# if you're replacing the "F-word" in an email/Facebook-update, is it spelled "friggin", or "freakin"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 25, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846 "2011-06-25T21:10:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Win\_Place\_Show](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/win_place_show/32/13469_2.png) [@Win\_Place\_Show](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Win_Place_Show)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/1 "2011-06-25T21:10:49Z")
or something else? (maybe “frikkin’”?) as much as I’m sure we’d all like to use “the real word”, sometimes circumstances call for something a little more “PG-13”, so which one do you guys lean to more? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/2 "2011-06-25T21:13:41Z")
I prefer friggin’ since it’s an ‘obvious’ substitution. That is, if you say ‘friggin,’ everybody knows what you meant. Whereas freakin’ is just another word at this point… ---
**Author:** ![Nightfall1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@Nightfall1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightfall1)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/3 "2011-06-25T21:14:20Z")
I use freakin. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/4 "2011-06-25T21:18:09Z")
Friggin’, freaking/freakin’, I’ve seen both used. Also, in new nerdspeak (because of battlestar galactica, I think?) “fracking” has become quite popular, even though that’s a word that has a completely different meaning used in oil and gas, as per a quick google search. ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/5 "2011-06-25T21:21:45Z")
I replace the letters with asterisks (f\*\*\*ing). ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/6 "2011-06-25T21:23:45Z")
Go BSG and use fracking (or Farscape and use frelling) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/7 "2011-06-25T21:24:41Z")
> [@LorieSmurf](#): > > I replace the letters with asterisks (f\*\*\*ing). Ha! Yes, this is my way as well. And to convey my escalating level of anger, with each use of the word, one less asterisk will be used…😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/8 "2011-06-25T21:25:16Z")
Friggin’ more often than not. I never use frack or frell. They’re too cutesy. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/9 "2011-06-25T21:28:47Z")
Fornicating. Or smegging for short. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/10 "2011-06-25T21:50:54Z")
If I have to use something other than _fucking_ or variant spellings of it, because of concern over the other person’s sensitivities I will either use a synonym (if the actual usage implies sexual congress) or as strong an expletive as the mood requires without resorting to any of those lame “non-words” listed. If you can’t say FUCK, then fuck it! Investigate [http://www.synonym.com/synonyms/browse/FU/](http://www.synonym.com/synonyms/browse/FU/) for some of those alternatives to the “wimp words.” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/11 "2011-06-25T22:03:05Z")
On the odd case that I would use it: effin ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/12 "2011-06-25T22:07:52Z")
No love for fracking? ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/13 "2011-06-25T22:14:27Z")
Effing and I’m in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/14 "2011-06-25T22:16:27Z")
Fracking. If I have to be a prude, at least let me a geeky prude. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/15 "2011-06-25T22:23:36Z")
F-ing or effing. The other choices above seem to bowlderized, or ultra-regional, like how people in Utah talk. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/16 "2011-06-25T22:26:40Z")
All of the above. Frigging, freaking, fricking, fraking, fragging, flipping, f-ing… ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/17 "2011-06-25T22:27:40Z")
I vote for frak, or frakking. I [think that’s the spelling](http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Frak). It’s deliberately a four-letter word just like fuck, and distinct from the original BSG series term frack. Frelling’s good too, but I rarely remember it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/18 "2011-06-25T22:41:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Go BSG and use fracking (or Farscape and use frelling) > > Brian That’s what I was going to suggest, too, except with the correct spelling for “fraking”. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/19 "2011-06-25T22:42:55Z")
I just say “fuck”. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/20 "2011-06-25T23:00:17Z")
I stick some other letter in there, sometimes: fsck; or the asterisk: f\*ck. Or I use “smurfin’” in its place. Oh yeah, sometims “farking” although that has another meaning too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846.md?page=2)