'Women who swear are happier'.

I swear all the time, I learnt it from my mother. I love hearing it all over the place cos its time to normalise these words. My ex never swore but he spoke to me in a menacing, frightening way. "you lazy cow!' he's say. 'You're not right down below, no-one else would have you,' & loads more I'm not inclined to remember.
I know which I'd rather have. I taught my grandchildren to swear only when they were around people who wouldn't mind, which is what they'd do anyway.

Another happy soul. Only inside my four walls on my own.I once said oh hells bells and my children,in their teens admonished me for swearing.

I think a book is being promoted here, and so it would appear is swearing. I was brought up in a family that did not swear and my friends families did"nt swear either, so for me I don"t like to hear it. To me it does not strike as being very literate at all, but lacking in enough vocabulary to hold a proper conversation. What I really dislike is people regardless of their age whose every other word involves foul language.

I suppose it depends on the context.

I hear the occasional furious swear word(s) coming from DH's workshop or if he is doing some DIY - usually because something has gone wrong or he has hit his thumb with a hammer. If I burn myself on the oven I may be hear to mutter more than the usual 'oh, sugarlumps'.

However, if swear words are used as adjectives I think they lose their impact.
DH says that if they are used in a heated discussion against someone, then you have lost the argument.

Sugar is one of my favourites too. I try hard not to swear in hearing range of our resident 3 year old but he shocked me by coming out with a German swear word I (rarely) use. Children have such good hearing

Also that I think it's patronising to use asterisks in words like bollocks. It's not as if someone using asterisks isn't actually using the word they're 'hiding'.
Perhaps posters think that GN may delete their post if they spell it out in full!

I was brought up in a household with hardly any swearing - the most was 'damn' and 'blast'.

There is though a frisson, or heightening of emphasis that swear words engender in a way that other words cannot, which I find thoroughly enjoyable.

ffinnochio I shall use that in my defence next time I swear. {grin] Nice one.

Hearing the F word every other minute on Public Transport is awful. Bloody hell was the only swearing ever used in our household.

I dislike hearing people who constantly swear for the sake of it and my 3 as children, were never allowed to use bad language.
However, when one stubs ones toe, or breaks something valuable etc only certain words hit the spot for grieving purposes !!

I agree; saying 'oh dearie me' if you have caught your arm on the oven rack doesn't relief the stress.l

I remember swearing when i was about fifteen. A girl I knew from church said she was shocked to hear me say the f word. It really made me think, and I stopped swearing from that day on. I hate to hear other swear. I'm no longer a church goer by the way. I just find the words horrible.

I'm another of the 'no thank you' brigade. Have neither need nor desire for it. I feel it does nothing positive ever for the user. I try to avoid the company of swearers. Just makes me unhappy. Sometimes I miss out on some otherwise interesting and intelligent conversation but that's my choice. This is one of the downsides of using public transport for me. When members of a contribution here indulge, I just move on. Don't know why I have such a huge aversion but I certainly do. Always amazes me that people who swear naturally can switch off in certain company. I believe my children may practise this. Seems like a huge amount of self control must be put into motion. Too much like hard work for me!

Hearing the F word every other minute on Public Transport is awful.

I agree. It's awful.

A bit further up someone mentioned that teachers on the C4 programme didn't pull up young children using 'mild' swear words.

I think it is the role of a teacher to discuss appropriate language for the situation. Formal and informal English and being aware of company and 'polite' forms and impolite forms are something we learn. We need to know the difference and unless you appreciate these things at a young age then 'bad language' will be the norm.

It makes me wonder given this thread - is any language considered 'bad' now for young people?

The whole topic embraces sensitivity and courtesy for others doesn't it, and I wonder if those notions are old hat now too? They shouldn't be imo.

That thought makes me sad.

I don't like swearing or blaspheming but do sometimes turn a deaf ear to the former when DS slips up. I hate hearing children swear, absolutely hate it - can't understand when people laugh at it.

I don't think those notions you mention are out of fashion, day6. My kids certainly got taught them both at home and at school and my grandsons ditto as we speak.

I never heard a swear word when I was a child. My husband heard nothing but from his father. We both hate swearing and don’t do it.

Perhaps posters think that GN may delete their post if they spell it out in full!

HQ isn't opposed to swear words per se. If someone used swear words to be abusive to another poster they might delete it (if it was reported), but that's no different from someone being abusive without using swear words.
it's not the words themselves that matter but how they are used.

I think along the same lines Baggs but if teachers allow 4 year olds to use swear words and let them go, is education of the young very different now? My 5 yr old GC doesn't swear because she doesn't know swear words. They aren't used at home (or at least not within their hearing.) I imagine young children must repeat swearing they hear at home?

I'd find swearing in a formal school setting a matter of concern and would expect teachers not to tolerate it in the classroom. (I appreciate teenagers will swear amongst themselves.)

Minibaggs called a gull that swiped her sandwich right out of her hand "You fucker!" It seemed an entirely appropriate usage to me.

Then we both laughed and watched the gull defending its prize from others. It looked as if it was going to choke on it at one stage!

I swear more I ought! When I went to work for a Christian charity I was a bit worried that my language would be rather too fruity, so I made a joke out of it, put a piggy bank on my desk, and fined myself a pound every time I swore. With gift aid, it's been a tidy little sum into the charitable coffers.

I get told Minibaggs is "a delight" and "just lovely" so obviously she has learned when it is appropriate to swear and when it isn't. Good.

Bluebelle it used to be ' Gor blimey ' as in God blind me. Same with 'Struth' God's truth' all shrunk with usage .

I do let rip occasionally but only when I am by myself.
The acceptance of swearing is a problem. I have my nails done in a Nail Bar & they have MTV on all the time & the language of the pop stars that our DGC listen to is appalling. I asked once if they would turn it down as it was mainly older women in there that day & they gladly did but it had all the words on the screen anyway. I should add this was not rappers but famous girl singers-Christine Agrilera ( Can't spell it) Katy Perry etc. Artistes my 9 year old GD loves.
This is what kids are listening to on a daily basis from people they look up to so no chance of them not copying it.
I have had enough of a problem to get them to say ' Oh My Goodness' for OMG. I have explained some people find it offensive but they cannot understand why no matter how I try & tell them.
We're fighting a losing battle.

I think we are all entitled to a bit of a swear now and then when hurt or feeling aggrated, it's a great outlet. But when used by some people as part of everyday language I think it shows great ignorance and I hate it.
I must admit that I do shout "Pigs Bottoms!" quite often.
And "Sugar" for everyday annoyances.

How can anyone claim to know that swearers have a larger vocabulary than non- swearers? Did EB test this theory?