# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **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/586846/21 "2011-06-25T23:00:22Z")
If I’m concerned about the audience and don’t want to say something like “What a fucking bitch” I will reword it instead of using cute alternatives that don’t do anything to disguise what I really wanted to say. For instance I might say “She really needs to manage her temper better” or “I don’t believe her actions in this matter were appropriate” But outside of the office I would more than likely just call her a fucking bitch. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/22 "2011-06-25T23:12:17Z")
Frakking. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/23 "2011-06-25T23:17:52Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > Effing and I’m in the UK. Effing as well. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/24 "2011-06-26T02:11:00Z")
Whatever I \*\*fething \*\*well say depends on how I’m **friggin** ’ feeling at the time. I don’t give two \*\*frakking \*\*shits and use whatever \*\*fecking \*\*euphemism comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/25 "2011-06-26T03:01:41Z")
I’d love to see map demographics on this. ---
**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:** [June 26, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/26 "2011-06-26T03:40:49Z")
They all have different meanings. Flippin’ usually caries the meaning I want. In fact, on here I often upgrade it to fucking because people seem to hate bowdlerizing around these parts. Even though fucking is less accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/27 "2011-06-26T03:54:49Z")
“Frickin’” or “fricking”. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/28 "2011-06-26T04:04:06Z")
I’m partial to frakking. ---
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/29 "2011-06-26T04:41:36Z")
I’m not a prude – but f–k just seems so harsh and mean and I rarely use it. Several months ago I heard a friend use the word “frack” and he said that “frack” originated with a sci-fi series ( Stargate I think). So "frack’ works for me. Mostly I use it in the context of “what the frack?” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/30 "2011-06-26T10:23:52Z")
As much as I’d like to say I put “frakking” I actually say “effing”. If it’s good enough for Jo Rowling to put it in a children’s novel, it’s good enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/31 "2011-06-26T11:21:47Z")
I don’t use any. I find they look childish and a bit embarrassing. I’ll just reformat the sentence so I can put something else. Or just another similar word. Like bloody. Or arsing. Or sodding. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/32 "2011-06-26T13:16:34Z")
> [@LorieSmurf](#): > > I replace the letters with asterisks (f\*\*\*ing). Either this or “effing”. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/33 "2011-06-26T20:27:19Z")
Is nobody going to point out that frigging is not just a harmless, silly non-word, and in particular not a non-offensive word? If I can’t use a word for sex, I’m not going to be using a word for masturbation either! But in a work email, I just wouldn’t use an expletive. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/34 "2011-06-26T20:31:50Z")
Onother vote for frakkin’ ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/35 "2011-06-26T20:32:16Z")
Effin’ ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/36 "2011-06-26T22:20:25Z")
> [@Teacake](#): > > Is nobody going to point out that frigging is not just a harmless, silly non-word, and in particular not a non-offensive word? If I can’t use a word for sex, I’m not going to be using a word for masturbation either! But in a work email, I just wouldn’t use an expletive. What do you have against the chief goddess of the Norse pantheon? ---
**Author:** ![A.Gwilliam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@A.Gwilliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.Gwilliam)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/37 "2011-06-26T23:26:58Z")
Another UK-ite here. I generally use random characters; eg. “f&^%ing”. I also use “fecking”; a marvellous word that has the advantage of not actually being a profanity. {doffs cap to the Irish} I utterly loathe the science fiction “frakking” and similar rubbish… but “smegging” works! Interestingly, this issue came up in the UK regarding the Danish series “The Killing”. Apparently “fucking” has found its way into Danish from English, but with a milder non-literal meaning. The broadcasting standards people refused to censure the BBC for broadcasting episodes where it could clearly be heard in the Danish dialogue, precisely because of this difference. ---
**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:** [June 27, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/38 "2011-06-27T00:29:41Z")
I’ve never used anything but “fucking.” ---
**Author:** ![Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phedre_no_Delaunay)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/39 "2011-06-27T00:46:24Z")
I voted “something else” which actually means “All of the above and also some others.” Basically, whatever you want. I actually tend to _use_ “freaking” more than the others, but anyone can use whatever. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-replacing-the-f-word-in-an-email-facebook-update-is-it-spelled-friggin-or-freakin/586846/40 "2011-06-28T04:03:10Z")
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