General Chat

As a farmer's wife I spent decades freely saying 'sh*t'. I didn't know that it was considered a swear word. I was brought up in a non-swearing household.

I just thought it was something the cow's produced.

Until my daughter-in-law exclaimed, 'Grandma'!

I've had to amend my language :-0

Cynthia .I am a prude when men are in a Tv programme .& getting their kit off .& kissing .not just a peck on the cheek .at 7pm its to early sorry .Emmerdale has gone to far me thinks .live & let live but, just saying I feel uncomfortable :-) sorry not detracting from your subject . :-)

I remember years ago when mixed race couples were frowned
upon for holding hands and kissing in public.
Could never understand why some people were offended by it,
same as I do not see the problem with gay couples.

Edit...apologies for going off subject Cynthia, if anyone wants me to delete
I will.

I have no idea of what Barbra wrote as I have been busy all day. However, we now seem to be going along another path which is not what I had in mind. :-(

Actually that is a good point. Does it make us more uncomfortable when two gay males kiss than when two gay females kiss?

It doesn't bother me too much either way really as we have seen quite a bit of both now on TV but my OH doesn't like it, it makes him uncomfortable.

Not sure about in the street though although got used to seeing same gender couples holding hands.

I don't think that is exactly what Barbra meant lol

In our Family
the ladies always kiss each other
when greeting or leaving

but the men shake hands :-D
or pat each others back

Barbra - only the men?

It is a bit uncomfortable for older people sometimes Barbara
maybe it should be shown a little later

Saves the very young children
asking awkward questions before their time :-(

The thing I don't like is men kissing men .on Emmerdale there has been a story about Robert Sugden, & Arron . having an affair. 7pm evening viewing sorry no way, behind closed doors please .don't care who does what or who with but not on my soap prog :-D

Oh dear.....I wasn't going to get involved in this again, especially as my original post was about prudishness. I didn't realise how much interest there would be, especially when swearing came into things..... :-S


Yes Bob, it does matter which word you use. Many of the words which are considered offensive have a history behind them, and usually, that history is not pleasant.

Most swearing and most uses of taboo expressions in English refer to religion or to parts of the body and bodily processes, especially those associated with sexual activity or with using the toilet.

Although we cannot always avoid hearing bad language, most responsible parents try to guide their children through what are and what are not, acceptable words to use.

does it matter what word you use?

if for example instead of "f"...
you said OVEN...........the intent is the same........

or for C....

you said BRICK..............

My mother never ever swore. She would not even say blime because she said it meant 'blind me' I once when I was twelve got shut in my bedroom for saying blasted. And she hated blapheming with a passion. Goodness knows what she'd say to the current habit of OMG being said/written all the time. The strongest she ever said was bother or this blessed thing.

Only once did I ever have a problem in the Class room
and it was nipped in the bud straight away
and we got on really well after that

its about boundary's
some children don't have any at home :-( :-(

you don't have to specifically correct school children, you just have to set an example ................

I taught in England before I married, and was told on my arrival that I had the worst 2 girls in the whole school in one of my classes. This was a girls' only Grammar School in a decent country area.

Sure enough, I had 'em both ............. and the language was indescribable. One girl had never known her mother, had been raised by her ailing grandmother and a father who came and went. No-one really cared for or about her. The other, her close friend, was in a similar situation except that both parents were there but uncaring, and she also had a very serious boyfriend at the age of 14. That boyfriend ran his motorbike into a wall during that first year and was killed.

I basically ignored their language, concentrated on what they had to say about the subject I was teaching ........... and both turned out to have good brains, just had never been encouraged to use them.

In my first year with them, they stopped using the bad language with me or in front of me, and both began to get good marks in my classes.

I had them for another year before I left, and often wonder what happened to them.

ah ...........

I see the RR has struck me again

obviously didn't like my attempt to give an example of the youth language we hear over here, with "you know" like" and the "f" words freely sprinkled every other 2nd or 3rd word.

I did NOT spell out the "f" word!

The school I worked in was really shall we say rough as old boots
but the children where lovely and hardly ever swore in front of me

So maybe I was blessed :-D :-D

I have quite a few who are now in their 30s some nearly 40 on my facebook
and its great to watch there lives seeing how they have got on
I am so proud of most of them

Strangely the most difficult ones have done really well too

I find in the north east the C word isn't used often
and in the south its pronounced ca not cu

Maybe because we shared our garden in Ramsgate with 3 pubs
we where open to hearing the word more often

I learnt some new words when we moved over here, and still more as OH became more involved with the university rugby community, a sport that I had never been involved with previously .................. and I think most of those words would also be unknown to most of you.

Yes, I ignored them, and gradually the lads stopped using the worst ones in front of me, even though this was the late 1960s to 1980s when we were expected to "take it".


The big objection voiced earlier on this thread is the seeming inability of youth and people into their 30s to have a conversation without using the "f" word at least every second or third word.

No-one really mentioned, or was concerned about, those older people who also swear a lot ............ but not usually every other or every 2nd or 3rd word, and usually there is some variation in the swear words used!

I have to admit to an aversion to the C word as well. It's misogynistic and often used as a term of abuse to women.

Don't know many people who use it - even so-called "blue" comedians.