Hell, no.

I used to work for a small television news outfit. One of the production assistants brought in a "swear jar." Every infraction would cost a quarter.

In time, the senior videotape editor started bringing a five-dollar bill to our lineup meetings and that would cover him for the entire day.

I hope not.

Back in my early days, when I was doing temp construction work, I'm sure there was plenty of swearing going on. But that was so long ago, I can't recall any details, dammit! After that, I did a stint selling appliances. The staff swore amongst ourselves, but never in front of the customers. Here in the white-collar environment, though, no matter how much we might want to, we don't swear -- at least, not out loud.

Really, Greg? If you're cheek to jowl with someone on a project and something untoward happens, someone won't mutter a heartfelt, "shit"?

I spent my summer riding around with my sweetie in a Mack truck on a road project, and I can say with certainty that amongst truckers--at least, amongst THOSE truckers--foul language was an expectation. It was fun. I like profanity. I know, I know, I'm showing my white-trash-lived-around-too-many-dog-mushers-as-a-child roots; but sometimes there is no word that better describes the moment than a well placed "fuck". (I did get in a wee bit of trouble over the term "fucking internet Nazi" used to describe a co-worker who was NOT a trucker one time.)

Joan: A road project? Do tell.

I worked for a government department where swearing was a constant part of any meeting. Regardless of how small the issue was, there was a LOT of swearing. By men. By women. By contractors. By public servants. By vendors.

In a meeting with the CEO I made a simple statement along the lines of "I wonder what these people say when things are really bad..."

Interestingly after that he rarely swore in front of me and if he did would offer a "Sorry about that"

I really wonder why people need to restrict themselves to a dozen "swear" words when they have the richness of the English language at their fingertips.

I'm with you, Victor. I'm no prude, believe me, but I just feel that using profanity shows a lack of creativity and originality -- unless the profanity is used in a highly creative, unusual, unexpected way. Then it can be funny and effective.

But profanity is so pervasive in our society any more, it's really -- well, boring.

No, what's boring is people saying swearing shows a lack of creativity. As if we can rely on people who don't swear to scintillate us all day long with their Oscar Wildean wits!

I'm not all for swearing—I swear for many bad reasons and only a few good ones, and I'm pretty careful about when I swear and who I swear in front of, and in cases where I haven't been careful, I have been ashamed—but I won't stand for the "swearing is uncreative" stuff that grandma used to say.

Some of the most creative and verbally brilliant people I know swear their heads off. Swearing doesn't make them brilliant, but in their brilliance, they somehow have concluded that swearing serves a purpose.

Really, David. Maybe I'm just in an unusually genteel office, or maybe it's that it's me and one other guy, with nine women, but the only time I can recall hearing an audible profanity was when my former boss was working on budgets. In the midst of some painful number-crunching, she would let slip the occasional "shit" -- barely more than a whisper, but clearly audible over the cube wall. She's now retired, bless her. Since then, nary a nasty word has been heard.
Greg

Greg, I love you, but please remove me from consideration as a Geico employee. But Diane and Robert would make wonderful candidates.

As usual, my friend David, you paint me with too broad a brush and pay no attention to what I'm really saying.

I said profanity shows a lack of originality and creativity -- unless it's used in a highly creative, unusual, unexpected way. That's what makes Carlin's bit such a classic.

But, really, some people just swear to cover up their insecurities about not being cool enough or simply for shock value. And that alone is neither creative nor original.

I dunno, Robert; I really just like the words. Maybe because they were forbidden when I was a kid; sort of a continued adult pleasure previously denied, like getting to drink a cocktail or drive too fast or have sex. I like boundary-crossing in many aspects, and verbal boundaries are among the most delightful. Yes, there are without doubt many colorful, precise words that are universally polite; but cuss words are also colorful and precise, and often just make me laugh when somebody gets to rolling off the expletives. Regional variations are especially fun (think the Southern US); then hang around an Irish bar for awhile and you'll hear whole new combinations. Not to mention Brits--would you really want a world that didn't include "git" for a complete dunderhead?

Cuss away--I'll join you. I'll have a whiskey with you, too, and may even smoke a cigar.

Robert:

Friends don't paint friends with broad brushes; if you feel I have done so, I am sorry.

But I simply don't think people who swear are generally less creative or more boring than people who don't. I also have a hard time believing that when somebody says "fuck" unnecessarily in conversation, your emotion is "boredom."

Sorry to quibble, but we are talking about precision here. It may be pity you feel at the gratuitous swearer, it may be anger, it may be disgust, but people who don't like obscenities and play their dislike off as "boredom"--this has always been hard for me to believe.

Like Joan, I too like the words themselves, and in all their combinations. Lately I'm having a harmless and I'm sure all-too-brief love affair with "fucktard."

David

No, it's boredom I feel.

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