What does “a real melon farmer” mean?
Homer Simpson says “crap” all the time. It must be OK.
I couldn’t even say butt growing up. My mom was very against any sort of foul language. She stumbles over “Beavis & Butthead.” Oddly enough, my father regularly swears, though I’ve only heard him use “fuck” a handful of times. I can use “crap” now around my mom, along with “butt,” and “pee,” but I still find “fart” to be a disgusting word and never use it.
I’d be surprised if your 8th graders even noticed you used “crap.” I’ve never heard worse foul mouths than a group of young teens/pre-teens who’ve just learned the joys of cussing.
And I find it funny that you’re asking the board that perfected “asshat” as a swear word if “crap” is one. 
Melon Farmer: It’s an alternative to another two words that begin with M and F and might be found together in the sentence:
“a real MF”
Warning - school marm language lesson coming up.
There is a difference between swearing, and using vulgar language. If you say ‘crap’ you are not swearing, you are using vulgar language.
Swearing and cursing entail taking God’s name in vain. Examples - ‘God damn you’, ‘Go to hell’, and ‘Jesus Christ, you’re ugly!’
Rude or vulgar language is words and phrases such as ‘crap’, ‘I don’t give a rat’s ass’, or ‘Stuff it!’
Bonus lesson - Obscene language has more to do with language of an explicit sexual nature. Everyone’s favorite example - the ‘f’ word.
If my kid were in your class and you said “crap” once and he told me about it I wouldn’t get too upset. (If I was aware that a coach was using a lot of profanity in front of students I would probably alert the principal regarding my displeasure.) I would be embarassed however, if my 14 yo said “crap” in front of you. Teaching my son to be respectful is very important to me. If a teacher used the same language as the kids all the time I think the level of respect might be lowered a bit.
Security Guard needs to lighten up.
Slight hijack: A friend of mine teaches 2nd grade. Early on in her career she almost lost consciousness when someone approached her desk to tattle. “Miss D. Cynthia said 'The C Word!” It took her a minute to realize the tyke meant “Crap”. Whew!
I say “crap” in the classroom, though not often and I am aware of when I am doing so, if that makes any sense. I might use it when translating something into the colloquial for my kids: “So Thoreu is saying here that all that crap we are tied down to . . . .” I very occasionally (like once or twice) have used “hell” for the same reason–though never to the whole class, and only to kids who I know have the sorts of vocabulary where “god-damned motherfucking ass-raping nigger” is a casual greeting.
Of course, I teach in a tough, big-city school full of tough, big city kids. If I were teaching in a small town I would probably be more careful.
Maybe it’s different where you grow up, because I’m not allowed to say it, and I’m 16. I’ve always been taught that it’s a swear word along with all the other swear words, and it’s kind of weird to read this thread and realize others grew up not being taught that.
At my school, kids swear but it has kind of that false feeling about it–as if they’re only swearing to sound cool. I know kids who swear out of just habit, but I’m talking about my regular group, the straight-A suck-ups. All of us laugh if a teacher uses a swear word–and they always preface it by saying “I know this is a swear word but I need to get the point across.”
Peri, I think I said “i gotta go to the bathroom”, maybe even used the “number one” term. Sad, I tell ya. Now I use that word all the time in dealing with my pediatric patients.
“Mother, dear, I really must urinate.” BWAHAHAHAHA.
Oddly enough, they said “Crap” on an episode of one of the new anime “Transformers” series’. On a Saturday Morning. From a major metropolitan station. On broadcast TV.
And since it was dubbed, I’m left wondering what was said in the original Japanese. “Baka” maybe? Or…something far worse? :eek: