Am I a prude ?

I have been playing online Scrabble with one friend for several years now and we use all sorts of words but it took some time before we agreed to relax our choice of words. On one never to be forgotten occasion we almost seemed to be following a theme. I would not do this with anyone else and amazingly we have never met.

Apart from the odd expletive when Mr Aka is being more than usually obstreperous the only place I have sworn is on GN, once I think. I do have to say i was provoked. Then I was told off in no uncertain terms by one of the self appointed forum police!

The other exception was once when I dropped a large frozen chicken onto my bare foot and broke my big toe ¥#%!?

Like Anno my children and friends would be extremely shocked if I swore in their presence, and I don't think I've ever heard them swear in my presence either. Having said that I'm not especially shocked by swearing and can even appreciate it has it's place, occasionally.

mrsmopp I got the Scrabble game from play store and play it on my iPad

I have a feeling that, while my sons sometimes use swear words in my presence, they would be quite shocked if I came out with them in their presence!

I am not sure that older people are really being prudish about sexual terms. They are offended by swearwords more than young people, and a lot of sex words are (or have been in their lifetime) used to swear or deliberately insult, much the same as the racial words which are taboo now are used. Those same racial words don't have the same shock effect on older people, who have heard them in the past used without intent to insult.

I don't consider myself a prude. I will discuss sexual matters. But I do not like to hear the words for sex and for sexual body parts used as expletives and "attack" words.

Older people tend to be prudish about words with sexual connotations. I think the young are quite blasé about those, but can get very offended by racist or sexist words/remarks (although I realise that isn't being 'prudish').

I suppose it's just a sign of changing times...

It is the young who are not offended by certain words, while older people still are.

Then there are things that offend the young which do not offend the old. Does that mean the young are prudes about those things?

Or is it just that different people have different areas of prudery?

Ma's out, Pa's out, let's talk rude!
Pee,po, belly, bum, drawers!
So goes the old song. Acceptance of obscene words and swearing has changed hugely since we were young so yes, you're a prude if they offend you.

Tell me which online scrabble you use.
Is it an app for an iPad or a website?
Is it free?

I play Scrabble on line with my son in Australia. I wouldn't like to shock him! We're quite circumspect!

Whereas my mother only understood the literal meaning bags

Thanks, FB, 'Married with Children' with the Bundys was a US comedy that I really enjoyed. I shall look it up on YouTube and hope to snatch a few moments if pleasure from many years ago. Another US favourite had Mary Tyler-Moore and an older English actress in it, was it 'Bewitched'? Then of course there was the Lucy Show, and Sergeant Bilko + Private Doberman, and the Dukes of Hazard, with the short fat Mayor in the white suit and big hat. What memories!

Thanks everyone for all your comments, from now on I will see some words differently.

In the US comedy show Married with Children, Al Bundy's useless wife was
Peggy Wanker Bundy, from Wanker County (played by Katey Sagal).

I have a feeling there was at least one Brit among the writers!

When someone is called a wanker it means they are a useless person, or stupid, or both. Sexual innuendo is often used in insults and name-calling.
It is not meant to be interpreted literally, only rudely. It's used for effect. So ariadne's mother probably understood it quite well without knowing its derivation.

I remember several years ago now that someone used the word wanker on Countdown, in Richard Whitely`s day, and it was allowed.

I would not worry if it was the only word I could make, as Thatbags says with rude words, it's the context and the intent that makes words offensive.

My mother was a marriage guidance counsellor and a sex therapist, but not what you would call street wise. I once told her about a troublesome pupil who had gone on an army interview and in front of all the other applicants the sergeant had announced "We don't want this one, he's a wanker!"
My mother's response? "How did he know?*

Ariadne I am so glad I wasn't playing scrabble the night my mother used the word.

HMHNanna She did

Think I have told this story before, but my rather innocent mother was intrigued by words new to her. She never managed to use them appropriately, however. She discovered the word "w****r" and was rather taken with it as a derogatory term, using it freely. She was about 68 at the time.

In the end, I had to say something, and gently asked her not to use it. "But what does it actually mean then," she said.

Ever tried explaining masturbation to your mother??

Don't forget to mind your pees and queues!

You could use words like 'tit' and 'bum' and 'sod' which are both rude and not rude and then plead innocence.

PPS I didn't take offence just thought you'd missed the intended humour and taken me seriously.