Re: [tied] Being Crude in English.

From: Glen Gordon
Message: 5302
Date: 2001-01-04

>Interestingly, the majority of the native cusses deal with incest >with a
>lot of references to sodomy and homosexuality.

Hmm, perhaps this is more a cultural perception of severity of cusswords
more than anything. I wouldn't say that sodomy and homosexuality is such a
taboo thing in Canada and the US. There are TV programs that openly refer to
it, whether in comedy (Will & Grace, Sex and the City, Birdcage, etc) or in
more serious dramas (Guiding Light, Oz). I would say that the mention of
sodomy and homosexuality is no longer unforgiveably offensive anymore. The
culture in NorthAmerica is slowly but deliberately moving away from
homophobia overall.

I doubt however that this has an impact on the creation of new swears to
meet the changing taboos, and it can't be definitively said that English
swearwords are truely less severe than others in other languages although it
doesn't stop me from saying that French swearwords and slangs are the lamest
I've ever heard (but this is merely one bilingual anglophone's perception).

- gLeN

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