Reading CW's "What Did You Say?" thread reminded me of this not dissimilar subject: did anyone as kids try to get away with swearing in front of adults? How? One my brother and I used to do (I can't remember where we got it from) was saying "Fuc...rying out loud" with an obvious longer-than-usual pause after the 'fuc' - but still short enough to leave a little ambiguity as to whether it was deliberate or not.

It amused us for a while, anyway.

Oh, Cat, weren't you a naughty girl!

I remember saying Hey-soos Cree-stay in Spanish, and somehow saying it in Spanish made it seem not to be a swear word.

Ack! My son is always trying to find ways to say bad words (he blames it all on the other boys at school). Currently, he is working on some "safe" way to say "ass". LOL He doesn't have any desire to say the "f" word because it is associated with kissing and girl stuff. EW!

he is working on some "safe" way to say "ass".

How about, "She is just so s...ASSY!" Just send him my way!

Quote "... remember saying Hey-soos Cree-stay in Spanish, and somehow saying it in Spanish made it seem not to be a swear word...."

I wouldn't have though the "Jesus Christ" was a swearword myself. An expostulation, maybe - even a blasphemous one to Christians - but certainly not a swearword.

I'm reminded of a cartoon that I saw many years ago depicting some naughty boys in a proper English boarding school scrwling,"fornicate" on the bathroom walls.

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
he is working on some "safe" way to say "ass".

How about, "She is just so s...ASSY!" Just send him my way!

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Boy, I'm really glad I didn't mention this when you were still within his hearing!

Richard, what is the difference then between a 'swearword' and blasphemy? I consider them to be the same, though I suppose you are right that it would make a difference what the person's religion is. I must be using the word 'swearword' wrong. Are 'swearwords' then the 4-letter words, and the like, and nothing religious oriented? As a Jew, then, would it be perfectly okay for me or a Muslim to say Jesus Christ? Now I am all confused about 'swearwords.'

Waaaay back when I was in school a perfesser used to say, "Zeus damn you!" He added that defunct gods don't get no respect!

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Originally posted by Caterwauller:
Ack! My son is always trying to find ways to say bad words (he blames it all on the other boys at school). Currently, he is working on some "safe" way to say "ass".

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Why not just say donkey?

I would say a swearword could be blasphemous but need not be, or vice versa, of course.

To take the name of a deity in vain is maybe blasphemous but is not necessarily swearing.

Most UK swearwords are biological, and also frequently sexual, in nature.

I consider "God" and "Hell" and "Christ" as swearing. Am I the only one? The sexual and biological words of course I consider to be swear words too. Yet, they are different, and it does make sense to consider the former "blasphemy" and not "swearing."

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
Yet, they are different, and it does make sense to consider the former "blasphemy" and not "swearing."

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Why can't it be both blasphemy and swearing? This sounds like the kind of argument we had as kids. The OED Online says swearing is "The uttering of a profane oath; the use of profane language." That takes in quite a range of language. Look at blasphemy, swearing, and profanity in Wikipedia.

Tinman

Sometimes it's helpful to know some swear words in other languages. Some favorite phrases we've used are:
holy merde!
Plonker head!

Or use rhyme instead, like 'clucking bell!'

Or blaspheme imaginary and near-imaginary gods: e.g., Crom, Mitra, or Cthulu.

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!

I saw a good aphorism recently, which I am longing for a chance to use.

"He is one whom Dr Spooner would have described as a 'shining wit'"

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Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!

Do you actually say that? I'd love to hear you pronounce it all.

I like the clucking bell idea - I'll have to try to remember that in the heat of the moment. Also, I love the Spoonerism.

Thanks for the ideas, boys!

Do you actually say that? I'd love to hear you pronounce it all.

Every morning, as I shave. You don't ever want to hear me say it. Oh, no.