ MINE might. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/3 "2009-02-25T15:58:26Z")
I c **t get behind this rant. If I have to s** t through F**[k.com](http://k.com), I don’t want to have to see a** motherfucking swears. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/4 "2009-02-25T16:32:18Z")
I have no aversion to typing out profanity, except when I’m at my work computer. Then I’m sometimes too lazy to come up with a more creative, work-safer, yet equally vehement means of expressing my anger. (Alternately, I’m quoting someone who said same profanity, as I did in a post earlier today, and again, at the work computer.) ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/5 "2009-02-25T17:03:25Z")
\*\*\* \*\*\* \* \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* \*\*\*\*\*\*\*. Ten bucks to anyone who can break THAT code… Joe ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/6 "2009-02-25T17:16:18Z")
Well, f **k this happy horse s** t! I don’t see why I shouldn’t be allowed to f **king spell my curses in whatever the f** k way I motherf **king choose to! F** k that! It’s a g_d-d__ed free country and I’ll spell however I gd-d_\*\*-well please! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/7 "2009-02-25T17:19:03Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > \*\*\* \*\*\* \* \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* \*\*\*\*\*\*\*. > > Ten bucks to anyone who can break THAT code.. > > Joe Can weasels actually get syphillis? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/8 "2009-02-25T17:23:26Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > \*\*\* \*\*\* \* \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* \*\*\*\*\*\*\*. > > Ten bucks to anyone who can break THAT code.. > > Joe You are a motherfucking asshole. No, not you, Joe – that’s just what you said. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/9 "2009-02-25T17:44:04Z")
As I and others pointed out in the ATMB thread, it’s especially ineffective when you you an asterisk the way **raindog** [did](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10871248&postcount=314). The asterisk is supposed to _replace_ a letter, not break up the word. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/10 "2009-02-25T18:19:57Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > As I and others pointed out in the ATMB thread, it’s especially ineffective when you you an asterisk the way **raindog** [did](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10871248&postcount=314). The asterisk is supposed to _replace_ a letter, not break up the word. People actually do that?!? That’s f#@%ing stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/11 "2009-02-25T18:22:06Z")
Fuck Cen\*\*rship ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/12 "2009-02-25T18:31:05Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > As I and others pointed out in the ATMB thread, it’s especially ineffective when you you an asterisk the way **raindog** [did](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10871248&postcount=314). The asterisk is supposed to _replace_ a letter, not break up the word. Actually, I think **raindog** was just being very delicate with the word “chunt”, which I understand is considered an unspeakably rude insult in [del]Australia[/del] Ohio. Almost as bad as “buckeye.” ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/13 "2009-02-25T18:33:34Z")
I don’t like asterisks in place of letters, but I hate them even more when used in place of parentheses. It’s very common on the SDMBs. I have no idea where it started. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/14 "2009-02-25T18:38:31Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > I don’t like asterisks in place of letters, but I hate them even more when used in place of parentheses. It’s very common on the SDMBs. I have no idea where it started. I’ve seen them used to denote physical activity… _runs off to fetch pie and squid_ …or to emphasis stuff… “I _really_ hate DiGiorno pizza” …but never in place of parentheses. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/15 "2009-02-25T18:39:38Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’ve seen them used to denote physical activity… > > _runs off to fetch pie and squid_ > > …or to emphasis stuff… > > “I _really_ hate DiGiorno pizza” > > …but never in place of parentheses. D’oh! :smack:You knew what I meant. I meant _quotes_. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/16 "2009-02-25T18:46:24Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > \*\*\* \*\*\* \* \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* \*\*\*\*\*\*\*. > > Ten bucks to anyone who can break THAT code.. Fuck that shit. I’m still in a funk over trying to figure out “In a f p d with 14 k of g”. ETA: Motherfucker, I think I just got it… In a fucking pussy den with 14 kilos of gash. YEA! ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/17 "2009-02-25T21:39:37Z")
Kids have got it easy these days. When I was a child I used to have to try to figure out swear words just from the first letter. “D— you, you son of a b-----!” I’d read in a book. Then I’d start trying out variations. “Desk you, you son of a bread!” I knew I had it right when my mom yelled at me. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/18 "2009-02-25T21:45:18Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I have no idea why I thought raindog was from Australia. I’ve done that, too. There actually is an Australian poster with “dog” in his username, but I can’t remember who it is now. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/19 "2009-02-25T21:59:16Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I’ve done that, too. There actually is an Australian poster with “dog” in his username, but I can’t remember who it is now. **TheLoadedDog** , I think. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372/20 "2009-02-25T22:12:37Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > **TheLoadedDog** , I think. Who I assume is named after a [short story](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Loaded_Dog) of that name by Henry Lawson. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks-are-not-a-substitute-for-letters-in-particular-words/487372.md?page=2)