Some Words ARE Vulgar.

Where did he learn that word?

Growing up in the Maritimes we had a very common four letter word in our vocabulary. It was used when annoyed or frustrated by most of my friends. Indeed, as children we did not hesitate to use it around the house and in the presence of our parents. When I came to Ontario to complete Grade XII and XIII I continued to use that same word in similar circumstances. Then one day in the school hall I was severely addressed by one of the teachers who informed me that the word was inappropriate. He was so annoyed I thought he was going to use that word himself!

This got me wondering what it was that makes a word a "bad word" or an offensive word. After all, it is only a word! Now I am not talking about blasphemy or profanity but, about those little four letter words you hear almost everywhere. I remembering in Grade XIII we studied a few Shakespearean plays and some sections were full of vulgarisms. But it seems in society there are just some words that are not to be spoken, especially by children. After all the Bourgeoisie must be good and proper at all times especially if the words are based on sexual taboos.

Of course it is not only the spoken word that some may find offensive, but often it is the emotion, facial expressions, and gestures we dress the word in, that make a huge difference. Indeed, it can even dramatically change the meaning of the word. I could use my first name as an example! The experts tell us that the average number of words spoken per day by anyone is about 16,000. So it is not remarkable that perhaps a few of those words just might not be acceptable by everyone.

I think the 'F' word was not acceptable because in the puritan Victorian era, which extended into the 20th century, sex was not to be discussed. But like so many other things, many use the 'F' word to highlight their feelings, both good and bad or simply to emphasize a situation. With that in mind I think the word, through usage, has morphed into a simple expression of frustration and no longer has  a sexual orientation.

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Dick Cheney, back in 2004 did not like a remark made by Senator Pat Leahy and he yelled at him, "Go fuck yourself." And then Tony Blair, the British P.M., told the United Nations that, it needed to "get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing that shit."

So who decides what words are bad?  Through language we share our emotions and we express our opinions. So I guess each one of us decides for himself or herself, what words are bad and what words are O.K. Since English is the most spoken and written language on earth, there are bound to be changes in meaning and use.

Oh! That common four letter word of my youth was "frig", apparently an euphemism of "fuck".

So if now and again you hear a bad four letter word from my mouth, don't be shocked, I might just be

showing a little frustration and not referring to fornication.

And that's Dick's View of the World this Week

Did you Know?

According to Bloomberg Business Week quote (May 25, 2015) "About half of the U.S. jobs are at risk of being automated..with the middle class disproportionately squeezed". Welcome to the world of robots.