AIBU in thinking it's time I stopped f***ing swearing?

[birdsnotbees]

I swear a lot. Unthinkingly, mostly. At work, with the kids (tho I try not to), just... all the time. I don't know why I do it and the other week I resolved not to, but within a few hours had sworn again. I'm getting old, I have kids, I run my own business, and I have three degrees - is it not time I stopped f*ing swearing? Is it not just really inappropriate? Even my brother asked me to tone it down the other day, and he used to swear like a trooper...

I think you should confine your swearing to sweary threads on MN, especially on a Friday night. Lets off steam and leaves you gracious and genteel the rest of the time .

Well, as a non-swearer myself I'd say

YANBU if it's making you unhappy
YABU if it's not bothering you and you can 'tone it down' when asked

It's just language at the end of the day. So, completely on the fence basically - sorry

if it has got to the point where it is a strong habit and you struggle to switch it off, it is probably time you took back control.

My pal has this same pattern at mo to the point where in a recent job interview trying to express an answer about effluent or sewage - all her brain could produce, after eons of ingrained profanity, was 'shit', so she said that. Needless to say she didn't get the job!

I also swear like a trooper and think it's big and clever, but was always amazed at how I was able to turn it off and on when DD1 was small.

I'm not sure what I did, probably just screened out all potential swears so it was a definite black and white.

If your brother is saying something it must be pretty inappropriate?

Does he have children and that's why he's saying?

(impressed with the three degrees though, none in English then? )

Damn - that should have been "It's just bad language..."

I manage to switch off the swearing at work, which is just as well as I work in a primary school.

Bollocks to the rest of the time though. If I want to swear like a sailor in my own time, I will.

I sometimes wonder this myself, but then I just can't. I think swearing is therapeutic. Sometimes I do feel a bit rough though when I realise that I've used fuck, twat + cunt in the same sentence

Fuck no....

With DD2 now, I just say the swear under my breath/mouthing it like Les Dawson and the rest of the sentence normally, could you try that?

Just to add - I self censor like mad, never swear around the DDs and only very very rarely in the office when things are really bad and only trusted team mates are present. Maybe once a year.

I even catch myself saying 'fudgy budgies' which is DD1's favourite substitute swear, although it makes me visualise serious animal cruelty...

Aw thanks everyone, at least I don't feel so bad now... but it worries me that sometimes I just say the F word without really thinking about it - out it pops... not always in the best situations, either. Mind you, I also called a client (I'm self-employed) 'darling' the other day too without thinking, mainly as I say it with the kids so much...

Agent - two of my degrees are English, as it happens - that makes it even worse, no?! I've written a fecking novel, it's not like I don't have other words to hand...

My brother doesn't have kids, has just toned down his wild child ways... I think we was more concerned with frequency than the words I used - mainly the F-word.

Pointy - I LOVE fudgy budgies, I might try that for a while

I've an english degree too birdsnotbees. It makes no difference. I still need to cunty-fuck like a twatting arsebandit every day of my life from time to time

I started this same thread this week.

I have approached it like giving up smoking, I've cut down, worked out my triggers, and tried to find a substitute for it

Also I plan to buy a bracelet or ring that when I see it I will remember that I want to give up swearing.

I am fed up of sounding like a navvy.

I swear at work constantly- I don't even know I'm doing it. Every word gets used..f's, c's , t's, b's. I find it's a great release and helps me to express myself,I also find people swear more when they are in my company I'm a bad influence. I turn it off when with DS though although I do swear under my breath on occasion

at your english degrees, and I bet your novel's a sweary one (what's it about, if you can say?)

Could it be an anxiety thing? In the realms of tourettes but not IYSWIM?

It is possible to switch it on and off or people would be swearing all the time, so it's finding out what's stopping you from doing that.

Nope, no swearing in it at all, Agent! And weirdly, when I gave birth (both times), not one swear word passed my lips. Go figure.

Nagoo I will get me a swear bracelet, so some such.

You know, maybe we could hang out, you all sound like my kinda people...

nagoo I like the buying a ring to stop swearing idea. I might get a yellow diamond to remind me to put the bin out on a thursday

I was thinking the same thing yesterday as I was running late, driving the kids to nursery and I muttered at my elderly neighbour who was blocking the road with her bike "Come on. Move out the way you fucking whore". My 3 year old gave me such a look. I was so embarrassed.

Will try and replace naughty words with things like "fudge" or "shoot"
Even if I sound like a twat twit.

or some such. FFS.

Nagoo

Ah, so you're really a 'non-swearer' but fighting (very, very hard) to suppress it!

Yes! Yes, that's it! A non-swearer trying hard to be, like, waaaaay f*ing cool. Man.

Fucking hell sayonaragirl that's harsh!

YANBU. You should tone down the swearing. There's nothing that sounds more vile than someone effing and blinding for no reason at all. I used to work with someone who used the word 'fuck' in every single sentence. Literally. She'd be going to the fucking shops, walking down the fucking street. etc etc....
She sounded thick as a plank with the brain of a gnat. It shows more intelligence to use other more appropriate words in their place. All it does is make you look stupid.

OP doesn't have to show she's intelligent underthepalm, she can just nod at her three degree certificates and manuscript

Maybe you should just accept your eccentric genius persona OP, people will just have to get used to it?