Comments on: Don’t like swearing? GFY!

By: Todd

Todd — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:55:05 +0000

John Wall has posted the audio from the roast. Prepare to laugh and possibly be offended.

By: Chris "Shinerweb" Wright

Chris "Shinerweb" Wright — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:07:39 +0000

Todd: When I say “detest”, I’m talking about the situations where I’m on a tube or train with my 3 kids (9,12,14) and some bozo is ‘effing and blinding away like the proverbial navvy.
I have absolutely no time for people who don’t respect those around them.

(btw. French détester, from Latin d?test?r?, to curse … long shot at a joke.. never funny if you have to explain it though )

But, I can quite as easily change “detest” for “dislike intensely”

But it does go to show how different words in the same language but used on different sides of the pond have different meanings. “Detest” isn’t a ‘harsh’ word over here (UK).

Also reminds me of when I first met my young sweet and innocent Irish catholic girl (now wife of far too many years). She used to dislike my dark side use of the English language, but would quite happily go around saying “feck this and feck that…”.
She was mortified when I pointed out to her it was just a ‘polite’ way of saying something slightly different when used over here.
(Wiki has a good entry on feck rather than me quote it here).

@Travis People have a right to be offended at swearing if it is offensive. There is nothing wrong with being offended by it at all. I don’t have a problem with you swearing, but you don’t use language like that in front of my kids. It’s about having respect for those around you.
If you object to someone selling you girl scout cookies, then say so. They won’t sell cookies in your presences again. If they do, tell them to “feck off”.

By: Travis

Travis — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:26:34 +0000

What’s f’d up about this is that many of the same people that shudder about casual use of profanity find it perfectly acceptable to casually / inappropriately reference other things that nobody wants to hear (like their religious faith). Things that are natural (like swearing) are hissed at. Things that should be referenced only amongst people who actually invite the conversation (someone’s religious beliefs, someone’s political views) are viewed as defensible utterances. I don’t have any scientific proof or anything, but I also feel like the same type of people that find swearing offensive are the same ones that think it’s appropriate to pimp out their favorite charities to their co-workers, or otherwise impose uncomfortable requests (“buy my kids girl scout cookies, please …”). The stuffy type that has beefs with swearing (oh my!) has some serious issues bubbling under the surface (to which swearing pales by comparison), IMHO.

By: Todd

Todd — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:55:33 +0000

Detest is a strong word, Chris. I might lose respect for someone who swears inappropriately, but I’m not sure it goes very far beyond that…

By: Chris "Shinerweb" Wright

Chris "Shinerweb" Wright — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:51:30 +0000

Being ex-Royal Navy, swearing then was part and parcel of every day life, (hence the term “Swear like a sailor”).

These days, I would never swear in professional circles (on or off-line).
I detest people who swear in public without due consideration for those around them, but otherwise I don’t get offended at other people swearing.
There is a time and place for bad language.

By: Chris Brogan...

Chris Brogan... — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:59:51 +0000

I laughed at your post. I laughed at your presentation. I laughed at Monty’s reply. I think I’m crying with laughter.

So, um, GFY!

By: Richelle Gillett

Richelle Gillett — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:30:04 +0000

I may curse a bit with my close co-workers / those on my team, if that’s the kind of environment I’m working in (and often a PR agency is) and the conversation calls for it. But I wouldn’t say I’m known for it. I do not curse in professional dealings with colleagues, internal clients, execs, clients, media etc. or with suppliers and service providers.I don’t usually get offended if people do but it’s not my professional style.

By: Todd

Todd — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:18:58 +0000

Keith, yeah, I feel like a real heel when I swear in front of kids. Just did it at a softball game tonight.

Scott, I think I might have some pent up anger issues. The cure? More roasts!

By: Scott Monty

Scott Monty — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:16:31 +0000

Van Hoosear, I don’t know WTF you’re talking about. Only a %@#* moron would let someone roast him. Hey, wait a minute… Aw, *%#@!!

Thanks for participating on Friday. You really have a knack for roasting. It must have been all of that pent-up anger, plus your working knowledge of Michigan.

By: Keith Shaw

Keith Shaw — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:02:19 +0000

I think my use of curse words has been on a downhill slope ever since middle school, when every other word I used was dirty.

I still pepper the occasional cuss during some work-related discussions, but only with members of the same gender (never swear in mixed company), and not that liberally.

Of course, everything goes out the window when alcohol gets involved, making “work” road trips in Vegas very interesting (of course, that’s also the best time to get work-related gossip as well).

At home, with the two small kids and one 2.5-year-old who starts repeating everything, we’re really not swearing at all anymore. We have slipped occasionally, only to hear the curse come right back at us from the daughter, and then we have to fight the urge not to laugh or react lest she repeats it non-stop.

On a related note, I was watching the Red Sox game the other day when Kevin Youkilis hit his first grand slam, and I yelled out “Yoooooouk!” Now my daughter won’t stop yelling that…