# Why do Americans say "shit" so often ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-say-shit-so-often/729425>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 30, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-say-shit-so-often/729425 "2015-08-30T20:07:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-say-shit-so-often/729425/41 "2015-08-31T20:04:49Z")

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> [@MrQwertyasd](#):
>
> Or is it that i tend to listen to ignoramuses ?

I’m guessing it’s this.

Shit’s a great, all-purpose, word. You can add as many syllables as you need to cover almost any situation. If you’re feeling relaxed, you can elide the t sound. OTOH, you can always hit the t sound hard if you’re feeling irate.

All in all, I’m not inclined to take much nonsense from a Limey while the [Shyte Brook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shit_Brook) still graces your landscape.

Now fuck, on the other hand … Fuck is a much funnier word than shit, of course. Fuck has the advantage of being a K word, and rhyming with Duck, so naturally, it’s the word or choice when feeling fiotous. Also, fuck works better as a gerund, so it’s situationally more entertaining.

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**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-say-shit-so-often/729425/42 "2015-08-31T20:50:47Z")

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Bloody if I know.

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**Author:** ![Rossiekerr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@Rossiekerr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rossiekerr)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-say-shit-so-often/729425/43 "2015-09-01T01:32:16Z")

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I’ve no trouble with most swear words, myself; it’s the intent that matters.

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-say-shit-so-often/729425/44 "2015-09-01T01:38:48Z")

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> [@KendriaPerry](#):
>
> People in general swear too much these days, not just Americans. I especially despise the word fuck.

And yet, there you go using it!

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**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-say-shit-so-often/729425/45 "2015-09-02T15:44:48Z")

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Don’t let the rest of the world know, but every single American teaches their young to say “shit” as their first word.

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