where have they gone?

It does remind me of the Billy Connolly story about the little Glasgow lad going on a school trip to the country.

His father asked him how he had enjoyed it. The boy said "it was great, we saw chickens and the wee little houses they live in, we saw pigs too, and we saw fuckers and some wee sheep, it was dead good Dad!"

The father was a bit confuddled and said, " Sorry son, but could you tell me again?" The lad sighed and said "I liked the chickens best, in their wee houses, the fuckers were ok, but the sheep were really good too"

The father was by now a bit concerned, so he gently asked " These fuckers, son, are you sure that's what they were?"

The boy said, "Well dad, the teacher said they were heifers, but we knew what she meant!"

petallus, there's not much point in adding an asterisk to a rude word! It's supposed to act as a substitute...

I've got to thinking now. I might swap f*ucking for effing.

I've never come across jeffing before though??

effing & jeffing does have a humourous ring to it though.

I like the crossing out too.
However wet old blanket that I am[giggle] I am not keen on the F word.
You always get one don"t cha !!

I quite like seeing the words crossed out - it is usually a better/funnier phrase than the words that are left.
Ps I liked the effing too Petalus.

Yes, big fan of the clever little line myself

Effing is funnier, petallus

I like to use the crossing out line to wind people up in jest.

Yes but how would that help me when, finally at the very end of my tether with DH I yell:

I've effing had enough of your effing whiney complaining (or whatever).

Perhaps it's to do with how much passion you are having to deal with.

(Note I lost my nerve and said effing instead of f*cking [ grin]

I find a dummkopf or merde suffices

I doubt if anyone on here would be so misguided.

Satisfying harrigran. Though not so much as 'shite'.

Exactly what I thought ANA.
<wrings hands>

Said we are all grownups.

There are so many words in the dictionary so why use the F word ?

What was?

Perhaps it was Barak Obama. Or Angela Merkel.

Are we Cari?! Flip me! Didn't realise that.

(have you never heard of a second childhood?!)

I think the original reference was to the solid line which has been used in the past to try to end a thread which is becoming worrying to some people.

As for the broken line, I have sometimes wondered what purpose that serves. It seems a bit like a cop out.

Oh for goodness sake finn! The crossing out thing is just a lighthearted way of showing that you know quite well you shouldn't be saying that, but can't resist. Don't take it too heavily.

Hmm, maybe not Ana. I'm not sure. What I am sure about it that I feel it lacks straightforwardness. If it's humour, then just let it stand.
Sometimes it seems to be a way of being sarcastic - but then taking it back - but not really.
As I said, can't be doing with it.

It's not dissembling though, is it? I see it more as a way of revealing thoughts and feelings, usually in a humorous way.

I just don't get the cross out line. I think I've used it once but felt it was pointless. Whatever's said can still be read. It seems to me that whatever's said, then crossed out, is a way of dissembling thoughts and feelings.

I think Gransnet has become more tolerant of swearing.

I remember the first time it was discussed (very early on) In answer to some posts of utter horror that any GNer should use such language, I sent a post which did not use the dreaded F word to swear, but wrote it in full as a serious comment on how the meaning has changed from its original use as the normal word for "carnal knowledge" by everyone from kings to abbesses. Some people then were still horrified at it, without there being any abusive intention or hope to shock behind the use.

We seem to be collectivly easier with the word now.