'Women who swear are happier'.

What do regular swearers say when they really need to let off steam?
I find that words like 'sugar' if said with enough force, is very satisfying.

Isn’t the use of “Sugar or Sausages” or punctuations showing the same intention? Suggesting we think we are superior or more polite?

Psychologists interested in when and why people swear try to look past the stereotype that swearing is the language of the unintelligent and illiterate.

In fact, various studies have found links between how fluent a person is in the English language and how fluent they are in swearing.

The former - verbal fluency - can be measured by asking volunteers to think of as many words beginning with a certain letter of the alphabet as they can in 1 minute.

People with greater language skills can generally think of more examples in the allotted time. Based on this approach, the researchers created the swearing fluency task. This task requires volunteers to list as many different swear words as they can think of in 1 minute.

By comparing scores from both the verbal and swearing fluency tasks, it was found that the people who scored highest on the verbal fluency test also tended to do best on the swearing fluency task. The weakest in the verbal fluency test also did poorly on the swearing fluency task.

What this correlation suggests is that swearing isn’t simply a sign of language poverty, lack of general vocabulary, or low intelligence.

Instead, swearing appears to be a feature of language that an articulate speaker can use in order to communicate with maximum effectiveness. And actually, some uses of swearing go beyond just communication.

I think it means that by using asterisks one is supposedly being more polite and righteous than someone who just writes the word. That strikes me as adopting a somewhat 'superior' attitude, one that says "See, I'm too nice even to write such dreadful words even though both you and I know them and know what letters the asterisks stand for."

So why not just write the word instead of pussyfooting around like that? As I said up thread, it strikes me as a pretence of superior virtuousness.

My parents never swore and my husband doesn't (at least not in my presence) so I've never done either. I automatically come out with "sausages" or "rhubarb" to the amusement of my young grandchildren.

I hate hearing people in the street swearing all the time. Yet for some unknown reason I laugh myself silly at "Mrs Brown" regardless of the constant use of the f word.

I am a great believer in decorum and dignity.
Brian.

Nemosmum has it right. It’s as and when required ?
My daughter was doing A level drama and I had to help her practice using the C bomb by saying it with her out loud over and over around the house and in the car to desensitize, I can tell you we had great fun ?

I don’t understand how using ** in the middle of a swear word is patronising, unless the meaning has changed.

Collins dictionary:

If someone is patronizing, they speak or behave towards you in a way that seems friendly, but which shows that they think they are superior to you.

Just reread The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy (posted by Elegran)
The "swear words" are appropriate both to the description of the 16th century poets and the language of the day.
When did we decide which words to censor ? Most swear words appear to allude to private bodily functions.

All the people who swear and say but not in front of the GC - so is there a age at which it is okay to start swearing? What would that be?

I can swear like a trooper and often do, not in front of the GCs though. And I'm very happy! Maybe I'm the subject of the book in the OP?

The asterisks are patronising argument is not mine originally. I can't remember whose it was. I agree though.

Saying something is patronising doesn't mean one has feel patronised. Somebody famous said that too.

Is "bad language" that which is used carelessly so that its strength is diluted and it just irritates people? I'm thinking of that saying about a lady being someone who is never rude except on purpose. Those of us who swear on purpose to let out some angst (like when a gull swipes your sandwich right out of your hand; vicious beasts, gulls, so quite scary when they get so close) can keep our properness ratings intact, I reckon ?

On another note, I'm not sure I find 'fuck' casually being used for every other word (so to speak) any worse to listen to than 'like' or 'y'know', or even 'er...' It's the repetitiveness that's tiresome (and I do mean tiresome rather than shocking).

I really cant bring myself to use swear words - as someone else said, it would make me feel soiled! I tend to use the missy euphemisms people her have derided such as Flipping heck, blimey, crikey, blooming, knickers, etc. The worst I say, in extremis is 'For God's sake!' But I dont feel particularly proud of that! I prefer to say for goodness sake! DH also hates hearing people swear though he has been known to say bloody hell when extremely cross. I suppose its the way I was brought up. The worst my father said was damn or blast, and my mother never used any expletives that I can remember! I do hate to hear the f word all the time on TV these days, or even worse, the c word. Dont like hearing biological words like shit or crap either (wouldnt say them out loud but can manage to type them! ) Too descriptive of bodily functions for me.
The opening lines of 4 weddings rather spoilt a good film for me!

Swear words act as intensifiers. If used too often, they lose their impact. It's all a matter of what is appropriate. Personally, I swear like the proverbial trooper when I'm with close friends and younger brother, but never with my dad, elderly friends, children, or people I don't know. Just a point about using asterisks in print. If you type the whole expletive, the message can be rejected by automatic filters, so sometimes asterisks are necessary if you REALLY want to add force to your message.

This is purely my own opinion and it’s that there’s a time and place for everything and that includes swearing. I’m not offended by a swear word. I occasionally use one or two myself. It’s not part of my everyday vocabulary.

I rarely swear, but occasionally can throw people off-kilter by using a good old-fashioned Anglo Saxon 4-letter word. They always look so surprised that I know such words and tend to behave for ages after being shocked that I have used that bad word! The trouble is that I live on a really rough estate where my neighbours don't know any other language, so doesn't work here!

I detest bad language and find it totally unnecessary. I have never heard my children or grandchildren swear... If they do it is not within my earshot...hahaha

In general I don't swear, but don't have a problem with it if used in the right context, time and place and away from children.

I swear from time to time though I don't like it as it indicates frustration and lack of imagination. I went through a phase of using 'sugar' or 'puddings' when working in my 20s which others seemed to find somewhat endearing! I dislike the word 'f**k being used as sexual intercourse can be a beautiful thing and I find it sad to have this demeaned by using the word as meaning something vile.

Well, after 25 years plus working in a newsroom where the air was not merely blue but purple I freely own up to being an inveterate swearer. (it's catching!)
I'm also on mumsnet a lot where people can and do swear freely; I suppose those who don't like it decamp fairly quickly to Netmums.
I'd also rather see four letter words than mimsy sound-alike substitutes, they feel more honest to me as a genuine expression of emotion.
The only time it sounds wearisome is when the same word is repeated ad infinitum -- but having said that, the repetitive swearing in the opening lines of the film Four Weddings etc is inventive and funny.
Each to their own, I won't judge you if you don't judge me.

ffinochio there's no frisson when every second word is f*ck. I have a friend who talks like that. And by the way she's a very unhappy person.

And if it is patronising to use asterisks, er, so what? I've never understood why being patronising is frowned upon. Or how to decide whether something is patronising or not. So I don't really mind patronisation.

JackyB. I believe it can at times be a release of tension to use expletives Not that I would do it in company or in the street which appears to be the norm these days. In my case if I have dropped something I would most likely say Oh F***. Somehow it makes, with my back pain, picking up what I have dropped much easier than 'Oh bother ' The same applies if I have just hung out washing and it pours with rain. Its 'For 'f* sake , raining again'.

don't like it and I very rarely swear, apart from the odd bugger or bloody hell or very rarely, shit if i am more upset, but only Once or twice in my life i have used stronger and it certainly gets attention and they, usually my family/ close friends, know that i am really really angry.

Have any of you seen the ice water experiment with Stephen Fry and Brian Blessed? Repeatedly using the same expletive extended the time they were able to keep their hand in the ice (which is painful after a while).
I don't agree with swearing at kids bit for me they are part of my language.
I'm not a stupid woman, my I.Q is fairly high and I would consider myself knowledgeable and readily able to learn.
I am, however, able to adapt to my surroundings and adjust my language according to the situation/company.