Who decides when a swear word is a swear word?
547132
When society decides it is.\n\nUsually takes from a century to a half a century.\n\nThere was once a time when the word "bastard" was heinous!  Now, it's mildly a swear word.
1067372
I will call them what fits-they have a few titles. If I am not swearing .   Get over it. \nIleagel aliens\nIllegal migrants\nborder jumpers\nIllegal immigrants\nundocumented people\nLaw breakers\nEct\nNone are swear words and all have been used-we do know what people it applies too.\n\nAnd that applies to many names for other things&#92; dog, mutt, beast,fido /cat, feline,fur ball./Americans, US, my country,land of the free,- Irish, mick, and so forth get the point?\n\nIf their not swearing-get over it.
39365
Usually. It depends who is saying it and why.
277816
I would just like to point out to you that cussing is not against any of the 10 commandments. Swearing is.\nCussing may be distasteful and inappropriate at times, but certainly no sin against God.\nMore often than not, it's a case of people not knowing how to express themselves with other words. Although, occasionally, a good expletive is exactly what's needed to emphasize a point.
427711
Actually the swear words aren't the most offensive at all. \n\nWould you be more offended to be called n****r or c**t or a paedophile?  Or a child-murderer, or a racist, or a homophobe, or amoral.  There are many words worse than swear words that you can be called.
199570
The F word is Anglo Saxon.  Most others are corruptions of body parts.  My favourite is my old grandad's: 'Bad cess to you'.   It took me a long time to figure it out, but the cess is as in cesspit.
414674
Curse words date back to the early 17th century. It was said that Witches invented them. It was believed that when a witch put a spell (or a curse) on something, they would yell certain words. These words were thus believed to hold bad things and were not accepted. The history passed on for years and years, however, in the 1900's people started using the words as a means of pillory. The meaning of the words continued to evolve and are what we hear today.\n\n\n\nBy the way - that is a bunch of BS, but it is believeable!
727999
I have no idea.  A word is a word.  We don't get in trouble if we call a woman c*nt, do we?
152172
It's a form of slang.  The official language of the US is English, the American version of it.
554440
profanity is really in the eye of the beholder. Like, I say the word "crap" and I think it's okay, but my sister rags on me for it. And I say "Oh my God" but other people think it's disrespectful.\nBut there are other words I find offensive. I never say "BS" because that's too close to the real word. And I don't say "PO'd" for the same reason.\nI think it's a personal conviction each person has to pray about.
767774
i wouldnt consider it profanity, but slang,,,, and i guess it depends the context they are using it in would define it as really bad  slang or not,, "oh crap i hit my toe", is different then   "i have to take a crap", it does stand for shit,,, like heck stands for hell,,,,,i would discourage my child from using it,\n\nps: i think right here is a example that people dont take it too seriously, crap and hell didnt get censored, but the 4 letter word starting with a s that crap stands for , did , lol
971050
Cussing is using a swearword, a term of abuse; cursing is a invocation for harm or injury to come to someone.  To call upon a supernatural power to send injury upon someone.  To hope that someone will have great harm or misfortune come to them.
548910
The Violation of chatting is about the only one that seems to get results. I have seen the F word the B word the S word\nand a few letters in between used openly and have yet to see one being removed. I am beginning to suspect that Y/A is not as Neutral as it should be.
670467
my kids are still young so we are still pretty much referring to them as bad words!! \n\nbut, as they get older it will be cussing...because I grew up with cussing.
1037799
"Terms of profanity have historically been taboo words. Some words originally considered profane have become much less offensive with the increasing secularity of society, while others, primarily racial or ethnic epithets which can be considered part of hate speech, have become increasingly taboo."\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profanity#History\n\nCursing/swearing/using profane language is, in a small way, "crossing the border" into that place where we're not supposed to be.  It is a small, and yes most of the time childish, way of rebelling against the status-quo.\n\nUnfortunately many of the words uttered traditionally in cursing have now become so common place in conversation, TV, movies, popular music, that many people who utter/hear these terms have become "immune" to their senses of "taboo" any more.\n\nIn short... cursing is usually a small form of rebellion against societal morality which is becoming more the norm rather than the exception.\n\nI should add here that there are places in literature/dramatic arts/life where cursing is meaningful and effective.  I saw a movie years ago where a mother lost her child to a terrible disease.  There is a point in the movie where, soon after her child's death, the mother goes out into her yard and night and yells at God....  "Damm you!  Damm you!"  (and yes... I'm misspelling the curse word to make sure it passes yahoo's screener).   Cursing God is a big "taboo" in all major religions but the intensity of her feelings is brought out in her doing this.... her anger at God/the Universe and her deep love for her child. \n\nThere are times, when used selectively, when cursing has a deep impact in transmitting feelings/emotions.\n\nBill
857571
ARE YOU ALLOWED TO SWEAR,HAS IT GOT SPELL CHECKER? IF NOT THERE NO BE ANY RANGERS SUPPORTERS..LOL
969140
It is not a very good word, and there is no direct translation. It is something like f**k or s**t, and usually used when you drop something or do something wrong.