I've often wondered who decided which four-letter words would constitute swearing.
I understand "damn" and "hell," because of their biblical references.
But why "shit" and not "poop"? Or "crap"?
And, the granddaddy of them all, "fuck." It seems like this one is the most heinous of all swear words, though I can't think for the life of me why one word should be so powerful. Is it because the most common meaning is to fornicate?
I still remember coming home from grade school one day and asking my mom what it meant. I'd seen it spray painted on the school bus. My mom, who was never one for frank discourse, simply told me it was a bad word and never to use it.
Fast forward twenty-five plus years, and I am getting a report from a fellow parent about my son, who, ever helpful, when asked by a classmate what the "f word" was, obliged by telling her. The other parent was aghast, partly because she actually believed her daughter didn't know what the word was (hah) and partly because the revelation took place in front of the Blessed Virgin Mary statue after mass. I mused that at least he hadn't put the word "mother" before it and "er" after it. But I don't think it would have appeased her at all.
In my upbringing, swearing was a capital offense. My mother, to my knowledge, didn't swear at all, while my dad used other words instead, which had the same sting, if not the same zing. (Remembering him saying, "You dumbbell!" still makes me cringe.) Although I'm certain that when he worked on his home improvement projects with my mom, he did not hold back.
My grandmother, who was less prudish than my mom, could be heard to mutter "shit" under her breath. Which resulted in censure from my mom and an eyeroll from my grandma.
Personally, I believe swear words were designated as such based on the satisfaction you receive by uttering them. "Goldarnit" just doesn't have the chops that using the lord's name with "dammit" does. And, quite honestly, there are just some times when I would like God to damn something. I mean, what's so awful about damning a knife that slices your finger open? I think even Jesus would agree, this is pretty harmless.
Admittedly, there are some words I do not like and will not utter. For example the "c" word, which uses the female anatomy in an angry way to demean and belittle.
But I have to say, "asshole" and "son-of-a-bitch" are two of my favorite go-to words, especially when I'm driving.
I'm not proud of my potty mouth. I imagine in my dotage, I'll be dropping the "f bomb" left and right. And the nurses will probably chalk it up to my being a crazy old cat lady.
But we'll all know better.
It's just how I roll.
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