Part-Time Pundit: Swearing in the Historical Context

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June 27, 2005

Swearing in the Historical Context

Two things have brought this subject to mine. The first, was a thread on a mailing list about the use of a particular offensive expression, how it was particularly ungentlemanly like to use where women would read, and so on. The second is a song I hear on the radio from time to time that uses the phrase G.D. (Use your imagination). The interesting thing is the radio does censor it, but only one word. It silences the God part, not the damn part. Apparently it is more offensive to say "God" on the air, than "damn" (which is a swear word in and of itself). Not surprising, considering our society, the ACLU, and recent Supreme Court decisions.

However, the history of swearing is interesting. Until somewhat recently historically, swearing was blasphemy pure and simple. There were no "swear words" per se, but it was various iterations of sacrilege against the name of Jesus, Mary, saints, or various holy things. Today, this has largely been replaced by what is the most popular (and apparently the most versatile word in the English language) curse word, the omnipresent f-bomb.

That word is commonly understood as a reference to sex, not usually of the most pure variety. It's an interesting development, that swearing went from blasphemous religious expressions to involving sex. Considering our society, one could say that sex has become a religion in and of itself anyway. Perhaps the change in swearing only demonstrates how that statement might be true.

The convention has been to use religion as swearing. The question is, has the convention changed, or simply the underlying religion?

Posted by John Bambenek at June 27, 2005 10:09 PM