Aren't people strange?
I have a particular interest in psychosexual issues. It's a subject that is endlessly fascinating and hugely complex.
Now, I have a pet theory in relation to swearing. It's always struck me as rather odd and frankly vaguely amusing that we can pick certain words in our language and label them as offensive. It's absurd.
And if you think about it, most so called swear words are to do with sexual function, genitalia or urinary and defacatory functions. And so it comes full circle back to sexual and bodily neuroses.
Somebody, somewhere, once upon a time decided that, because he had a particular sexual repression of some sort, that no person would be allowed to use a given word, because it reminded him of his inability to come to terms with said sexual act. And, lo, a swear word was born.
You might just as well say the word 'Marmite' is offensive because you don't like the stuff. It's ridiculous.
The whole thing is a poignant reminder of just how repressed we in the West are when it comes to our sexual and toilet habits. What other species of animal locks itself in a closet to defacate? What other species of animal hides itself away to have sex?
Now I'm not suggesting we all start going to the loo and making love in public, but wouldn't it be great if we, as a society were a whole lot more open and relaxed about our sexuality. I wouldn't mind betting that life would be a lot easier for many people, and that we'd be a lot less uptight.
All of which leads me to the word 'fuck'. I learned an interesting little fact this week. I was expounding some of these theories to someone, and I was using the word fuck as an example. I have always said, and will continue to do, that it's just a verb that describes what for most of us is possibly the most beautiful and pleasant act we engage in. What's the big deal? How on Earth could that be offensive? If someone tells me to 'fuck off', that's ok, as they're effectively telling me to go and do the one thing I like the most. I'd be far more offended if they called me an idiot.
Apparently though, this lady told me, the word fuck is an acronym that stems from the 19th century. It stood for 'found upholding carnal knowledge' and was a standard line used by the police when dealing with prostitutes. Now I haven't gone to the trouble to check this out, but it sounds plausible.
How wierd is that? We take a 19'th century acronym, turn in into a verb, and then twist it into an insult, a pronoun, an adjective and general multi purpose swear word.
You've gotta hand it to us, we're a strange bunch.
For the moment, my very warmest wishes.
Iain
Ps. for more psychosexual stuff check out my series of articles on sexual relationships in my website. We're up to the 3rd instalment at the moment, and I'll eventually be dealing with the whole question of swearing. Next week's instalment though will be dealing with both male and female masturbation, the differences between the two and how and why both sexes engage in it.
Now, I have a pet theory in relation to swearing. It's always struck me as rather odd and frankly vaguely amusing that we can pick certain words in our language and label them as offensive. It's absurd.
And if you think about it, most so called swear words are to do with sexual function, genitalia or urinary and defacatory functions. And so it comes full circle back to sexual and bodily neuroses.
Somebody, somewhere, once upon a time decided that, because he had a particular sexual repression of some sort, that no person would be allowed to use a given word, because it reminded him of his inability to come to terms with said sexual act. And, lo, a swear word was born.
You might just as well say the word 'Marmite' is offensive because you don't like the stuff. It's ridiculous.
The whole thing is a poignant reminder of just how repressed we in the West are when it comes to our sexual and toilet habits. What other species of animal locks itself in a closet to defacate? What other species of animal hides itself away to have sex?
Now I'm not suggesting we all start going to the loo and making love in public, but wouldn't it be great if we, as a society were a whole lot more open and relaxed about our sexuality. I wouldn't mind betting that life would be a lot easier for many people, and that we'd be a lot less uptight.
All of which leads me to the word 'fuck'. I learned an interesting little fact this week. I was expounding some of these theories to someone, and I was using the word fuck as an example. I have always said, and will continue to do, that it's just a verb that describes what for most of us is possibly the most beautiful and pleasant act we engage in. What's the big deal? How on Earth could that be offensive? If someone tells me to 'fuck off', that's ok, as they're effectively telling me to go and do the one thing I like the most. I'd be far more offended if they called me an idiot.
Apparently though, this lady told me, the word fuck is an acronym that stems from the 19th century. It stood for 'found upholding carnal knowledge' and was a standard line used by the police when dealing with prostitutes. Now I haven't gone to the trouble to check this out, but it sounds plausible.
How wierd is that? We take a 19'th century acronym, turn in into a verb, and then twist it into an insult, a pronoun, an adjective and general multi purpose swear word.
You've gotta hand it to us, we're a strange bunch.
For the moment, my very warmest wishes.
Iain
Ps. for more psychosexual stuff check out my series of articles on sexual relationships in my website. We're up to the 3rd instalment at the moment, and I'll eventually be dealing with the whole question of swearing. Next week's instalment though will be dealing with both male and female masturbation, the differences between the two and how and why both sexes engage in it.
posted by Iain at 9:18 AM
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