How should one interpret foul language?

I suppose it depends on what you're used to. Eschatological idoms are common throughout all languages. Whereas I don't particularly use them very often, they are quite succinct expressions used to quickly indicate a person's feelings and mood with little ambiguity. Although I grew up in a household where such language was considered unacceptable, my military service rapidly (in fact, the first day) cured me of any squeamishness.As to the particular noun/verb you mention, I'm afraid that discussion of feces is an integral part of my job description. I spend much time closely examining scat, for instance, and spooning fresh cow manure into beer cups to use as bait. In other words, I work with shit every day, so I'm perhaps a bit less concerned than you apparently are about the "unpleasant matter that is to be disposed of". In fact, I and my colleagues often have dining room conversations on the subject.All in all, I think you are being a bit harsh, here.

Hey Buz,I certainly understand where you're coming from ("from whence you come" sounds too pedantic even for me - sorry about the dangling participle). As I said, I seldom use profanity, at least in writing. Unless, of course, the use of such in context provides an emphatic, unambiguous, and direct emphasis. Certainly Trixie's use of the idiom served that purpose, in my opinion. Sometimes a nice, short expletive serves well to express a poster's feelings. It can also be cathartic - to which I attribute Trixie's use in the Hill Billy case.In the same vein, I do occasionally use profanity when I do something stupid (normally, I talk pretty much the way I write, pedantic as that might sound - old habit). The short, explosive exhalation that accompanies words like "shit" and "fuck" really IS cathartic. Just yesterday I bonked my head on the side of a house climbing out of a pit I was digging for a composting latrine. I most assuredly used several appropriate expressions in that case!There is also another use of profanity - as a medium of creative expression. Although my command of the idiom is woefully limited, I can remember several people of whom I was in total awe at their command of creative invective. I knew a man who could literally swear for five minutes straight without repeating himself once. In short, I disagree with your contention that "nice folks" equates to "no profanity". In the appropriate context, it is a quite useful tool of language.

Hey Buz,I really don't disagree completely with your position. As I said, I seldom use profanity. I just think you're overstating the case. I don't know if better really describes it, although the venting was useful in that context. It certainly served as a succinct expression of my feelings about my own stupidity in running into the side of a building head first. It's not as though they put the thing up while I was down in the hole, after all. It also served to draw the attention (and concern) of the pretty Peace Corps volunteer whose house (and latrine) it was. That served a useful purpose in and of itself.