Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Vector]

Yet people really talk like that. And to those of us who don't...it sounds absolutely twisted and bizarre.

Speak for yourself.

[Blargityblarg]

something so infinitesimally irritating as people using language differently to him.

I see. So if I raping spoke like anal fixation this, you'd totally ruptured scrotum be ok with it?

Do you see how ridiculous it sounds to talk like that? How is that any different?

"Yo dog. Fuckin' shit be real man."

What does that even mean? And why on earth do some people think that "fucking shit" is a proper, reasonable, healthly ordinary and normal expression to include in a greeting? Do you know what fucking is? Do you know what shit is? So....do you realize what "fucking shit" means?

Yet people really talk like that. And to those of us who don't...it sounds absolutely twisted and bizarre. Just as twisted and bizarre as the raping-anal fixation-ruptured scrotum sentence above.

Your willful denial that a word can have more than one meaning (shock horror) doesn't make your false equations any more accurate.

To address the 'beautification' argument. 'beautification' isn't really the right word. One might indulge in purple prose to pretty up a sentence, but the purpose of filler in speech is less to make the meaning more precise or 'beautiful' than the actual saying itself. Samuel L. Jackson's most popular quotes aren't full of profanity because people think Oedipus was an okay dude, they're full of profanity because the curses add impact and rhythm, improving the delivery, not the meaning.

Edit: Also, your assertion that everyone who doesn't speak in such a manner finds speaking in such a manner 'absolutely twisted and bizarre' is... inaccurate, to say the least.

[Xantalos]

It's a subtext thing. Casual swearing in conversation can serve to identify yourself as a member of the social group they identify with and assist communication.

[TCM]

So, you're saying that you dislike people who interject multiple curses into every statement. On those specific people, yes, I agree that it can be quite annoying, though I couldn't ever say I was 'disgusted' at it. I do however digress with your stance on vernacular slang and that profanity can't add value or beauty to art. There are scores of musicians, playwrites, authors and comedians that have rational and intellectual defenses of using such words, and how when used correctly, actually can improve articulation.

 I understand you just want to vent, but you vented a group of people that many of us on here, including myself, felt like we were a part of. You have to expect some form of backlash when making such broad statements.

[Sirus]

I do love when the Stupid Things thread provides its own material. Saves the hassle of looking for it elsewhere.

[Max White]

I see. So if I raping spoke like anal fixation this, you'd totally ruptured scrotum be ok with it?

Well shit... Never fucking stop! It is damn hilarious! 


...
Anal fixation. 

[TCM]

I do love when the Stupid Things thread provides its own material. Saves the hassle of looking for it elsewhere.

On one hand I can agree with you, and on the other, you're vaguely insulting anyone (or everyone) that's been involved in the past few pages. So you're a meanie. Blah.

Spoiler: Plot Twist (click to show/hide)

The reason Sirus is either being vague or insulting everyone is so that he will eventually get the various people in this thread to turn on him, as we eventually all form a mob of attacks on him, distracted from the last subject. Sirus is actually attempting to sacrifice his own status in a sly attempt to end the current hostilities.

[Frumple]

Mm... beautification through vulgarity. The aesthetics of swearing. There's actually more to it than just meaning -- the feel and flow of the sound itself can get involved, and the imagery and combination of concepts being mixed about (above and beyond the meaning, mind -- the skill set involved in the creation and communication of such). The creativity of mixing harsh language in such a way that fits and flows well within the structure of the normal linguistic patterns of the region. There's a lot of fairly interesting -- indeed, I would even call beautiful -- combinations that are both commonly and uncommonly used. It can actually be pretty interesting, especially given how fluid a lot of swear words are in meaning and grammatical usage.

I'm not quite at the point where I could write a book on the usages of vulgarity in modern languages, but gods know some excellent and interesting ones could be written. It's an honestly fascinating subject. I'd rate it right up there with "religious" language, m'self, s'far as intriguing linguistic topics go.

I'unno, for the uninitiated/unaccustomed... maybe try listening to someone swearing up a blue streak in a language you don't understand. Don't look up a translation or anything -- just listen. Attend the sound's aesthetic merit sans meaning and then apply the thus formulated heuristic for appreciation to sound with meaning understood. Might be an possible way to gain insight on the appeal, if such insight is actually desired (and... why not? The more methods of communication available, the better, yes?). S'basically how I brought myself to be less annoyed by the practice. It used to be fairly offputting for me, when I was younger. Horizons have broadened, since, and appreciation has adjusted appropriately.

