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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Interesting piece on NPR's Morning Edition today. I still shudder when I hear something-or-other "sucks," and now I know why. Our man Jesse Sheidlower splains why!
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old hand
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old hand
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Oh my heavens to Betsy!!! If "sucks" is the most horrible thing in your universe, you would DIE in mine! LOL! All day long I hear "f---" and "sh--" and 'ni----" and "a--" and "d---", just to name four. I have heard children just learning to speak (1-3 year-olds) use the first two without batting an eyelash; indeed without even having a clue about what they were saying, only knowing it was somehow "appropriate" in the situation. And yes, the blame is squarely on the parents and older siblings. My 15 year-old just this year figured out the "c" word (I am not one of those who believes there are inherently "bad" words, but that one just makes me shudder, and I refuse to say it!), and he knows all the above, but absent hearing them at home on a daily basis, he doesn't use them at home. I'm quite sure he uses some when he's with his friends, and out of adult earshot, but so did I. I have to admit I have some affection for the "s" word, and it's the one most likely to slip out, given sufficient motivation... :0)
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Bloom :> "That's just language learning. These words have no special status as taboo words," says Paul Bloom, Ph.D., of Yale University. "Learning they're taboo words is a later step."
That's where it becomes really interesting to them.
(Hearing my three year old grandson say "what the heck!" at the appropriate moment really always pulls a laugh and he knows it; quite irresistable) that's half a year ago. By now , in preschool, he will be into the real stuff.
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old hand
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Believe it or not, Bran, I have acquaintances who object to children using "heck"! One of our daycare providers always objected to "stupid" and "dang", as well. With three boys, I've given up on eradicating such words directed at each other, and also "jerk" and "idiot", but I do try to keep it to a minimum so they don't get in the habit. If they use them toward other than their brothers (not sure of the grammar there!), they know there will be an issue with me!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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The real question is : why do we curse and swear.
Everyone does it, (exept Father Steve) with this distinction that there are those who do it functionally ( the emerency curse) and those who use three curses for each normal word in a sentence.
It is part of all languages. It serves a purpose. It can derail.
Last edited by BranShea; 03/27/08 06:19 PM.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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When I was a kid almost all of us cursed and made bombs and drank and impregnated girls
We made South Park look like the Vatican
dalehileman
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Carpal Tunnel
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When I was a kid almost all of us cursed and made bombs and drank and impregnated girls
We made South Park look like the Vatican heh
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dale, drat! Can't you ever just limit yourself to the subject?
This is about Jesse Sheidlower, not about Jesse James!
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old hand
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old hand
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You are absolutely right, Bran! I am a "functional curser", but I am also an "emphasis curser", that is, when I want to make a strong statement about something in the company of someone for whom it will be "appropriate", I will deliberately use a carefully chosen expletive. Does that make sense? LOL! :0)
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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There was a time when swearing was situational and one of the non-swearing situations was in front of small children. I still remember the exact situation when I first heard my dad swear (for context he was born in 1913.) I was 10 or 12 and he had just seen a child my age struck by a car and was still shaking. His using a swear word in front of his wife and kids did not encourage me to swear but did emphasize how upset he was.
I realize that I was raised in a sheltered and old fashioned environment but I still find it sad that swearing is considered almost mandatory at all times and in all company.
Kids may copy their peers but it is parents who set the limits of what is acceptable, when and where. Tho' I'm not sure that claiming "we don't say that word" is helpful 5 seconds after you have just said it.
and for the record f* is not a grammatical marker indicating a noun!!
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