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Originally Posted by Frank the Tank
I've often wondered why all french swears revolve around the church. More proof Quebecers are nuts I guess.....  ......and that coming from an athiest....  |
tabernac!!! (filters can't get me!)
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Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan
So why is it acceptable to say 'intercourse' or 'sex', but not '****'?
Who is the person(s) who decided this?
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It wasn't acceptable to say either of those in public discourse 100, even 50 years ago. Superfraggle is correct, there's a reason these words are called obscenities and profanities. Because they are considered obscene and profane in the society in which we live and have been for centuries. It's because of the implied meaning of these words - that they are denigrating and insulting to people because their meaning and usage is understood by those people.
What if somebody said hello to you, but in your mind, hello meant "take your [maternal relative] and [beep] [beep] [insult to you]". How would you respond? Over time, people just found ways to concentrate or insinuate these types of comments/attacks toward a person, or against religion, or institution, or so much against the rules of decorum in society that you should find your life very uncomfortable.
Also, if a word is used too much, it does become somewhat tame and a joke in the end. "*******" is pretty much completely tame these days, but said hundreds of years ago, it was in context of calling someone an illegitimate child which was one of the most insulting and viscious things possible.
This material would make great Seinfeld if he ever strayed into Carlin territory.