How should one interpret foul language?

I would suggest that you have a maturity problem, then. Not everybody agrees on what constitutes "foul language."And focusing on the words, rather than on the meaning, is an immature way to approach language. I would suggest that there's a reason that they call it "adult language", and why running off to tattle on someone who used a bad word is behavior that we associate with children. Some of those adjectives and adverbs are what you call "foul", though, so I don't understand from what basis you would pretend to be the arbiter of appropriate language. Is it so hard to imagine that many of us might have a different idea about what constitutes "foul language" than you do? That some of the words you dislike - so much so that you would immediately leap to judgment about the speaker - aren't such a big deal to those of us who outgrew sniggling at dirty words in the 7th grade?Indeed, there really are no replacements for profanity. Bowdlerized Shakespeare just isn't the same. And there's really no substitute for what precisely is communicated when you tell someone to go fuck themselves.

I guess I don't understand. Did you think I used that phrase in the imperative voice? That I was telling Woodsy what to do?That couldn't be farther from the truth. I was using an example. But I'd extend the same suggestion of a maturity problem to you, as well. Is there something about that word that makes you act like you're 8 years old?

To the contrary; many of the great writers of the English language were both deeply eloquent and often profane.Would you accuse Shakespeare of lacking eloquence, simply because he wrote "Out, damn'd spot"? Then I submit to you that your immature pearl-clutching at the slightest hint of a vulgar phrase has completely clouded your judgment.It's indicative of a lack of maturity; it's the behavior of a child.

You must not be doing it right. Proper profanity is poetry if you use it correctly.Figures, though, that a sailor would half-ass it. If you want to hear proper cursing, you need to talk to Marines.

Sure. But we may not be in the same community, and it's inappropriate for you (for instance) to judge me for my language by the standards of your community. It's not just dirty words that can make you look stupid. For instance:

quote:

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And if you cannot except this then go (expletive deleted) yourself.

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It's actually "accept", and it just goes to show that even without profanity there's plenty of ways to use language in ways that don't make you look good.Edited by crashfrog, : No reason given.