# Do you curse/are you offended by cursing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 20, 2021, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034 "2021-01-20T23:06:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2021, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034/161 "2021-02-07T20:45:21Z")
I’ve worked in many call centers; I’m not actually offended if callers start cursing, even if at me, but I will pretend to be since it’s a great way to get away with ending a call when you’re tired of dealing with the caller. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034/162 "2022-01-11T16:17:55Z")
I couldn’t make it through the unedited version of Casino between the violence, criminal ugliness, and constant foul language. I thought it was more about the casino and gambling activity rather than a straight up mob movie - my mistake. Yes, I’m offended by cursing when it’s too much. Same with violence. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034/163 "2022-01-11T16:41:56Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > Regardless of origins, I seriously doubt anyone calling someone a pussy (as an insult) is drawing a comparison between them and a cat. Intent matters imho. Not being disingenuous, but, yes, I’ve always thought “pussy” comes from “pussycat” and not the female anatomy. It makes more sense to me, and there seems to be etymological precedent for that derivation. Does it get conflated with the vulva meaning by the public? Probably. But I’ve always thought of it as “scaredy-cat” and possibly with the word “pusillanimous,” although that etymology doesn’t seem to be attested (rather, it has been rejected, from what I’m reading. At any rate, it’s a good mnemonic for remembering what pusillanimous means.) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034/164 "2022-01-11T21:42:40Z")
If you’re offended by cursing, you are really limiting the number of movies you can watch. _Uncut Gems_ is an excellent movie… I almost gave up on it due to its being shot at 24fps (f\*cks per second), and with multiple people shouting over each other. But I’m so glad I hung in there. And being able to deal with that meant I didn’t hesitate to watch the amazing _Boiling Point_ (a one-shot/one-take set in a restaurant where everyone’s under pressure). ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034/165 "2022-01-11T21:56:10Z")
I use bad language myself, and I don’t really care in the least when I hear it in movies, unless it becomes ridiculous, like I’m supposed to think the movie is very cool because it talks a lot of smack. Also don’t mind if people use bad language with me directly. That said, I absolutely hate **over** hearing it – somebody dropping F-bombs into their cell phone in a store, for example. This is just trashy. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034/166 "2022-01-11T22:33:01Z")
Funny story: A few weeks ago I dropped a bowl of potato salad on the kitchen floor. As the bowl slipped out of my hands and descended towards the floor the words that came out of my mouth were “oh fudge”. I did not say the queen mother of dirty words, the f dash dash dash word. I literally said “oh fudge”. And it’s not that I’m offended by swearing. I don’t swear particularly often, but I might occasionally throw a “shit” or “fuck” into a sentence when appropriate. I don’t mind if other people swear. I honestly think my brain just never misses a chance to make a movie reference, even if a real swear word would have been perfectly appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034/167 "2022-01-12T16:23:59Z")
I believe that using foul language / cursing has an appropriate time and place as it is intended to have **emphasis** value. People that use such language in every sentence of every conversation (there are plenty of you out there and you know who you are) are categorized by me as uneducated, unskilled at using the English language, and having poor social skills. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2022, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034/168 "2022-01-14T16:45:05Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I believe that using foul language / cursing has an appropriate time and place as it is intended to have **emphasis** value. Fuckin-A, man! My advice to my kid (a skateboarder, got quite the mouth on him) was “ **Save it for when you really need it**.” If everything’s a fuckin’ sock, a gah’damm shoe, then it loses its punch. “I could swear at you and you’d just shrug, BUT, if your saintly mother caught you grafitti’ing a store and yelled ‘What _the HELL_ do you think you’re doing?’, you’d _freeze,_ while your mind was racing: ‘How can I clean this off? I’ll suggest a week of grounding, and offer to apologize to the owner…’” ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034/169 "2022-01-16T09:09:33Z")
I wish the news media would understand this principle with regards to the phrase “Breaking News.” I started a new job in August and it was clear to me that the boss does not like cursing and so I haven’t cursed at all. I haven’t even slipped and he’s a Trump fan. Proof that I can behave when I have to. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034/170 "2022-01-16T16:38:27Z")
I’ve worked in places where, if there were no cursing, there’d be no communication whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034/171 "2022-01-16T17:26:53Z")
I had a job interview with the president of a media production company that was known for being a high-pressure deadline-driven place, full of earthy people (the president included). She picked up my resume and asked “I see you worked for a Christian ‘media ministry’… umm…” So I jumped in with “If you’re worried about me evangelizing anyone, don’t. I keep that stuff to myself. Oh, and I’ve gotta say that sometimes, when you’re up against a deadline and the client just emailed a ton of needless changes, you really need to yell FUUUUUUUUUCK!” “Oh, glad to hear you say that. You’ll fit in.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-curse-are-you-offended-by-cursing/931034.md?page=8)