# Friggin' or Frikkin'? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 28, 2000, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869 "2000-09-28T14:15:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/1 "2000-09-28T14:15:40Z")
I am currently engaged in a heated debate about this. What’s the best nutrasweet substitute for the unholy F-word? Friggin’, freakin’, frikkin’, frockin’, fargin’, effin’? I prefer frikkin’, myself. Opinions? ---
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/2 "2000-09-28T14:26:59Z")
Oh, come now- you have to mix it up, use different words or else the watered-down F-word will lose its resonance. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/3 "2000-09-28T14:37:26Z")
It’s a subtle question of context. Do you really mean f\*\*k, specifically, or are you just looking for some bowdlerized emphatic adjective? “Friggin’” (derived, I’ve always fondly imagined, from the name of the Norse goddess Frigga) seems to be the most direct parallel (Frigga having been rather well-versed in the subject). Be warned that you might, very rarely, piss off large Asatru with axes if you overuse this one. I typically reserve “friggin’” for commentary related, at least tangetially, to sex. I use “freakin’” in a more general way, usually as emphasis. I treat it as shorthand for “freaking” or “freakishly”. So the phrase “freakin’ huge X” would mean “freakishly large for an X”. Your preferred “frikkin” is, of course, just an alternate spelling. I’ve also been known to use the expressions “censored” and “bleep” in conversation to represent words that others present might find objectionable. I find it amusing. ---
**Author:** ![ReservoirDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@ReservoirDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReservoirDog)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/4 "2000-09-28T14:38:14Z")
Every once in a while, I like to throw out a nice “flippin’”. It’s funny. ---
**Author:** ![tatertot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@tatertot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tatertot)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/5 "2000-09-28T14:57:56Z")
Sometimes I’ll say “Oh, fudge” but alas, fudgin’ sounds vaguely dirty. I’m also the only 26 year old on the planet who uses “Good Gravy” as a mild oath. I grew up Baptist, can you tell? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/6 "2000-09-28T15:01:48Z")
What’s the fucking difference? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/7 "2000-09-28T15:03:35Z")
I’m with Turpentine. You gotta keep all in your quiver, and just pull out the right one at the right moment. When I’m confronted with something aggravating, I’m fond of pulling out a string of vaguely F-word sounding oaths ala Yosemite Sam - “What the frickin’ frackin’ frookin’ frackety freak is going on here?” ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/8 "2000-09-28T15:11:49Z")
What the frog?! ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/9 "2000-09-28T15:33:27Z")
Don’t forget “fraggin’” ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/10 "2000-09-28T17:08:02Z")
Well, according to Eric Partridge’s Dictionary of Slang, “frigging” means something entirely (well, almost entirely) different–masturbation. It’s got nothing at all to do with the Norse goddess Frigg (good guess, though :)) ---
**Author:** ![Rock-n-Rolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/22d042/32.png) [@Rock-n-Rolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rock-n-Rolga)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/11 "2000-09-28T17:49:16Z")
And don’t forget ‘fook’ either! I also like to merge ‘fucking hell’ into “'kin’ell” in the UK way. And that’s my contribution to this conversation… ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/12 "2000-09-28T22:26:47Z")
Recently I’ve taken to exclaiming “FUDGE!!” instead of “fuck!” when I get ticked off. I’m in a professional middle-class office environment and stuff, and, well, yelling “FUDGE!!” is better for giving your listeners the giggles 'cause it sounds _so_ watered-down. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/13 "2000-09-29T00:29:27Z")
Just holler, “Oh, sexual intercourse!” at the top of your lungs. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/14 "2000-09-29T00:34:27Z")
\>\> Don’t forget “fraggin’” Oh, now I know what “defraggin” is about. I always wondered. ---
**Author:** ![Sangria](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Sangria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangria)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/15 "2000-09-29T02:48:22Z")
To me it was always Frickering. Did you see that movie about thraveling with the band? Almost Famous. The guy’s sister yells at his mom “feck”. The mother says what’s the difference from that and the f-word and the little brother says “a U”. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/16 "2000-09-29T03:08:08Z")
Feck is one our favorite words over at Smile and Act Nice. Don’t let the name fool you. We are loud and nasty bitches when we want to be! ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/17 "2000-09-29T05:15:58Z")
My euphemism of choice is freakin’. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/18 "2000-09-29T05:30:05Z")
Friggin ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/19 "2000-09-29T06:16:58Z")
Traditional(which is an excuse for anything,really, ) “sea shanty” frigging in the rigging frigging in the rigging frigging in the rigging 'cos there’s fuck all else to do Doesn’t add much to the raging intellectual debate here, but what the heck? The worst that can happen is that Phil the Prince of Insuffient Light could find me. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869/20 "2000-09-30T22:25:39Z")
If you’re gonna be a bear, be a grizzly. This reminds me of a comedy piece where a guy was praying to Gosh so that he wouldn’t go to Heck. Just go ahead and say the fucking word. You will feel better. Honest. And also just a little bit dangerous 🆒 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friggin-or-frikkin/34869.md?page=2)