Swearing, Profanity, Blasphemy Etc ... Religious Influence

[joko]

I have just seen an old school friend on facebook wittering on that god has made her life better and its all gods doing etc etc, over some really trivial things.

and i thought 'oh for gods sake' ... then i thought 'christ almighty!', then i thought 'jesus christ' ... then i thought ... is there any way for me to show exasperation without using word of religious influence?

not many it seems!!

good god!
good heavens!
jesus tonight!
god almighty
***
for christs sake
flaming hell
christ on a bike
etc etc
im sure there are loads of others.

i am not remotely religious and in fact and quite staunchly atheist so it was interesting to me to note that i couldnt think of much else to say - that wasn't the F or C word. ... and even the F word often ends with 'hell'.

i suppose there is 'flipping' or 'blooming'... but thats usually ended with hell or heck - and heck is really just a way of saying hell without technically blaspheming.

its no big deal obviously, but it was interesting for something who actively tries to ignore or remove religion from their life that i could not think of anything else straightaway - that it was my first thought

i know religion is deeply ingrained in our lives much more than many people actually realise - its just the way things are..

cheers

[jomifl]

Maggie, it is only profanity if you are a christian, if you aren't it is all just words.

[naomi24]

Whenever something exasperates me I have a propensity to say “God!!”, and was told by a Christian the other day that I’m not blaspheming – I’m appealing to ‘him’. How funny! :o)

[ummmm]

They are only words.

[Kromovaracun]

I love swearing. And "blaspheming" (lol). I think it's a great thing to do.

My preferred one is the more modern exclamation, "5h1t the bed!" Nothing religious there. Although I do often "take the Lord's name" during sex, and he hasn't struck me down yet so he obviously likes it.

I'm going to hell.

[scooping]

Get a life

[Kromovaracun]

http://www.the-games-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Were-Going-to-Hell.jpg

[naomi24]

***! Are you really? ;o)

[rockyracoon]

In a hand cart Krom, in a hand cart :)

I've got a job in a school starting in Sept so I've already started to moderate my language, I'm looking for alternatives please.

[naomi24]

Haaaa! The *stars* there used to say '*** Hell'. :o)

[jno]

sex, excretion and religion have always provided almost all the swearwords in English. I gather it's not true of all languages, though. Nor, as far as I can tell, do people swear so much in other languages. But the English have long been enthusiastic swearers; in the Hundred Years War, the French used to call them les goddams.

[naomi24]

God! How ridiculous. Right. A little cryptic clue to the stars. A ****** finger is the result of a cut. ;o)

[ludwig]

^ bandaged ?

[scorpiojo]

The swear filter doesn't like bleeding?

[naomi24]

Haaaaaaaaaaaaa! Got it in one!! :o)

[naomi24]

^^ That was to Ludwig. Bleeding seems to be fine.

[Kromovaracun]

"I'm looking for alternatives please."

Well, I'm not really big on *alternatives* to swearing, but...

Fup
Santa Vacca! ("holy cow!" not sure of spelling)
Poo!
Witches' Warts!
Gad!
Mealy-mouthed Crotch Pheasant!

On this topic though, I think it's a great shame we don't allow swearing in schools. Kids do it all the time anyway when teachers aren't looking (yes even the really young ones), and it seems like learning how to swear properly, and when it is/isn't appropriate is a worthwhile thing to be taught rather than just a blanket ban. I teach English as a foreign language during the summer, and though I never once swore in front of my students, I would never tell them not to.

[ludwig]

I think swearing's great in moderation. People who swear too much - you know those that stick a *** in every other word - just make themselves look like a ***. It loses the impact.

[rockyracoon]

Lol, was thinking of much simpler alternatives, but thanks for the ideas :)

[naomi24]

Ludwig, you do make me laugh. Crying. :o)

[ludwig]

^ eh? I was being *** serious.