Effing and Blinding: An English Tradition
Swear words are an integral part of the English language. However, they come with a statutory warning: 'Use with care'.
The first time you used a swear word, the chances are your mother threatened to frogmarch you to the sink and wash your mouth out with soap and water to ensure the word was never used again. Growing up, every child is aware of a certain number of illicit words. Children are quick to grasp new and innovative ways of expressing anger, shock, disbelief or frustration, picking up on expletives used by the people around them. Your mother's threats were never quite enough, however, to stop swear words from becoming a key part of your vocabulary.
It would seem there is a correlation between the number of swear words you use and your age. And, contrary to what you might think listening to my granddad, the two don't necessarily increase in direct proportion to each other. When you were younger, while you wisely censored yourself at the dinner table, among friends you would let rip with a torrade of the latest and most offensive expletives to secure your cool status. Your ability to extend your vocabulary with new swear words peaks during your early twenties then begins to decline gradually thereafter; although parenthood is usually accompanied by a sharper drop. There's nothing like having an impressionable child around to adversely affect your overly emphatic usage of certain words. Obscene references to body parts that once produced chuckles from your friends are often the first to go. The need to appear proper and parent-like is powerful and generally has a drastic effect on your language and vocabulary. This can be observed in parents preventing more colourful comments escaping their lips with a well-rehearsed hand movement whenever within earshot of young ears.
Language surveys often indicate that many foreigners, too, are familiar with a great number of swear words prevalent in English. A study of foreigners in London revealed that the majority had a better understanding of the meaning of swear words and the context they were used in than regular words. Perhaps these foreigners would be better off taking classes at one of the English schools London is home to. Even for those on an English course London life will inevitably instil a few choice words in their vocabulary (when the Circle Line is suspended for example). These words inhabit a darker world left largely unmentioned by dictionaries and books in English. So remember, it is fun to be aware of the more controversial words, but assess the context, situation and company carefully before using expletives. There is a good reason why some words are left languishing in the shadows of the English language.