# Oh, H-E Double toothpicks! The end of profanity is near! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 6, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359 "2019-10-06T17:22:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/1 "2019-10-06T17:22:19Z")
The "F "word is losing its oomph! “M F” is starting to sound trite. The “C” word? In a year or so I’ll probably hear my mother utter it. What’s left? What’s the future for profanity? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/2 "2019-10-06T17:39:34Z")
Profanity usually deals with concepts that mainstream society considers taboo or sacred. As time changes, what is considered taboo will change. It used to be religious blasphemy was taboo. So christ, Jesus Christ, God Dammit, hell, etc. were swear words. Then sexuality became taboo. So swear words revolved around sexual organs and sexual acts. George carlins 7 words you can’t say on television all revolve around sex organs, sex acts, or what sex organs do. Shit, piss, cunt, fuck, cocksucker, motherfucker, tits. Of those, only cunt has some power left. The other 6 are blah. Now in modern society, being seen as a bigot is very taboo. So any swear words based on bigotry are highly taboo. Nigger, kike, towelhead, faggot, spear chucker, wetback, etc If you don’t think taboo swear words exist, use the phrase nigger at work and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/3 "2019-10-06T18:09:05Z")
> [@2Bits](#): > > What’s left? What’s the future for profanity? Tanj! Shazbot! Belgium! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/4 "2019-10-06T18:42:08Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Profanity usually deals with concepts that mainstream society considers taboo or sacred. As time changes, what is considered taboo will change. > > It used to be religious blasphemy was taboo. So christ, Jesus Christ, God Dammit, hell, etc. were swear words. > > Then sexuality became taboo. So swear words revolved around sexual organs and sexual acts. George carlins 7 words you can’t say on television all revolve around sex organs, sex acts, or what sex organs do. Shit, piss, cunt, fuck, cocksucker, motherfucker, tits. Of those, only cunt has some power left. The other 6 are blah. > > Now in modern society, being seen as a bigot is very taboo. So any swear words based on bigotry are highly taboo. > > Nigger, kike, towelhead, faggot, spear chucker, wetback, etc > > If you don’t think taboo swear words exist, use the phrase nigger at work and see what happens. Racial slurs are _taboo_ words, but not really swear words as such. If I run out of ink five pages into an important 100-page print job, I’m not about to start yelling racial epithets at the printer! (Our current crop of swear words, OTOH, works just fine for that purpose, and will, I expect, continue to work for many years, even if they are less shocking now than they used to be.) ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/5 "2019-10-06T18:55:32Z")
Just do like my wife and make them up. English is her second language. “Son of a damn ass!”, “You hill-jack!”, “Mother huncher”. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/6 "2019-10-06T18:55:41Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Tanj! > > Shazbot! > > Belgium! > > 😃 Felgercarb! ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/7 "2019-10-06T19:01:09Z")
Profanity is redundant in this damn shitty fucked-up modern world. Since profanity reflects social perils, we curse with ‘poor’ or ‘rich’, etc. ‘CEO’ and ‘refugee’ are profane now even (especially?) as rich bastards and poor fucktards proliferate. But wait, it gets worse! Ubiquitous surveillance is upon us. None can have any secrets. And we’ll soon ditch our tired Net links for neural-implant interfaces that provide effective telepathy… which WILL be hacked… so everything we do, think, and say is cursed. What a garbled gallumph of grapple! ---
**Author:** ![Weaver\_of\_Nightmares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@Weaver\_of\_Nightmares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weaver_of_Nightmares)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/8 "2019-10-06T19:53:52Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Belgium! > > 😃 Well, I never! _clutches pearls_ The line, you have crossed it. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/9 "2019-10-06T22:52:23Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Belgium! > > 😃 :eek:_stares at coach, shocked speechless_:eek: Erm, um, I, but, you! Well flibbertygiblets coach, for that shocking trangression, I invite you to apply your oral sphincter to my anal sphincter, you unclean personage of dubious ancestry who engages in taboo mating rituals! 😉 Perhaps Common Modern English(The Queen’s English and American English, but not International English[i just made those up]) is evolving into Modern High English? I’d presume that the two dialects of Queen’s English and American English would further separate. OH I should probably include Strine as well (FSM, that’s some highschool essay level unicorn feces, but it was fun to write) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/10 "2019-10-06T23:01:33Z")
We’re ALL going to sound like [Sarah Palin](https://youtu.be/IZW6rnA7lfU?t=248)? ---
**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:** [October 6, 2019, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/11 "2019-10-06T23:34:07Z")
All I have to say is trump you! All of you are trumped up pences! You can all kiss my pompeo! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/12 "2019-10-06T23:42:40Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > All I have to say is trump you! All of you are trumped up pences! You can all kiss my pompeo! Womp, womp. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/13 "2019-10-06T23:45:16Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Tanj! > > Shazbot! > > Belgium! > > 😃 I award you the trophy for the most artistic use of the word Belgium. Congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/14 "2019-10-07T13:51:27Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > I award you the trophy for the most artistic use of the word Belgium. Congratulations! I found it rather gratuitous, myself. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/15 "2019-10-07T14:45:54Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > All I have to say is trump you! All of you are trumped up pences! You can all kiss my pompeo! You can’t even carry your own “blank”-strap! ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/16 "2019-10-07T15:11:51Z")
Good swear words need to be monosyllabic. Things like: Carb it! Mesh you, you drive-tilter. Gearing yarn! ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/17 "2019-10-07T15:26:17Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > All I have to say is trump you! All of you are trumped up pences! You can all kiss my pompeo! 😃 Was coming to post something similar but you did it much better than I would have. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/18 "2019-10-07T16:32:03Z")
> [@Weaver\_of\_Nightmares](#): > > Well, I never! _clutches pearls_ > > The line, you have crossed it. You sure? You’re not going to waffle on your opinion? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/19 "2019-10-07T16:59:53Z")
> [@2Bits](#): > > The "F "word is losing its oomph! > > “M F” is starting to sound trite. > > The “C” word? In a year or so I’ll probably hear my mother utter it. > > What’s left? What’s the future for profanity? I disagree. Those terms are like Rock and Roll, they will never die! ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359/20 "2019-10-07T17:10:56Z")
I understand the OP’s concern. If you overuse swear words, they lose their pain-killing effect. This was scientifically proven in a single study that was reported in a magazine article that I read once. They used an ice bath and a stopwatch, so they had numbers and a graph and everything. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-h-e-double-toothpicks-the-end-of-profanity-is-near/841359.md?page=2)