... this discussion could almost certainly stand it's own thread, really. Has... has there been one, before?

[LordBucket]

Your willful denial that a word can have more than one meaning (shock horror) doesn't make your false equations any more accurate.

I don't think that's what's going on. For example, what exactly would you suggest is the "alternate meaning" of fuck?


Example 1 "Fuck you."
What exactly does that mean? It doesn't mean 'I don't like you.' It doesn't mean "I'm angry with you." What does it mean? I don't even know. I don't think it even has a meaning. It's like shouting "GRGAGAHGAHHAHAHAHAH!" at someone. There's no real meaning, it's simply a venting of raw emotion.

Example 2: "I'm fucked."
What exactly does that mean? Well, the intent is probably something along the lines of "Things will not work out the way I want them to" or "something very bad is going to happen." While still slightly vague, it's certainly more clear than in the "fuck you" exmple. But the meaning here is obviously not the same

Example 3: "What the fuck is going on?"
Again, what does it mean? It seems to have no meaning...but I guess it's serving as a general emphatic. It's like adding an exclamation point to the end of the sentence. No real meaning, just some sort of increase of intensity.

If you want more examples, lists have been made by people other than me.

So what's this "other meaning" for the word fuck that you say I'm "denying?" I think it's pretty clear that there isn't one. This isn't simply a word having an multiple meanings. It's people using a word that appeals to them on some gutteral level, and simply saying it a whole lot...just because.

Kind of like the smurfs. "Oh, smurf! I'm smurfing my way to a positively smurfy day!"

And just as juvenile. The word "smurf" doesn't mean anything. Neither does fuck. If I went around saying smurf all the time people would think it childish. Do you see why I might consider it childish to say fuck all the time?

[Bauglir]

... this discussion could almost certainly stand it's own thread, really. Has... has there been one, before?

THERE HAS NOW!

[Vattic]

When it comes to scatological language in every day usage I always think of the Catalan pre-meal saying.

menja bé, caga fort i no tinguis por a la mort! (Eat well, shit a good deal and don't be afraid of death!)

But in that expression, if I understand it...the use of "shit" is literal. I'm not objecting to the use of an arbitrary list of words that "some may deem offensive." I'm saying that I personally perceive it as fairly stupid to make a significant habit of using words that don't mean anything.

You seemed annoyed at scatological swear words because of the imagery it conjured up in your mind. I'm surprised it only bothers you when the words aren't being used literally. I find the idea of talking about literal shit just before eating far more offputting. I posted the quote because you mentioned obsession with shit which is something that has a notable influence on some European and specifically Catalan traditions.

[Max White]

Quote

1. A vent of emotion is of itself meaningful communication of information. By saying 'fuck you' to somebody, information can be inferred (Usually a sign of disapproval) and there is your meaning.

2. Once again, a very clear expression of 'I am in a situation where I am the benefactor of no possible outcome', seriously it is just that easy.

3. Used within the given phrase, it alters the tone from one of confusion to one of surprise and anger. 'What is going on' implies that you don't understand the current workings of a situation, while 'What the fuck is going on' implies you understand fully well that your wife is cheating on you, you are just very surprised and unhappy about it.

Communication is easy when you try.

[TCM]

The link you provided actually put a positive spin on 'Fuck', as does the very much related Monty Python skit. I'm just having a tough time figuring out what you don't get.

[Putnam]

-snip-

Is not "fuck you" far more articulate than "GRGAGAHGAHHAHAHAHAH"? Does "I'm fucked" not have more brevity than "This situation is terrible for me"? Does "what the fuck is going on" not contain more urgency than "what's going on"?

The word does have meanings. Heck, I could even link you to a dictionary. I'm not going to because that's the kind of wise-ass thing I'm trying to get over, but I could. Instead, I'm going to try to define them as I see them.

"Fuck you": I wish for you to be fucked (see below meaning).

"I'm fucked": I am in a situation that will inevitably end extremely badly for me.

"What the fuck is going on": This situation is confusing me to an extreme level.

[Tiruin]

LordBucket, I really can't get how you try to deconstruct something and make it appear neutral. The fact is that 'fuck' has been used in a negative fashion as opposed to your 'example' of using "SMURF"! It's the meanings we give and how it was used.

I really can't believe how blown up this whole case is given that context >_<