I wasn't really sure what to write
about for my next blog post, so I started brainstorming ideas. Then, this one
happened to cross my mind. I know it’s something that won’t appeal too much to
Ms. Majerus. It's something I have thought about and marveled at before though.
It's the fact that curse words/ swear words/cuss words can often be used as
almost any part of speech (noun, verb, pronoun, adjective, etc.) Now comes the
fun part: trying to show this without explicitly saying the word itself. I’m
sure we are all capable of filling in the blanks, without needing a blatant
example that shouldn’t be used in a learning environment, wouldn’t sit well
with the teacher, and would more than likely get me into some form of trouble.
I’ll
do one with censorship and hope I’m not reprimanded for my blogpost? *shrugs*
Think of the word “Sh*t”, for example. It can be used in almost any place in a
sentence. It can be a noun, when someone is called a “piece of sh*t” for
example. “SH*T!” can be used as an exclamation when something bad happens. It
can be used as a verb when someone is in the process of a bowel movement
(sh*tting, taking a sh*t). It also works as an adjective (ex. “This is some
pretty sh*tty weather) and is used in many different expressions and/or phrases
e.g. sh*tface, sh*t storm, talking sh*t, etc. These were just examples of one
of the many curse words out there, and most of them are also just as flexible
as the word “sh*t”. It’s almost a shame that words this flexible and usable are
frowned on in society. :p
Nice blog post. I like how this ties into the essay we read, Cuss Time.
ReplyDeleteI don't actually swear though, so I'll offer up a counter-argument. The same reason you approve of swear words (their versatility) is also the reason a lot of people frown upon them. When people say swearing is a sign of a deficient mind or vocabulary, they mean it because people who swear so often use swears in place of 'normal' English.
Swears can't be normal English because they get used so many ways, as opposed to 'normal' words which usually only have one or two different ways to be used. Therefore, it's sort of bastardizing the language, and people who think everyone should use proper English would argue that swearing 'cheapens' the language somewhat. People who swear all the time are just using them as filler words, not actually expressing anything.
For the record, I don't think any of that. I just don't swear because my parents don't like it. But I do know people who would argue this.
This is a good observation, Curtis! I've noticed this about the b-word, which can be used as a noun, obviously, or a verb (synonym for "complain"), but also (less often) as an adjective (in which case, its a synonym for "awesome," as in the song "Bitchin' Camero")
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