Social Norms for Acceptable Language

peteinmn · Post by **peteinmn** » Thu May 12, 2005 8:36 am

Martin Milner wrote:Oh Belgium.

Gasp!! Martin, you should be ashamed of yourself. Now go and wash your mouth out with soap immediately!

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Thu May 12, 2005 9:23 am

There's a shop in Newtown in Sydney specialising in bedlinen called Holy Sheet.

rama · Post by **rama** » Thu May 12, 2005 9:48 am

peeplj wrote:I've always been of the opinion that true obscenity is found in the ears that hear (actually, in the brain that understands), moreso than in the mouth that speaks.

Here's a case in point: if I say "God!", the exact same word with only subtle differences in nuance and intent can mean anything from profound admiration to profound respect to profound awe to profound disgust. The word as written doesn't change--the way you pronounce it doesn't change--so what does change?

The way you understand it to be meant.

Intent.

The true obscenity is in the intention of the speaker.

--James

profanity is a state of mind. the actual act of speaking is not obscene. obscene is lack of truth and integrity in words. that which fails to honor truth becomes obscene by default. wonderfully sounding speakers can be obscene if their words deceive. no?
people can speak freely. i have to moderate myself. and speak truthfully. judging others manner of speech as obscene gets you no where but further into hypocracy. all judgments of speech must be applied only to self in order to free oneself from the bondage of profanity. what a load of bs eh?

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu May 12, 2005 10:02 am

I wish there were more profanity and obscene words on American television and less violence. Teach the kids that it matters much more what one does than what one says.

Wombat, btw, I think is onto something: There is this medieval streak in American society that regards certain words and phrases as magical, incantations, that have sinister power all by themselves (meaning that there is no difference between saying and using those words and phrases).

vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Thu May 12, 2005 10:30 am

I like to combine the three types into one phrase whenever possible.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu May 12, 2005 10:31 am

From childhood I never, ever understood why "hell" was considered a profanity. You could say it with impunity in a religious context, but not otherwise. Hell, it's just a place.

(edited becuz I cnat speel)

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Thu May 12, 2005 10:40 am

Nanohedron wrote:Hell, it's just a place.

Sounds like a siggy lline!

Denny

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu May 12, 2005 10:41 am

Darwin · Post by **Darwin** » Thu May 12, 2005 11:45 am

Denny wrote:
Nanohedron wrote:Hell, it's just a place.
Sounds like a siggy lline!

I believe that it is.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Thu May 12, 2005 12:10 pm

Darwin wrote:
Denny wrote:
Nanohedron wrote:Hell, it's just a place.
Sounds like a siggy lline!
I believe that it is.

Feadan · Post by **Feadan** » Thu May 12, 2005 12:21 pm

peteinmn wrote:
Martin Milner wrote:Oh Belgium.
Gasp!! Martin, you should be ashamed of yourself. Now go and wash your mouth out with soap immediately!

I'll have you know that you have both insulted the land of my ancestors! I deeply resemble any derogitory remarks about my heritage!! How dare you?!?! (removes glove....slap...slap...) Squirt guns at dawn gentlemen!

Cheers,
David de la Barre

chas · Post by **chas** » Thu May 12, 2005 4:13 pm

Bloomfield wrote:I wish there were more profanity and obscene words on American television and less violence. Teach the kids that it matters much more what one does than what one says.

I'm with Bloo on this one. I tend to use quite a bit of colorful language, but I always consider the audience. There are things I will say around coworkers that I would never say around the lab brass. Once in graduate school I got shocked and let out quite a string of curses, and when I turned around, my advisor was right behind me with the colloquium speaker.

I really wish people would lighten up -- who gets to say which words are "bad"? I can understand traditional profanity (i. e., religion-based). But the sex- and body-parts-based words, I just don't get it.

I'm in the Clarence Darrow school. In "Inherit the wind," Drummond, the Darrow character, says, (paraphrase) There are damn few words in the language that everybody understands; we should use all of them.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Thu May 12, 2005 4:23 pm

My 16 yo son has recently decided that "OH SHOCK!" works quite nicely... it is exceptionally apt for just about any case that prompts its use, and it is descriptive of the look on the faces of lots of folks when he says it.

... and, few get upset over its use.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu May 12, 2005 6:34 pm

Holy Moley. A quote from li'l ol' me in a siggy line! Thanks, Darwin, for pointing out to the world how inane and banal my thoughts are.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Thu May 12, 2005 7:28 pm

Nanohedron wrote:From childhood I never, ever understood why "hell" was considered a profanity. You could say it with impunity in a religious context, but not otherwise. Hell, it's just a place.

It is precisely a matter of context. Perhaps the profanity of French Canadians is most remarkable in this respect.

Beyond that, it is, in original intent, a curse upon someone to wish them to suffer the damnation of hell.