The Basics of Profanity

Profanity or bad language has evolved over many years, representing both the highest and lowest forms of human expression. Originally, to take an oath or swear was a matter of honor as in a court of law, such as when one swears to tell the truth, or when a soldier takes an oath to defend his country unto death. Today, blaspheme, profanity or curse involves desecrating the sacred, whereas to spew vulgarisms is something any sixth grade boy can understand. Each can be corrupted and used in an offensive way.

Swear words can cause the greatest offense when used casually, inappropriately or in the wrong company. Yet a well-timed oath can also make people laugh. Among friends, almost any word might be considered acceptable, while even the mildest of curses can be distressing when coming from the mouth of a child. Something as simple as the tone or type of voice a person uses can affect how the word is received. Should a comedian swear it might be considered witty, while the exact same phrase coming from a mechanic could be interpreted as crude.

In Revolutionary times, it was not unusual for little Johnny to have his mouth washed out with soap when his mama heard him utter even the mildest cuss words. Such objection to profanity was ingrained in the culture, echoed by George Washington himself in his General Orders to the Continental Army which read “... the foolish and wicked practices of profane cursing and swearing (a vice heretofore little known in an American Army) is growing into fashion.” He followed with a warning that “we can have little hopes of the blessings of heaven on our arms if we insult it by our impiety.”

We have long ago left such linguistic innocence, going beyond George Carlin’s seven dirty words never to be spoken on the media, seeing most of them readily available, at least on cable television. Studies show that profanity has been around since words came croaking out of the caves, with every language, dialect and jargon having its own variation. Freud said, “The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization.” References to the deity are found in expletives such as Gosh, Gee, and Gadzooks (God’s hooks) while curses involving Satan disguised behind the Deuce you say, or more directly, the Devil take ye .... Shakespeare regularly used scatological humor to entertain his audience and no one can read his love scenes without recognizing their double meanings.

Beyond simple humor, strong language can express raw emotions and elicit an equally intense response. Hearing certain words has been shown to cause changes in pulse, breathing and skin patterns with the hair on the arms literally standing on end. Yet profanity is not random, but instead includes a careful assessment of the recipient. One can actually read the values, fears and preoccupations within a culture through studying the words that are marked as taboo. Societies that cherish religion as primary might look upon references that take the Lord’s name in vain with special concern. A culture that places a high value on women's honor and purity would find swear words such as strumpet to be extremely offensive. Students taking classes in sign language have been known to visibly squirm when asked to sign the f- - - word, even though it had not been spoken aloud. Hardened soldiers might be heard to utter euphemisms such as cheese and crackers, trying not to take the Lord's name in vain. Victorian societies, hugely concerned over bodily functions, could be relied upon to see digestion or elimination as a primary target.

When asked why they swear, most people come up with the same answer. It is a way of letting off steam, reducing tension and managing anger. In addition, words can serve as a warning and forestall more dangerous behavior, as with animals that parry and spit, then stalk away. Chimpanzees will grunt and gesture aggressively. But animals that are ready to kill don't waste time with gestures, any more than a person will bother with a stylized preliminary. Instead he will simply pick up a gun and start shooting, dismissing the verbal shot in the air as useless.

Besides clearing the air of tension, swearing can make a person of substance seem more like a regular guy. Harry Truman was well known for his barnyard metaphors. A joke circulating during his presidency describes someone asking Bess to persuade her husband to stop making repeated use of the word manure to which she demurred, saying that it had taken years to soften his vocabulary from the use of an even more specific term. President Lyndon Johnson was also known to pepper his everyday conversation with profanity, as was Richard Nixon, a fact revealed in audiotapes made during their presidencies.

Authors have found the use of profanity to be a handy device for rounding out their characters. The novel Battle Cry by Leon Uris describes the adventures of a tough battalion of Marines where every few sentences are laced with profanity, which serves to underscore the Marines’ toughness. J.D. Salinger uses the same device in the book Catcher in the Rye, this time describing the young protagonist in a psychological tailspin. In each instance, the characters spout swear words in such abundance that, by the end of the book, the reader has become numb and barely notices, having had their own niceties absorbed into the world of the characters. John Steinbeck in his classic Grapes of Wrath is more selective, choosing to have the villains swearing freely while the Joad family speaks humbly and with great restraint. In each instance, language sends character clues, with those who swear being tough or assertive or at times, villainous, contrasting sharply with the victims' soft replies.

So back to writing clues and use of strong language. How effective is profanity? Like a dose of salt and pepper, a judicious amount adds much to coloration and zest. In speech, one might take care as to the nature of the audience. The same is true when there is a reader. But however the limitation or use, it should be a part of one’s broad vocabulary and education. Words matter. Just because you know the words doesn’t mean you have to wallow in their use.