# How Often Do You Use Profanity **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 7, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583 "2010-05-07T02:20:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Pduol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6bbea6/32.png) [@Pduol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pduol)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/81 "2010-05-07T19:06:14Z")
Almost never. I say almost because at work, when I have a deadline approaching and keep getting interrupted, I will find myself cussing like a sailor. Everyone at work knows that when they hear me cussing, stay the hell away!!! Other than that, there might be an occasional “dammit” but that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/82 "2010-05-07T19:06:17Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Ha! If I ever saw a little kid call a grown ass person out on his crap and say, “Bullshit,” I’m not sure if I would die a thousand times laughing, or if I would heart that kid forever. Probably both. My aunts and uncles were fairly evil. When my cousin was 3 they thought it was hilarious to teach him to say “Eat Shit”. It was the family joke for several months til a family gathering when the darling little toddler, hyped up on attention and probably a fair amount of sugar ran up to Grandma and loudly said “Eat Shit Grandma” Poor kid he was expecting the laughter and approval he had received in the past. Instead the entire room went silent as my grandmother searched the room for someone to take responsibility. The childs mother quickly tossed her youngest brother under the bus and there was a very long and involved lecture while the rest of the family tried to stay under the radar. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/83 "2010-05-07T19:13:05Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > I am new here, and I was wondering if **Curtis Lemay** often starts this kind of thread without further interaction. Yeah, but so what? Some interesting conversation is sparked, so it works out. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/84 "2010-05-07T19:28:19Z")
Because I have a low frustration tolerance and little patience for a lot of things I tend to swear quite frequently. That said, the frequency and the volume at which I swear varies depending on the setting: [ul] [li] **At work:** Frequently, but very quietly under my breath since I work in a call center. Mostly it’s for things like having computer problems, realizing I made a mistake, or for talking about unpleasant callers with colleagues.[/li][li] **At home:** Frequently and without restraint since it’s only me, my brother and the cats. Most often it’s for when things go wrong or when I am surprised. I’m not one to infuse my speech with a bunch of phatic curse words.[/li][li] **While driving:** Frequently and loudly. This is where I do more of my angry swearing (versus casual, conversation swearing).[/li][li] **Around family:** Never, even if I were in a situation that would warrant a torrent of F-bombs. I’ve never fet comfortable swearing around my parents, even as an adult. I know I would have been severely scolded for using profanity as a child, but there was never a time when I felt that my parents might ease up or not scold me for saying “shit” or “fuck”, so to this day I’ve never so much as said “damn” or “hell” in their presence.[/li][li] **In public** : I only swear sparingly and quietly, and usually only to myself if it’s in response to a problem.[/li][li] **Around young children:** Never. Having no children of my own, I am rarely around them, but when I am (usually in public settings) I avoid even mild profanity.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Redwing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@Redwing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redwing)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/85 "2010-05-07T19:32:32Z")
I’ve cleaned up my language a fair degree. I can recall a couple of times in the last couple of years when someone reacted to me swearing as if their grandmother had just sworn at them; people who’ve known me longer find this hilarious. I have to note, that I completely loathe pseudo vulgarity. Saying darn instead of damn is pointless, be an adult and use the proper words. I don’t censor myself though, unless I’m in someone’s home and they ask me to. If you don’t want your kids to hear the word fuck, don’t take them place I might go; if you bring them into the office, they will hear vulgarities and profanities from every faith I can come up with. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/86 "2010-05-07T19:54:39Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > It’s funny how profanity works in other languages. I don’t use it in Spanish because while I generally understand the degree of offense of certain words, unless you’re a native speaker you really never know. I know that _pendejo_ is kind of a mild curse meaning ‘‘jackass’’, and _puta_ is about the offense equivalent of ‘‘bitch’’, and that anything involving someone’s mother is the worst insult imaginable. Also, the words for ‘‘fuck,’’ _chingar_ and _joder_, are actually more like ‘‘screw.’’ One of my favorite favorite Spanish expressions is ‘‘_O te chingas o te jodes_’’ which means, ‘‘Either you screw or you’re fucked.’’ Even leaving aside the meaning behind it, it has a beautiful ring to it. > > I have a friend who is from Taiwan, and I don’t think Mandarin curse words are associated with the same degree of offense as English ones are in the United States. I’m guessing this is the case because one of her academic papers, which I was editing for her, contained the mangled expression ‘‘What is the hell?’’ I had to explain to her that there are certain contexts where you really can’t use expressions like that. Academic writing would be one of them. Oh, this is so true. I was told several times by Bulgarians that the word “gluposti” (which is fun to say, btw) means “bullshit” so I didn’t use it in polite conversation for awhile, until I realized that even little kids said it and it wasn’t a big deal. Eventually I realized that the Bulgarians didn’t realize how uncouth “bullshit” is, and that “gluposti” is more akin to say, “nonsense”. My kids used to looooove to ask me about English swear words that they learned in rap song or something. Once, some of my seventh graders asked me what “bitch” means. Without thinking, I gave them the direct Bulgarian translation, which made them totally gleeful. A TEACHER SWORE!!! (The English word, of course, was far more offensive to me than the Bulgarian word, and vice versa for them.) Eventually, I started playing stupid when they asked me this sort of thing. When some of my other kids later asked me what “bitch” means, I answered them literally and gave them the Bulgarian translation for “beach” (because that’s how they pronounced “bitch”). This confused them terribly because, of course, they knew what it meant, or they had an idea it was a bad word and they were just trying to get a rise out of me. On another occasion, I told my kids it meant “beautiful woman” and they should definitely use it the first time they met an English-speaking woman (this cracked them up). I avoided swearing in Bulgarian in part because, okay, I was an elementary school teacher and it wasn’t really a great plan to swear in front of kids, and also because on the few times I did do it, it mostly had the effect of cracking people up. Foreigners using colloquial language = hilarity. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/87 "2010-05-07T20:08:30Z")
Constantly, it seems to me. I must throw out a variation on fuck 20 times per day at least and I love the word cunt. But I do moderate my usage in many situations. Shit, douche/douchbag, piss, hell, screw, asshole, bitch and damn I have no qualms about breaking out in polite company or in front of children. But people I have known for a while are always telling me they have never heard me swear, when they do hear me. Looks are deceptive I guess (I’ve got the librarian look) and I’m pretty quiet most of the time. I almost never curse from anger or pain. I use profanity in sentences as part of daily life. And when I get mad enough to fight with someone, I usually don’t curse at all. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/88 "2010-05-08T02:27:31Z")
I wonder when **Curtis** is fucking coming back to this motherfucking thread. Seriously, **Curtis** , where are you? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/89 "2010-05-08T02:44:51Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I wonder when **Curtis** is fucking coming back to this motherfucking thread. > > Seriously, **Curtis** , where are you? Excuse me potty mouth, I believe you meant to say “where the fuck are you, mother fucker?” ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/90 "2010-05-08T02:59:25Z")
Why do you farging iceholes want to know anyway, it’s none of your farging business 😉 Growing up, swearing was strongly discouraged by my parents, to the point that I still feel a twinge of “guilt” if I utter a swear in public, when I’m alone, or with friends, no problem, but in the general public, I find it difficult to shed that feeling of unease So, being the geek that I am, I found a workaround, I swear in _fictional languages!_, Klingon, Galacticaverse, Farscape, LOTR if I can find it, the Chinese swearing in Firefly, Johnny Dangerously, etc…it allows me to be a “pottymouth”, yet nobody can get offended, because they’re just frelling nonsense words, I mean, what the hezmana is wrong with that, you got a frakkin’ problem with that, frellniks? 😉 ---
**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:** [May 8, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/91 "2010-05-08T03:42:19Z")
Every goddamn day. Not in front of my mother, though. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/92 "2010-05-08T05:43:48Z")
As infrequently as to be considered never. I do occasionally _think_ a cussword, but rarely even that. “Darn it!”. “Shoot!”, and “Poop!” are about as far as I go. My mother washed my mouth out with soap when I was 6 for saying “damn it”, and it stuck. I’ve never felt the need, and don’t think my vocabulary is the less for the lack. StG ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/93 "2010-05-08T05:47:29Z")
More often when I’m drunk, around guys, or angry. Less often around women who aren’t swearing and children. It’s not a conscious choice, just a gut reaction. ---
**Author:** ![ColdPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@ColdPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/94 "2010-05-08T08:11:49Z")
I probably swear every day but am trying to cut down. I think that people who swear constantly seem very juvenile. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/95 "2010-05-08T08:29:12Z")
I once visited an ex girlfriend in Chicago to meet her new daughter. This adorable little tyke was extremely precocious, and though not yet two was very articulate and was already out of diapers. We were sitting around chatting politely in her living room, and the blond-haired moppet was playing on the floor with some wooden bricks, when she looked up and said, loudly, “Mommy, I need a shit.” We nearly died. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/96 "2010-05-08T08:34:26Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > That’s almost exactly how I feel about the matter. Especially the part about being lacking in imagination. > > And honestly, based on your previous posts, I’m not surprised that you feel this way. It’s one of the things I like about you. 🙂 Why thank you! I have to admit though, I do find swearing amusing in many circumstances (similar to what many other posters have mentioned here, when the situation warrants it). It’s funniest and most effective when used in a sparing and well-placed way. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/97 "2010-05-08T13:19:14Z")
Quite a bit, I guess. I was married to my former spouse for 21 years and was in the military for about 17 of that. I had to constantly censor myself at home because she was a catholic and a prude, so lived a double life. It was stressful as hell. My present spouse is the most non-judgemental person I know, and we both speak our minds, which includes profanity. Fuck it. It’s good to be myself. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/98 "2010-05-08T13:31:12Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I once visited an ex girlfriend in Chicago to meet her new daughter. This adorable little tyke was extremely precocious, and though not yet two was very articulate and was already out of diapers. > > We were sitting around chatting politely in her living room, and the blond-haired moppet was playing on the floor with some wooden bricks, when she looked up and said, loudly, “Mommy, I need a shit.” We nearly died. Nearly as cute as the the 3 or so year old girl I overheard while passing a nursery where the kids were playing out and it had just started to rain. _“Miss! Miss! It’s going to piss it down!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/99 "2010-05-08T14:10:36Z")
At work, both loudly and colorfully. For example, I once had to call an extremely obnoxious woman a " Goat Felching, manatee-looking, thundercunt of a she-beastie". I’m also fond of “monkeyfucker” and “cocksmoker”. Sometimes it’s just necessary. At home we use certain swears casually. Stuff/shit, etc. I don’t like it however, when they are used in an angry manner over mild situations. I usually use “bugger” or “bollocks” for that. Or occasionally “shitey buggery feck” in a playful manner to defuse the problem. Icelandic swears are useful for throwing back at the Spanish speakers when they swear at me, and German is gleefully guttural to curse in. I don’t like it when children swear very much though, it makes me sad. I won’t tolerate it being directed at me in a flippant or aggressive manner from anyone not in high school or older at all. I don’t demand “sir” type language from them, but I won’t tolerate being talked to like an equal from someone who only learned not to shit their drawers a couple of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/100 "2010-05-08T15:14:19Z")
Somewhat less often than I used to. It’s still a part of my everyday vocabulary, but there is something to be said for cutting back just enough so that others aren’t benumbed to your use of it. I remember this one time in college: a bunch of us were hanging out playing spades, and I forget the specific context, but the meekest, mousiest girl you ever met in your life let go a “when I want your opinion I’ll take my cock out of your mouth.” We just about had to break up the game right there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583.md?page=6)