Why do people swear sooo much and why does it bother me?

I'd definitely have preferred being sworn at to being punched in the side of the head (no bruises that way) - maybe if she'd sworn occasionally, she'd have got the minor irritations and annoyances out of her system before the rage came out all at once directly at me.

I’d suggest parents who think it’s ok to hit their children “for punishment” are

a) the ones that were not brought up correctly
b) not in a position to pass judgement on others

tbh.

I’m fluent in another language, in addition to English. In the second language especially, commonly used profanities and vulgarities are words and phrases that are really aggressive towards, and derogatory of women. I always feel grossed out and stressed out when I hear them bandied about regularly in conversation.

In your opinion.

But lots of people who are lovely swear. And lots of people who are horrid don't.

When I was a young woman I swore a lot. My exh did not like it and asked me not to do it, so I tried to minimize it and currently I do it very little (or at least that is what I think 🤣). I do think that is very much a cultural thing. I come from an Eastern European country and people there swear so much my ears start to tingle when I visit. I currently live on another continent rarely ever hear people swear and its mostly young people.

It's also ironic really to post moaning about swearing on MN

One of the most sweary, uncensored places online 🤣

I swear so so much. It is just ingrained in my language and I really do struggle to not do it.

Maybe she's a mumsnetter on the quiet - I've definitely said it before on 'People who swear are stupid' threads!

I completely agree with you (and many others) OP. there's just no need.

I'm not offended by someone swearing when they stub their toe / kneel on the lego / tread on a piece of glass, or if they are really angry about a perceived injustice. It is the inability to complete a sentence without one (or several) profanities. I mean, why do it ? It just takes away the point of using words like that.

My kids always ask why anyone cares and it’s because the reasoning behind them is negative but in a really strong extreme way. Fuck, fuck it, fuck’s sake, he’s a … etc etc. they’re so in your face and actually in work the people who came in cursing were nearly always the ones that had a problem with something or were out for a fight. I used to curse as does dh (he’s getting better) and it’s horrible hearing your kids be THOSE kids- eg something drops on a foot they say ffs, very different to just letting an ‘aagh’ or something

@NeverDropYourMooncup - Olivia Coleman said exactly the same thing recently. With great glee

I like using the full range of English. Which include the profanities that go back to ancient times (and weren't always deemed offensive - some only became so because of the influence of a ruling class seeking to make the indigenous population's speech and language lesser, some because of a desire to make the female body or bodily functions as a whole something to be ashamed of, rather than factual).

If cunt was good enough for Chaucer, it's certainly good enough for the likes of me.

It's really not.

Many studies have shown that people who use swear words to good effect often have a far larger, more varied vocabulary and higher levels of education than those who don't.

ALL the very rich, very posh, people I've met swear like sailors. Including, I heard, when off duty our own dear Queen.

Swearing is common where I live. I swear in my home and with trusted people, but usually I am politeness itself 😇.

My daughter's father curses constantly, and has done in front of her all her life. It was the culture of his family to swear all the effing time.

My daughter never swears. I like to think she's rebelling against her dad 😂.

I agree with this. I'm also prone to a bit of swearing but when I'm within earshot of strangers I never just assume they're ok with it.

I hate being around groups who swear every second word in public, on the bus or out in a pub or wherever. I know that's a group who don't care if others find their words offensive and are likely to be unpleasant if challenged.

It's completely different doing that in public than say saying 'oh fuck it' if you drop something in your own home. I wouldn't say that in front of my mum or gran as they don't like swearing, nor does my brother but I do swear at home and around my older children, as do they.

It's about code-switching, most people know swearing animatedly in public isn't a nice thing to do and some people may be offended so they tend not to do it, even if they swear more at home or with good friends.

Ok, so swear away. But isn't the point of "extreme" language that you bring it out in extreme situations? Use "fuck" all the time and what's left on the table? Nothing, its normalised and we've lost something in our language. All in my opinion,of course.

But swear in front of children and think it doesn't matter, I really wonder what world you want to live in?

I think there's a time and a place for everything and it shows more social awareness and consideration to keep it away from children and those who may be offended.
Unfortunately, as plenty of these posts illustrate, many people today are hugely selfish and do not consider anyone but themselves.

I’m the same

Shit is one of the most versatile words in our language. There's a brilliant bit from a comedian about how he was confused at first because of how shit is used for so many things.

Same with fuck. "Fuck you" can be affectionate, flirty, aggressive, frustrated...

I'm sure some research was done which said that people who swear a lot have a wider vocabulary in general.

And frankly if someone uses another words (like using Smeg in Red Dwarf) to express the same sentiment then it should still be offensive if they intend it to be

YANBU.

I swear but not persistently and not in a loud voice. Big difference.

I'd have hated that too.

I dislike it too, and think less of people who swear a lot. It makes them look a bit thick as if they can't articulate without it, or as if they are attention seeking. I do swear to myself occasionally if confronted with idiot drivers, or I drop something, bang my head etc but wouldn't do it in public.

Yes. Me. I have a DPhil, write for a living, have a huge vocabulary and can swear colourfully in five languages.

I think there's a time and a place for it. In my lounge, with my husband or best friend, when my kids have gone to bed - yep. I was walking down the high street pushing my pram the other day and someone dropped an F bomb right behind me and I thought "come on, there's kids around." I love a good swear, but not in the middle of the street.