# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/101 "2010-05-08T15:42:29Z")
When I’m by myself, sometimes when I’m upset about something. Around others, almost never. When we were first dating, my wife was relieved that I finally muttered “s\*\*t” over something – she’d been worried about our compatibility because I didn’t swear. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/102 "2010-05-08T16:06:37Z")
In the real world, I hardly ever curse. It’s not that I have any moral objection to it; it’s that I prefer to keep the f-bomb and so forth in my back pocket so that, if I need to make an impression, it’ll get the person’s opinion. Online I’ve been writing _fuck that shit_ quite a lot recently. I’m not sure why. Apropos of nothing, but it’s always seemed to me that the words _fuck_, _shit_, _cunt_, _piss,_, and so forth are better described as vulgar than as profane. ---
**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, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/103 "2010-05-08T16:38:57Z")
Number of posts by me on the SDMB that include common profanities: Bullshit: 20 (0.5%) Shit: 38 (1.0%) Fuck: 38 (1.0%) Fucking: 52 (1.4%) Bitch: 13 (0.3%) Asshole: 16 (0.4%) Now, a lot of these are posts where I’m just quoting someone else’s profanity, and of course some posts are doing double duty on the list. But then there are other swears or variations that I didn’t search for, so let’s just arbitrarily say that that all cancels out. In that case, I’m using profanity in about **4.7%** of my SDMB posts, which I think is a good number. Aside: in researching this post, I learned that we have registered users here named \*\*bitchslap \*\*and **Fucking Jerk**. Just thought I’d mention it. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/104 "2010-05-08T17:45:32Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > Aside: in researching this post, I learned that we have registered users here named \*\*bitchslap \*\*and **Fucking Jerk**. Just thought I’d mention it. Board rules would leave them almost insulated from criticism. One would likely get a mod warning for saying, “I hate that **Fucking Jerk**.” ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/105 "2010-05-08T18:53:55Z")
I really don’t like swearing. I find it really hard when I bang my toe or hurt myself not to swear. It is definately something I need to work on. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Rosetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Green\_Rosetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Rosetta)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/106 "2010-05-08T23:55:42Z")
I swear a lot, and not really for emphasis. It is just a part of my conversation. I don’t swear at people unless I am really, really angry. I don’t like words like “shit” or “piss” when used to relate to the actual bodily functions- I’ll say something pissed me off, but for some reason, saying I have to go take a piss sounds really vulgar to me. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/107 "2010-05-09T02:14:50Z")
A lot. However,…I tend to avoid taking the Lord’s name in vain and the M-F word. Those pop out once in a while but only in extreme duress situations like hitting my thumb with a hammer. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/108 "2010-05-09T06:28:12Z")
Way more often than I would like, but most people who know me in real life think I’m swear free. And I am in any situation where I don’t completely trust you (or just not care, like here.) Ultimately, I like to reserve them for times when I’m really, really upset, and not use them casually like so many people. Though I do like using “hell” for emphasis over heck. BTW: words I’ve used: asshole, bitch, bastard, shit, fuck. The rest really aren’t appealing. (I’ve used cunt once on accident, though.) If I’m not mad, I turn beet red when I try to talk like that. When I’m mad, I’m already beet red. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Peter\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/109 "2010-05-11T02:02:04Z")
I follow the mixed company guideline and avoid vulgarity/cursing/profanity around those who might be offended, unless it is directed at someone who I don’t care about offending (rare). ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583/110 "2010-05-11T19:36:00Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > Fuck: 38 (1.0%) Only one percent? :eek: What the fuck? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-use-profanity/538583.md?page=5)