# The Grammaticality of F.u.c.k. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 5, 2001, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400 "2001-07-05T21:12:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/1 "2001-07-05T21:12:03Z")
Ok in all seriousness. This question is simple. I am wondering if there is ANY word in the English Vocabulary that has as many uses (or can be used in as many contexts) as the work Fuck. Example: What the fuck is that? Thats a big fucking turtle. Fuck off. Your agitating the fuck out of me. The universe is really fucking big. How the fuck did she do that. The list goes on and on, it is amazing. I remember while in college, an English Prof posing this question on the first day to ‘break the ice’ and no one being able to figure it out. So…Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/2 "2001-07-05T21:26:25Z")
What the hell is that? That’s a hellishly large turtle. Go to hell. You are annoying the hell out of me. The universe is one hell of a big thing. How the hell did she do that? And of course, you can replace hell with heck in any of the above sentences. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/3 "2001-07-05T21:59:05Z")
Speaking of words, I have a riddle. **What is the longest word possible using only one vowel?** ---
**Author:** ![NotWithoutRage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NotWithoutRage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotWithoutRage)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/4 "2001-07-05T22:00:21Z")
Aha, but when writing the sentence You’re a big fuck. The word hell doesn’t go so good. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/5 "2001-07-05T22:14:30Z")
**wishbone** - “strengths,” I believe. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/6 "2001-07-05T22:40:47Z")
I’m not sure what your question is, exactly, but **like** can be used as any of 8 parts of speech. noun: I have likes and dislikes. verb: I like grammar. adjective: Sentence diagramming, parsing, and like activities appeal to me. adverb: I love it like crazy. interjection. Like, you know, I really do. preposition: Is anyone else like me that way? conjunction: It looks like I’m the only one. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/7 "2001-07-05T23:02:03Z")
Okay, like, so that’s like 7, not 8. So, like, I never said that I liked math. ---
**Author:** ![Wump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed655f/32.png) [@Wump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wump)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/8 "2001-07-05T23:20:18Z")
…yeah, hell just doesn’t work in all circumstances… that’s why we have both words i rekon ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/9 "2001-07-05T23:44:51Z")
Dunno 'bout dat, the word in question is so versatile that, not only can George Carlin base an extended monologue on it, but there’s even an entire book, [The F Word](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375706348/qid=994376479/sr=1-3/ref=sc_b_3/103-4779448-9288613), on its history and use. Go ahead, drop the $11.20 + S&H and let us know. ---
**Author:** ![jmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmonster)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/10 "2001-07-06T02:20:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wishbone \* > Speaking of words, I have a riddle. > > **What is the longest word possible using only one vowel?** **antdsstblshmntrnsm** ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/11 "2001-07-06T03:54:42Z")
I was always told that “set” has the most definitions in the English language. This is true as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/12 "2001-07-07T19:54:15Z")
It’s also one of the only words in English that can be used as an infix, as in “absofuckinglutely” or “congratufuckingslations.” And I second **nineiron** , “set” does have the most definitions. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/13 "2001-07-08T20:05:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bibliophage \* > \*\*I’m not sure what your question is, exactly, but **like** can be used as any of 8 parts of speech. > > noun: I have likes and dislikes. > verb: I like grammar. > adjective: Sentence diagramming, parsing, and like activities appeal to me. > adverb: I love it like crazy. > interjection. Like, you know, I really do. > preposition: Is anyone else like me that way? > conjunction: It looks like I’m the only one. > \*\* But are those **correct** usages? Also, how is the sixth example a preposition? How is the last a conjunction? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/14 "2001-07-09T03:06:13Z")
Several of my examples are non-standard, but (in my opinion) that isn’t the same as “not correct”. I won’t debate the distinction here. preposition: **Is anyone else like me that way?** ( **like** here = “having the same characteristics or qualities as”) conjunction: **It looks like I’m the only one.** ( **like** here = “as if, as though”) Both definitions are quoted from the _New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary_. ---
**Author:** ![HurleyParks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@HurleyParks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurleyParks)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/15 "2001-07-09T05:17:54Z")
I think that the word damn is better…much more usage, and not as violent ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/16 "2001-07-09T08:45:28Z")
“ **KRUNK** ” According to Conan O’Brien. ---
**Author:** ![Marcus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Marcus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marcus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/17 "2001-07-09T10:42:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jmonster \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by wishbone \* > > Speaking of words, I have a riddle. > > > > **What is the longest word possible using only one vowel?** > > **antdsstblshmntrnsm** \*\* I love it. A quiet little jewel in the maelstrom of haze. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_Stepton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ben\_Stepton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben_Stepton)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/18 "2001-07-09T14:55:17Z")
When you say one vowel, what do you mean? Does words like enfeebled or Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! count? ben ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_Stepton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ben\_Stepton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben_Stepton)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/19 "2001-07-09T15:03:20Z")
DOH! \DO! Do\ words like these count? Too bloody early. ---
**Author:** ![nerv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85e7bf/32.png) [@nerv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nerv)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-grammaticality-of-f-u-c-k/71400/20 "2001-07-09T15:13:29Z")
It’s certainly a difficult word for students of English as a second language to grasp all the uses and nuances of. A friend of mine was teaching English at one school and there was a particular student who was doing particularly badly and was unlikely to pass the course. She ran into the teachers’ room one day in high dudgeon and yelled: “You think I know fuck nothing about English, but I know fuck all!”