Cuss / noun
1 an annoying or stubborn person or animal : he was certainly an unsociable cuss. 2 another term for curse (sense 2).
Disclaimer: I’m not using a moral arguement against cussing, though you might expect I would, at a site with spiritual flavor like this one. While, many may say it’s a sin to cuss, I think what may be the truest thing is that the intention of using the vulgarity that is the real issue at stake. Nevertheless, I won’t go in that direction. My contentions are not nearly so deep or heartfelt. This is simple practicality and common sense at work:
Simply put: I don’t think foul language is powerful enough. I finding it lacking. Any great use of the stuff tips me off that I’m in the company of communication amateurs.
In truth, I’m not very offended by expletives. The shock wore off in high school. And high school–childhood–is about the only time a certain amount of cussing is, sort of, understandable. By nature, kids don’t know how to express themselves very well. Salty language makes rookie humans feel older and more formidable. It gives them a sense of power, as they flex their ” ‘I’m growing up’ muscles”. Yet, it’s the running myth that if something is bleeped on tv, it resides in the realm of “grown-up language”, and signifies something more heady and legit. In fact, expletives are quite banal.
I cuss quite rarely, and when I do it’s actually because I’m having trouble expressing myself. In some foolish desperation I concede to inferior “describing words”. So, really, cussing takes away from our points, rather than aids them.
Just for the sake of developing better communication, we needn’t use them. Maybe you enjoy tossing around a swear here or there. I don’t really care. But here are 7 points to remember on this topic:
7 Cussing Tip Offs
1. Cussing quickly reveals one has a diminished vocabulary or the inability to use their vocabulary very well. (This can become a worsening habit also. Hence, it is sometimes combated with a Swear (fine) Bank.)
2. It displays a rather uncreative mind. (What could help? Simple: A thesaurus.)
3. If a cuss word can be used as an adjective, noun, and verb, it’s hackneyed, and by consequence, impotent. Let’s just say it’s, “lame” in a hobbling sense.
4. While cussing may somehow help one reveal emotions, or relieve stress, it doesn’t help one’s case. Quite the opposite. Logic is a better choice. Give it a try.
5. Foul language tells a bigger story about the person and his/her hang ups than it does about whatever the person is trying to convey. (It’s sort of sad, really.)
6. Cussing offends people for a myriad of reasons, but strangely enough, much use of it boils down to spotlighting simple bad manners and poor taste. Throughout history, “vulgar” language has some sort of reflection on social or economic status. [Ex: A mother says to her child who has been running around with the kids from “the other side of the tracks”, “No, honey, we don’t talk like that (or them).”] Most often people mentally associate foul language with an uncouth boorish social class, or uneducated and unrefined upbringing.
7. “Dirty words” are given meaning by a culture, not the other way around. What is the massively cussing person trying to prove, then? And why? [That’s the bigger question.] Here, subtext trumps communication. so probably a #fail
What are your thoughts?
My favorite cuss quote:
“Are you cussing with me?” -Fantastic Mr. Fox
love it. I’m sure you’ve heard people say that they feel they can real express what’s going on when they cuss, when in reality they are cheapening how they relay their experiences. I work with teenagers, and I don’t think they’ll understand the logic behind this post as they are still figuring all this stuff out (sloppily).
Excellent post!! I very very very rarely cuss. However, I work with a bunch of academically educated people who sadly have never developed their language skills beyond relying on cuss words to express themselves. Like you, I am not offended by cuss words, but when I hear them coming from otherwise intelligent people, it lowers my opinion of them. I love words, and I love using words creatively. Instead of saying “bat out of hell,” I say “a bat out of a hot fiery place.” A few months ago, a coworker had a significant role in a play at a local theater. He was complaining that they wouldn’t let him use the “f-bomb” on stage. I pointed out the “f-bomb” is common and trite and that he should come up with a more creative, and funny, way to express himself. He looked at me at first like I was crazy, then when it sunk in, he got excited at the possibility of making up his own expression. Yeah, I try to do my part to challenge people to be linguistically creative!
“’Dirty words’ are given meaning by a culture, not the other way around.”
So true. I remember as a kindergartner really enjoying extending my middle finger, having no idea of the social stigma attached to it – until my mother unexpectedly backhanded me one day in the grocery store! (To be fair, it may have been for my own good, since I’ve been extremely reluctant to do it in public since then.) But sometimes I secretly miss the freedom of being able to do what I want with my own hands just because some dirty-minded person way back when arbitrarily decided that it would be an obscene gesture. From an argument based on Biblical silence, I happen to believe that, without cultural meddling, my middle finger would have been morally neutral to this day!
I try to avoid “cussing” based on Romans 14 more than anything. I agree that Scripture is silent on this issue (arguably, Col 3:8-10 and Eph 29-31 give reasons not to trash-talk the witness of fellow believers who use swear words.)
Since dropping the habit, I guess I have found more creative ways to express myself. Who’da thunk it? Though now you’ve got me intrigued by the idea of dropping f-bombs as class warfare… bwahahaha! (Um, just kidding… sort of.)
That would be Eph 4:29-31.
*singing to the tune of the old song “Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay”* “Lisa Colon DeLay…” :) *OK, you’ve probably heard that one before, so I’ll stop here* First of all I want to say that I’m enjoying your blog immensely. I surfed in here thru Matthew Paul Turner’s blog. @ Ministry Addict: Yeah I know what you mean about enjoying “extending the middle finger” without knowing the connotations–but for me, it wasn’t until age 8. (Oh what a sheltered life I led, lol!)…Anyway, I remember about 25 years ago I was working with a kids’ church musical and one kid complained that another kid was giving him the finger. The accused finger-giver then responded with something like, “Why would God give us that finger if He didn’t want use to use it?” Now how do you argue with something like that? Fortunately, the church music director was there and said, “It’s not the finger that’s bad; it’s how you use it.” Good point.
Great stuff, Laura! I’m loving that story.
Also, you’re very musical. And now you’ve stuck that song in my head. LOL