Stupid.
Fart.
Crap.
Shut up.
Pimped.
Sucks.
Moron.
If you’re under the age of ten, you’re probably gasping with horrified glee that you’ve just read a list of bad and dirty words on the Internet.
If you’re over the age of ten, you’re probably thinking, "What’s the big deal."
Now those who know me know that I’m not a fan of the "F-bomb" and other "swears," aside from the occasional hell or damn. A favorite cuss of mine over the years has been "JEsus CHRIST" which, repeated to me once too often by my then toddler aged child, had to be relegated to being said silently, along with "For Chrissakes." I figured those weren’t exactly bad cusses, though they certainly take the name of the Lord in vain, but are they inappropriate for an especially young child? Sure. Just like the words in the above list are inappropriate in many situations.
For example, we know it’s not nice to call anyone stupid, or a moron.
We know that fart and crap are oft-used words for the more commonly used "S-bomb" which refers to defecation.
To tell someone to shut up is considered rude–especially when you mean it.
To say "be quiet" can still get the point across, but much more kindly.
To say something sucks or blows is to say something is very disagreeable indeed, but the rest of the phrase, referring to a part of the male anatomy, is often left out.
To say something is "pimped" usually means, since the advent of the television show, "Pimp my Ride," where rust-bucket automobiles are given fabulous and fantastical make-overs, to make something fancy and top of the line.
Now, many kids don’t realize the implications and innuendos of the above phrases, which are just a small select sample of the many that have become taboo in today’s elementary schools. My own, in kindergarten and fourth grade, have begun in recent weeks to express dismay by saying, "Son of a ..." and then trailing off in silent indignation.
I responded by saying, "Now why don’t you just finish the phrase so I can wash your mouth out with soap and just get it over with? There’s really no difference to you leaving the last word off, because I know exactly what you mean." After a few intentionally blank looks from my eldest, I then added that perhaps I’d just get out the Palmolive anyway and after a few dabs on the tongue to cleanse that phrase from her mouth, she just might decide not to say it anymore.
I haven’t heard the phrase in a few days.
Sometimes a cuss word, used sparingly, can have great effect.
For example, I had a grandmother who was, from all outward appearances, very prim and proper. She never wore slacks, and was rarely heard to raise her voice. She was the kind of woman, despite her diminutive stature, who commanded respect. A sailor would blush to cuss in front of her. One day, she said the word "Sh * *" in front of my sister and me. The two of us just about fell out of our chairs in astonishment, never having heard grandma say anything akin to a swear in our entire lives, and we were in high school by that time.
Some people imbue cuss words into their daily speech so often that they are unaware of their effect on other people. One business person I know was asked to speak to a group of adult students. After the speech, an audience member commented that he had never heard so many uses of the "f" word in the space of 45 minutes.
Another acquaintance was asked not to be at home when an appliance was having a second tune up, because his language was so offensive the repairman didn’t want to be exposed to it.
Most of the words in the list at the head of this article are harmless enough. And most kids, as stated before, don’t understand the implications of many of them.
Take "pimp" for example. A relative of mine who works for a car dealership often refers to the really nice autos as being "pimped out." Those of us who remember the stereotypes from the 1970s might start envisioning purple interiors of velvety textures, fringe-decorated windows, platform shoes with goldfish in them, lots of heavy gold jewelry, dark sunglasses, and tough men with chest hair who like to slap around women who earn money for him by having intimate relations with strangers.
My nephew, who likes to watch anything to do with cars, has enjoyed the "Pimp my Ride" show since it started airing. What fun to see the changes made to a car or truck on its last tire, as it undergoes the transformation from tawdry and tired to fabulous and awesome. While playing with a friend one day, my nephew remarked that something was "really pimped," meaning that something was really fancy and nice looking. The friend’s mother took exception and sent my nephew home, for good, never to darken her door again.
Methinks she was just seeking an excuse to end the friendship. Rather than gently explain that "pimp" is maybe not such a nice word for a boy his age to use, and maybe he should try "cool" or something along those lines, she took the hard line and sent him down the street.
My children come home almost daily with reports of someone else calling someone else stupid or a moron, or that the other one said to "shut up." If my spouse or I remark that something is dumb or stupid, my youngest says, "AWWWWWW! That’s a BAD WORD!"
I’m all for a kinder, gentler, more considerate world. And I’m glad my kids are learning that some words are indeed hurtful. It’s never nice to tell someone they’re stupid or a moron, and heaven only knows that young kids have as many self-esteem problems as their adolescent counterparts. In some ways, my kids and their classmates are learning to hold their tongues rather than unleash a volley of insults at some poor classmate who doesn’t know the correct answer, or when to throw the ball so the other team doesn’t score.
While on one hand I do get tired of hearing that something I say is a "BAD WORD!", I do wish that this over-cleansing of language would work itself into the adult world. I know it’s hard to restrain yourself when you’ve smashed your thumb with the hammer for the umpteenth time, or unexpectedly sliced your hand open on the table saw and the pain blots out any sensible or clean words that could possibly come to mind. It’s hard to squeeze out an "OH DEAR!" when your entire body is screaming every offensive swear that comes to mind.
My own dad was quite creative with his swears, much like the dad in Jean Shepard’s "A Christmas Story." Those of you familiar with the film remember young Ralphie’s awe as he hears his dad cussing out the furnace, the Bumpus Hounds, and the inevitable day young Ralphie himself tries out the F-bomb as he drops the lug nuts for the soon-to-be-changed tire on the family car.
Still, we kids knew that what dad said was not always appropriate for us to say. It’s obvious that some kids don’t get that lesson at home and so our schools must take over. In doing so, a lot of words are banned that aren’t really swears, but considered inappropriate for kids of a certain age.
There’s a time and place for everything. Whether or not we agree with this list of banned and possibly innocuous words and phrases, I think it could be agreed that there are some people, young and old, who could do with a refresher course on appropriate language.
