Bad language!

ethelbags1: Maybe it's just me, but a good strong swear word, or even a whole string of expletives in extreme circumstances, genuinely does seem to dull pain more effectively that a simple 'ow'. Because of the presence of the grandchildren, I've recently had to limit myself to a mild 'sugar', but believe me, it really didn't cut the mustard!

Don't knock it until you've tried it, that's what I say

MamaCaz . I reserve my worst expletives for the confines of my car, usually aimed at the folly of other drivers. However, as I live alone, I sometimes let rip with a good old rant!

ethelbags have a think about people, not just the people you may admire, but those you really like. Those qualities that define them, regardless of education or status.

annodomini: Many years ago, I was driving my then primary school age children and one of their friends somewhere. They were all in the back and when some mad driver cut me up on a roundabout I forgot they were there and let rip. Then I remembered them. I can still remember the expressions on their faces when I looked in the mirror!
I'm happy to report that none seems to have suffered long-term damage from the incident! It didn't turn them into serial swearers

I once lost my temper with my son after I'd waited ages to meet him after school. I think I only used the F word once but he and his friends still talk about it in hushed tones 25 years later it's much more effective if you only do it rarely!

I thought this was a very interesting article, I can't see how anyone could be offended by it

"Maybe it's just me, but a good strong swear word, or even a whole string of expletives in extreme circumstances, genuinely does seem to dull pain more effectively that a simple 'ow'."

It's not just you, psychology experiments have shown it to be true.

Petallus - thankyou. I was thinking of buying the set but it looks rather expensive.

I've had mine for probably twenty years. At the time it was considered to be the best version of the diaries, more true to the original.

I didn't get mine all at once but purchased various volumes over a year or two.

When I visit the National Gallery I always visit S Pepys' portrait which is reproduced on the dust cover of the diaries. I sort of feel I know him

I was a teacher, I am a parent, and I brought my children up as the latter, maybe informed by the former. We are all people first, each one of us different with a different history. You cannot expect to classify everyone as the same!

Agree, Anno Rita got it right. And there is a superb short story by Doris Lessing - "You Should Have Seen the Mess" - which debunks the idea that any "class" is better (whatever that means) than another.

Ariadne I know that story!

The most offensive word I've read here, is kids. I hate it.

Why?

Sounds like my granny's way of thinking. "Only goats have kids".

My grandma used to say it too - but I still use it. Mea culpa, I feel slightly guilty every time I do!

ethelbags you will be pleased to know that at DBH's school no swearing is allowed. Parents with strongly-swearing children are severely chastised and told to moderate their own language, or the children will be removed. One swearing child can disrupt a whole lesson when with those who do not do it. It doesn't stop them doing it in private of course, and my son has never sworn in front of me, nor my daughter, but I have walked past his room at times when he is playing an online game with friends and the air was definitely blue. That's fine by me. I admit to the odd outburst when in pain. And found I had a vocabulary I didn't know I possessed when divorcing ex.

A good swear over a stubbed toe or such works wonders.

Tonight at choir I did rather loudly and quite mildly exclaim "Holy Moses"! (quite mild for me) when I looked at how high and difficult the Alto parts were in the liturgical piece Benedicte

(" All ye works of the lord, bless ye the lord: praise him etc etc.)

(My comments were aimed at the composers musical arrangement rather than the liturgical text itself.)

I think in the circumstances that was quite moderate. Was that a blasphemy?

Definitely, but I do it all the time so it must be ok.

I do remember being pulled up for it on occasion in my youth. I would go home and tell my mother and she would go slightly red. She did not however explain it to me, I learnt about it at school and even back then our teacher said that most people blasphemed, but that they would have been whipped or even killed for it a few hundred years ago!