To think that people who pearl clutch about swearing…

[TheRealSlimShandy]

Are often a bit dim.

I’m not suggesting that someone saying “can you pass the c*ing salt is ideal either (starred for those pearl clutches amongst us).

BUT ime - people who seems to want to cry over a slipped out “fuck” tend to be erm.. not that bright.

Cursing a little in frustration E.g. "Fucksake, someone's knocked the wing mirror off my car" is totally reasonable.

Real studies or faceache memes?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S038800011400151X

I'm no expert but that doesn't prove your point at all. The participants are in college and they are testing their verbal fluency. It's also a tiny study.
You shouldn't make general sweeping statements about people just because they hold a different opinion to you. Maybe apply some critical thinking skills as to why people don't like swearing instead of calling people "dim".

This.

Bollocks

I think it's the other way around and that it the swearers who are more likely to be dim although I say that as someone who swears a bit. I tut and disapprove when people swear in front of kids and when they swear in public. I find it a bit pathetic. If the swearing is in a film, on tv or in a song then that's fair enough if you should expect it to be there.

My husband never swears and I never heard two of my adult kids swear at all, backed up by their partners and friends. They just don't swear. They aren't prudish or reserved at all. My other two adult kids swear but infrequently or to make a joke.

I'm the biggest swearer in our family. I don't know why.

I understand that other people have different sensibilities to me. Happy to asterisk to not cause upset or offence.

"A total of 43 participants (30 women) were recruited from introductory psychology courses at a small liberal arts college and compensated with research participation credit. Their ages ranged from 18 to 22 years (M = 19.2 years)"

Not a very robust study.

Whatever you want to think about intelligence, I do feel people who swear gratuitously lack social intelligence. Moreover I don't highly rate the thinking skills of the parents round my way who invite their primary-aged children when out and about, to "fookin' come 'ere!"

To swear or not to swear.. that is the question

Researchers at the University of Rochester quizzed 1,000 people about 400 typical behaviours, and discovered a strong [link] between intelligence and swearing.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/swearing-study-intelligent-intelligence-university-of-rochester-a7916516.html - Great photo!

YANBU, @TheRealSlimShandy. Prissy bloody pearl-clutchers need to fuck off to the far side of fuck with their cat's-arse faces, then fuck off some more to the Supercilious Cunts Convention with all the other twat-wankers and snivelling pricks.

That was fun.

No, it's the opposite.
Imagine not being able to prevent yourself from swearing eg around young children on a daily basis. Now that's a bit dim. And the consequences of it are well deserved and the parent should feel ashamed to have their little one parroting the same words. Let them keep their innocence as long as possible.
It's lazy parenting to spout off in earshot of young kids repeatedly. They can't be punished for what they've heard from you. But you also can't allow them to spout it in nursery/school etc so inevitably end up as a hypocrite.
DD is 12. I have never sworn in front of her. She swears in conversation with her friends but not towards me.
It's not a difficult balance to achieve. You might say a bit "dim witted" if you can't manage that. It's not hard.

I don’t know that they’re not intelligent but those who get offended by swearing tend to be (in my experience) quite naive and judgemental.

When I see posters on here avoid swearing I just know that they’re not people I’d get on with in real life but that’s OK because we’re all different.

I would get annoyed though if they tried to police my language, that would feel very infantilizing and patronising. I don’t swear because I can’t help it, I actively choose to because I like the words and find them expressive but I’m intelligent enough to dial it back in certain circumstances.

😂 @LoneGothInASeaOfBalaclavas Who says swearers can't keep themselves from swearing? You imply that you yourself swear, and so does your daughter. The only people who can't help swearing are some Tourette's sufferers and some people with brain damage. Everybody else can refrain, if they deem it necessary.

It's just that I rarely deem it so. I like swearing!

Agree, and swears are so much more effective if you rarely swear, it's been known to shock people into silence! 😁
Hate hearing people swear all the time, especially if it's just peppered into their everyday speech and can't go a sentence without an expletive in there. 🙄

I try to avoid swearing on MN @NormalNans but swear like a trooper IRL

@Mothership4two Why? That’s a genuine question

@Garlicked
So you didn’t miss my point entirely and instead chose to reiterate exactly what I was getting at as if it was a criticism.
Well done you. Swear away.
Surely it's not unreasonable to point out that people should consider their audience before they let rip? Otherwise it's just complete idiots teaching little kids to say whatever they've learnt and let them deal with the consequences in school etc not understanding what they've done wrong.
Irresponsibility is the main point here.
Parents slip up, it's only human. But how they deal with that with a child is important.
Is that hard for you to understand?

I don't think of it as swearing, it's just part of my vocabulary to say fucking this or cunting that, or, indeed, calling my neighbour The Cunt Next Door. There's a class element, too, and I can't stand [lower middle class] people who gasp if I happen to say fuck.

Edited to add, it's one of the great things about Mumsnet, that there is no ridiculous horror of profanities.

I don't want to cause offence. I know a variety of people who don't swear ever or don't use the stronger swear words who would be really offended by certain of the juicier words. Mainly a generational thing I think.

Also I am not really a public swearer and it would just feel a bit weird to do it (if that makes any sense?). Where I live you don't tend to hear any swearing when you are out and about.

I'm pretty relaxed myself about seeing it on MN

@Mothership4two I agree that it's inappropriate in the context of work, or shopping in John Lewis or being in a pub or restaurant, or with elderly relatives, but it is part of my everyday vocabulary with friends and at least some neighbours.

This thread is really making me think. I thought I was pretty laid back but I would never swear in front of any of the neighbours (neither would they) and I really don't that much with friends. I'm not sure about the class thing. I have known plenty of upper middle and middle class swearers. One side of my family is working class and they rarely swear - probably only after a few drinks and as part of a joke. I was a Forces wife where swearing was very much taboo. OH isn't a big swearer either - only when annoyed. Adult DC do have very fruity language. It genuinely doesn't bother me to hear/see swear words. If you think about it, it's not the actual word that is offensive but your perception of that word (so it's your brain making that connection, not the actual jumble of sounds/letters). Saying that, obviously it can be offensive and upsetting if those words are deliberately spoken to shock and offend and hurt.

Maybe I do have a bit of a hang up that I wasn't aware of before?!

I was just going to say the same thing. I can swear with the best of them, but find that people who can't seem to manage a single sentance without slipping in several swear words are not the brightest. Seemingly they don't know any other words.

I also don't find it clever to launch into profanities in front of people you barely know. Only dim people do that, brighter people tend to be able to judge when and where it is appropriate.

lol I bet it's a bell curve. If you swear in every sentence you have a low IQ and if you are offended by someone letting the odd swear word out also a low IQ. I personally can think of multiple examples of both

I also dont get this idea of choosing to swear but then saying Oh I would not swear at work in front of children, in church etc. what is the point? the way i speak can work in any situation why would I want to speak differently for no reason, I just dont need to swear it