Swearing – All About Profanity, And What The Scientific Studies Say

I’m going to talk about what most people refer to as “swearing” (i.e. the use of profanity or cuss words) and, more generally, “rude” words in this article, including what the latest scientific research says on the subject, as well as my own thoughts.

And I’m going to start with my own thoughts, because you may be wondering why I put the word “swearing” in quotation marks.

For as long as I can remember, which is at least 55 years now, I have thought that the concept of swear words was odd.

Yes, even as a child, I wondered why one word would be OK, and another word, that meant the exact same thing, was considered rude or offensive.

Words are, after all, mere labels we attached to concepts and objects.

So if the object or concept is rude or offensive, then it shouldn’t matter what label (or word) you use to describe that thing – because they should all be equally offensive.

Likewise, if the item is not rude or offensive, then any label attached to it should be equally inoffensive.

You may think this is a bit naïf, but I have yet to discover any rational explanation for why some words are treated differently.

I asked my parents about why some words were deemed rude several times, when I was trying to find out where the boundaries were, and the only answer they ever gave me was, “Because they are.”

That was always an unsatisfactory answer to me, and it still is today.

So Where Do Swear Words Come From?

It seems that many of the words we now consider rude relate to bodily functions (e.g. excretion, sex) and body parts (e.g. genitals, breasts).

Whether we like it or not, all of these are natural and serve a purpose, and to my mind, using euphemisms does not alter the concept you’re trying to describe.

I cannot answer this next question because I have aphantasia (i.e. the inability to create mental images), but for those who can see things in their “mind’s eye”, does the picture you conjure up inside your head look any different depending on whether somebody uses a medical or scientific term for something or a “rude” word to describe the same thing?

Because if the image you create is identical, then the words being used don’t make any practical difference – it’s more to do with sensibilities and tradition.

And, interestingly, many of the words that are usually deemed taboo are really quite old words – many date back to Anglo-Saxon times, or earlier, and this is common elsewhere too.

Another common source of offensive words stems from religion.

Perhaps first and foremost, there is the commandment not to use the name of the Lord in vain, which as far as I understand it is basically about not disrespecting God.

Regardless of what you think about swearing, one estimate suggests that nearly two thirds of Americans use the F-word at least once a day, so it seems these words are not going to go away any time soon.

Euphemisms

In an attempt to not use any “forbidden” words, you often find people using obvious euphemisms instead.

I have to admit I find this funny – like I said above, the idea behind the word remains the same, but people seem to think using a different selection of letters somehow makes it all OK.

My mum, who was brought up Roman Catholic but who was definitely 100% lapsed during the many decades I knew her, used terms like “by the lads” instead of “bloody”. I suppose the age she was brought up in and the programming she received (both from her parents and from the church) were at work here, but when asked why she made this very obvious substitution, she did not, of course, have a good answer.

More commonly, you’ll frequently hear terms like “Dang’it” or “Jeez” in place of the words you know they really mean.

To my mind, whether you say “Jeez” or “Jesus”, your intention is the same, and that’s what should count – not your choice of words.

Why Do People Swear?

While it’s true that some people throw in swear words multiple times per sentence, I consider this to be functionally equivalent to the um’s and ah’s that we hear so frequently. They’re fillers, and nothing more.

So other than that, there are several reasons why people might swear or use rude words, including:

• Comedic effect or humour
• Emotion
• Emphasis
• Linguistic effect
• Nastiness

Non-Verbal Swearing

While most swearing is verbal, there are examples of non-verbal swearing too.

The most common examples are cultural versions of the same basic meaning – in England, it would be referred to as the “V sign”, while in the USA, it’s “the finger”.

The former is a gesture made by displaying your forefinger and middle finger in a V formation, with the thumb and other two fingers clenched within your first, with the back of your hand facing outwards. (The same sign but with the back of the hand facing toward you is the victory sign, made famous by Winston Churchill. Getting these two confused can cause you problems!)

It is believed that this two-fingered salute dates back to the middle ages when bows and arrows were common weapons. As the story goes, when an English archer was captured, his forefinger and middle finger would be cut off, to prevent the archer from drawing his bow.

So, archers who could still use their bow would taunt the enemy holding up those same two fingers.

How this taunt changed from its original intent to its more common meaning today (i.e. f*ck off) is unclear.

It’s a nice story that makes a degree of sense, but it may be just that – a story.

As for the finger, while it’s been used in the USA for a long time now, its origins go back a lot further than that – for example, it’s known to have used in ancient Greece and Rome (where it was called the “digitus impudicus”), with pretty much the same meaning as today.

In addition, some people say that the curled fingers either side of the middle digit represent the scrotum, making the sexual imagery more complete,

One theory is that it became an obscene gesture because the finger is a phallic symbol, which is how it was used in plays by Aristophanes.

And lastly, although less common in western countries, there is the “bras d’honneur” (which is French for “arm of honour), where the entire forearm is raised, with the back of the hand facing the person you’re insulting, while the other hand slaps or grips the upper arm immediately behind the crook of the elbow.

