"bad" words, I fail to understand

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Here's one of those social rules I fail to understand.
Why are "bad" words "bad"?

I mean I can logically understand that if I drop an "f-bomb" some uptight people go into a tissy fit, but honestly I really do not understand why some people get so offended by a few simple words. It all seems very arbitrary to me.

Personally, I get very resentful when someone tells me I can't say any of these words.

Originally, a long time ago, certain curse words were words that country people, or lower class or uneducated people used to describe what those words describe. The gentry did not want to be mistaken for the lower class, so those words became taboo with them, and that caught on just like everything else that gentry did, said or thought. Some words, like "damn" were orginally meant as a curse, so they became words not to use. I have no idea why people get upset with someone exclaiming "Hell!" but I do understand why telling someone to go to hell would be offensive.

Hope this helps.

Frances

they are completely arbitrary. i've never understood them either.

(some i do. like n*****. horrific societal implications universal felt through modern culture. but i feel like most are just arbitrary.)

I don't fully understand either, words are words, get over it. Although I am in the minority, I think that every curse word PLUS most racial slang shouldn't be considered offensive. Granted, I'm white so the worst thing someone could call me is "cracker" which just makes me laugh. If you ever talk to me, I will use curse words quite frequently, and racial slang sometimes, to be honest, I like saying the N-word, not out of hate or malice, it just feels good when coming out of my mouth, it's an easy to say word. (FYI, I'm not racist, well okay, I am racist against willfully stupid people but that is another conversation entirely).Also, think about it, most of the "bad" words we use now, were developed decades or even centuries ago, times are a' changin' people! Though in public I know to contain myself, for other people's sakes. I would like to know more about their origins as "bad" words though.

It's not usually the word itself that bothers me, but the energy behind the word. Test the F-word when used as playful slang as opposed to it being used in anger or disdain.

I often use "unprintable" instead of "bad" to refer to sh*t, p*ss, and other [expletives deleted].
Indeed, the f-bomb could land you in a lawsuit if it ever appeared in a printed work until a few decades ago.

I think many people agree with you and find it ridiculous that people can be SO offended by a word, so often simply the word itself and not even how it is used (deliberately to abuse).

Swearing plays an important part in human communication.

There was recently a brilliant Stephen Fry programme where he had an MRI scan to see which part of the brain associated with swearing.

I think f**k is a marvellous word, as a noun, verb, adverb, its amazing versatility adds to the richness of English. As Malcolm Tucker (In the Loop) says when someone knocks at his office door

Come the f**k in - or f**k the f**k off.

Heres a You tube video of Stephen Fry and Brian Blessed doing some rather sweary experiments to examine how swearing can help relieve pain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dBkptLQOwA

Here is an interesting little bit on that infamous word...

WARNING!! !! CLICK ON THIS LINK ONLY IF YOU ARE NOT OFFENDED BY THE WORD F**K

[/quote] There was also a study done somewhere where swearing the F-word helped to diminish one's sense of pain.[/quote]

After having three babies with absolutely nothing for pain and cursing worse than sailors and rappers combined, I can't tell if it helped or not, but I know that I couldn't help it at all!

Frances

I use expletives more when I'm happy or when I'm telling a good tale, I very rarely use such language to express anger.

TBH, excessive swearing bothers me and I get so uncomfortable out in public when someone keeps saying them because to me they indicate anger so if someone is cursing, I think they are mad and I don't like seeing angry people. Even if they don't sound mad, I still get uncomfortable, they are angry but yet they don't sound angry. I do not understand excessive swearing.

I say bad words every now and then but not all the time. I will say them when I am mad or when I am frustrated or when I goof up. I usually say "damn" when I die in a video game. My mom sure had a reaction to that when I said it in front of her.

I remember another time I was using them and I was hardly saying any of those words and to her they were still a lot. I didn't curse in every sentence or in every other sentence.