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Does use of swear words show lack of a decent vocabulary?

Inspired by Dystopian91's thread

Basically, when you see people swearing all the time, do you think less of them?

I agree and disagree, clearly when you see chavs swearing constantly it is obvious that it is because they don't know how to properly show their feelings in a non-profane way, but I sometimes use swear words to show how strongly I feel about something, even though I consider myself to have a sufficient vocabulary.

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**** off!

If people swear excessively, without reason, then yes.

However, when you swear in a fit of rage, a rare one, then no.

Reply 3

Atrozius Faatz

I think it depends on how frequently you swear. If it's just occasionally and used in a conversation / discussion that warrants it, I certainly won't think any differently of you as I do that myself. However, when you get to ****ing swearing all the ****ing time like a ****ing c*** (like so) it becomes incredibly tiresome and takes away a lot of the purpose behind swear words which in my opinion have a pretty specific use as particularly strong words to use when needed. So yes, I'd agree that they have their place like all words in the English language. But I certainly don't swear much on a regular basis and I'd definitely be put off by someone who makes a point of swearing in every sentence that comes out of their mouth.

For example, if someone who barely ever swears shouts *hit or *uck or similar, you know that the waste matter has really collided with the rapidly spinning blades. Whereas if it's someone who would go into a café and ask for a mother ****ing cup of ****ing tea that doesn't stink worse than a badgers arseh**e did that, I wouldn't pay them much attention and would probably think that they do indeed posses a limited vocabulary.

Also, sorry if this post comes off as a little bit silly. I'm bored, tired and have ear-ache. :yep:

Reply 4

IanDangerously

Absolutely not. People still swear for dramatic effect or to more forcefully illustrate a point, regardless of how good their comprehension of the English language is.

I tend to use long words and swears in equal measure when I go off on a tirade about something lmao

Reply 5

jimbo139

It's not the presence of obscenities, but the circumjacent (!) words that counts.

For example, Will Self's books are saturated with such profanities as 'cock', '****', '****', 'gash' etc.

But then his stories hinge on little puns like the difference between 'imminence' and 'immanence' etc - pretty hardcore vocab.

Reply 6

Antonia87

I'm immediately put off somebody if every other word they verbalise is a swear word. It sounds incredibly unsophisticated. Swearing in a moment of passion or anger, however, is different.

Reply 7

Profesh

I'm gloriously, passionately, unabashedly and unrepentantly – though by no means inveterately – profane.

Reply 8

Postbox

Nope.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_osQvkeNRM

Stephen Fry is wonderful and addresses this issue better than anybody

Reply 9

Dystopian91

Shameless hijack of my OP :p:

-http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=26698551#post26698551

Only messin you **** ***** **** ********** ****** ****** ****** ******* **(?)

that, or passion.

No not really. Swear words can add effect to sentences that wouldn't otherwise be possible.

Reply 12

Dan-Scotland

Dystopian91

Shameless hijack of my OP :p:

-http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=26698551#post26698551

Only messin you **** ***** **** ********** ****** ****** ****** ******* **(?)

You are credited at the top of the OP

Reply 13

Dystopian91

Dan-Scotland

You are credited at the top of the OP

I was messing, read the quoted post maaannnnnn* (held back for extra asterix's)

Reply 14

trachimbrod

Profesh

I'm gloriously, passionately, unabashedly and unrepentantly – though by no means inveterately – profane.

As am I. Maybe I wouldn't go as far as someone on my course did last year, and call Philip Larkin a WORST WORD YOU CAN THINK OF WOW OMGZ HE SED IT HE REALLY DID in a seminar, but if Deleuze is allowed to swear in his essays then I can swear without being thought of as reductive or invalidating an argument.

This brings me to the more general point of - why aren't people allowed to swear on this website? People troll anyway, and it's not exactly the kind of place that attracts idiots (see: youtube). It's really old fashioned and a bit embarrassing.

Reply 15

mel0n

I like swear words themselves, but not if someone repeatedly uses them without sufficient reason as it doesn't create a nice atmosphere. Also it depends on the manner in which the person uses them :h:

Reply 16

lm_wfc

Dan-Scotland

yeah. damn chavs. but dumb indie and metal kids who swear alot are fine

Reply 17

Dystopian91

mel0n

Words are not public asthetics though, they are intended to apply human meaning to our currently perceptible Input/Output universe.

Reply 18

Dan-Scotland

lm_wfc

yeah. damn chavs. but dumb indie and metal kids who swear alot are fine

I was using them as ana example, of course other people swear too. :facepalm:

Reply 19

Necro Defain

No, although people who swear more may GENERALLY have a worse vocabulary (not even convinced this part is true), this does not prove that every single person who swears has a bad vocabulary.