What Does Science Say About Swearing?

Many people have assumed that swearing is a sign of lower intelligence and/or limited vocabulary.

However, several recent studies have concluded that the opposite may in fact be true.

Again, I am differentiating between those who use swear words as empty fillers and those who choose to use swear words (and other slang / profane terms) deliberately in specific circumstances.

In other words, swearing has contextual significance.

There is a saying in the entertainment world that it’s as big an error to swear in some venues as it is not to swear in others. For example, very few entertainers would choose to use foul language (which is another term I find funny) in front of an audience of churchgoers, but if you don’t use a selection of swear words at a working men’s club, you may find yourself being booed off stage.

As with so much in life, it’s horses for course.

Anyway, back to the studies.

One piece of research found a strong correlation between how fluent a person is in the English language and how fluent they are at swearing. And those who score low on language fluency also score low on swearing fluency.

In other words, swearing is not a sign that you don’t know the right words to use so you simply insert some generic swear words instead.

Another interesting study found that swearing can increase your tolerance to pain.

Yes, I know this sounds far-fetched, but the study concluded that swearing while undergoing a painful experience, keeping your hand in some ice cold water, helps you keep your hand in that icy water for longer than if you don’t swear – and the pain feels less intense.

Some people are concerned that swearing leads to negative consequences, but at least one study has shown that this is an unwarranted concern, after analyzing over 10,000 recording of both adults and children swearing.

And the last of the studies I want to touch on demonstrated that there is a two-way link between emotions and swearing. Using shoot ‘em up video games, they showed that not only can swearing provoke an emotional response, which is maybe not surprising, but being emotionally aroused can also provoke a greater fluency in swearing, which you might find counterintuitive.

On a less scientific note, it turns out that the last words recorded on the black box device by pilots in what ended up being fatal crashes are often swear words.

It’s intriguing that people who are faced with almost certain death choose to use such language at the very end, so it seems like swearing and intense emotions are inextricably interlinked.

Let me finish this section with a quote from Stephen Fry: “Swearing is a really important part of one’s life and it would be impossible to imagine going through life without swearing and without enjoying swearing….there used to be mad, silly, prissy people who would say swearing is a sign of a poor vocabulary as such; utter nonsense! The people I know who swear the most tend to have the widest vocabularies!‘”

So Is Swearing Bad?

As I said above, to me, it depends on the situation.

You probably shouldn’t deliberately swear in front of people you know will find it offensive or distasteful, unless you’re trying to make a particular point. (When somebody who doesn’t usually swear comes out with profanity, it can have a huge impact, which is exactly the point.)

As with all communications, you should tailor what you want to say to your audience – whether that is, literally, an audience (maybe of dozens, hundreds, or thousands of people), or one individual.

Words are words, and we should choose the ones we use carefully, whatever the circumstances.

In the words of Rudyard Kipling, “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”

So I think what you should really focus on is developing your language skills so that you can use what the French call “le mot juste”, i.e. the right word, in the right situation. And if some of those words are rude or offensive or profane, so be it – if those words best describe what you mean to say, then use them.

Having said all of this, you also need to be aware of societal norms and people’s expectations. For example, swearing in a job interview at a blue chip company is probably not going to go down well – even though the interviewers probably swear themselves anyway.

Different cultures also have different perspectives on both swearing and gestures. Some words (or the local translation of those concepts) may be more or less offensive in some places compared to others, and the same goes for gestures too.

If you want to learn more about this fascinating subject, I highly recommend the books by Desmond Morris – both Manwatching and Peoplewatching are worth a read.

Conclusion

There is one category of word I have not mentioned, and that is the slur.

Specifically, I”m referring to a word that has become inextricably linked to slavery in the US, and all of the negative connotations that go with that entire history, up to and including today.

You know the word I’m talking about – the usually abbreviated “n-word”.

I am usually all for saying whatever word I think is best at the time, but this is one word that non-African Americans should consider banning from their vocabulary.

There are similar ones that I grew up with in England in the 1960s, such as “darkie”, which was common back then, but which I would certainly advocate not using today.

Is this a double-standard on my part?

Maybe, but as I’ve said, it’s all about adapting to the situation, and some situations demand that certain words are never voiced, whatever the context.

Let me finish on a lighter note.

Back in England, I knew a couple who had a very young daughter.

They made the mistake of assuming that because she was too young to talk, she was also too young to understand what her parents were saying – and her parents swore frequently, both in general and at each other.

And then the inevitable day came when they realized their error, which was the day their three-year-old girl told her grandmother to f*ck off.

So yes, swearing can be an emotive subject, but that’s largely because we are programmed from early childhood to consider some words good and some words bad.

Personally, I find the whole idea of how humans use language to be fascinating, and swearing is just one component of that.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Manwatching & Peoplewatching by Desmond Morris