'Women who swear are happier'.

Well there you are I am completely vindicated.

Seriously, for me it is all down to frustration sometimes with inanimate objects or technology and sometimes with the A N other in my house.

If I don't swear I am more likely to cry and we can't have that can we.

I dislike the way swearing has became okay in general conversation - especially so with younger people more than older ones. It seems to be considered perfectly acceptable to use when out in public, on the bus/train or in shops/cafe's and in front of children (who then go on to mimic what they hear their adults saying). My grandson is 14 and swears like a trooper - I am trying to get him to understand that what he says in the playground with his mates is not acceptable to say in front of me, his Mum and his sisters. That said I do see his point that the music his Mum plays in the car is full of swear words -why is it that modern singers cannot put a song together without including them?

Does hell bells count as a swearing?

Well, sod it does it for me , comfortable with that

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 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.)

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 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.

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 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.

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'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!

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

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 !!

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

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.

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'.

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