Bad words

There are a lot of so called ‘bad words’ in this world, bad in the sense that they are looked upon as unacceptable in polite company. Farting, pissing, shitting and fucking are good examples yet each is as normal a human activity as eating and drinking and nobody minds about the latter. My headmaster at grammar school (didn’t like him) told us that in general conversation or in writing that the Anglo-Saxon was preferable to the Latin i.e. it is better to say start than commence. His argument was that the Anglo-Saxon was generally shorter. I agree with him but I doubt if he would have approved of me using the word ‘shit’ in any essay.

So why is this? Is it that their very brevity makes them sort of shout whereas a word with a few more vowels would make them softer? Then we have to think of usage. These words are frequently used in other contexts like ‘Oh shit,’ or ‘Piss off.’ Somehow ‘Oh defecate,’ of ‘go away and urinate,’ would not contain the same degree of emotion or venom. It is their very simplicity that makes them powerful.

As Billy Connolly once said, regarding the Falklands War, ‘I hear that Margaret Thatcher has told General Galtieri to ‘Fuck off’. I agree with the woman, there are times when ‘go away’ is simply not good enough.’ Pity is that she didn’t use the expression. Maybe if she did, we would not have had a war.

And that’s the point really. I have sworn all my life and the use of swear words convey a meaning quite unmatched by perfect English Grammar.

Same goes for ‘No.’ If you just say it and do not explain, it saves hours of discussion.