23.2.08
I've just never been much of a cusser. When I was very young, I landed in hot boiling oil for saying "gosh", so for many years, "gosh" was my rebel word.
Gosh! Because, we're told, it's watered-down version of God and that would be bad. I guess. One of them there Commandments.
Growing up, my classmates assumed that I avoided the four-letter lexicon out of choice and they, almost uniformly and despite the fact that I kept changing schools, didn't use them around me because of that. This had the effect of ensuring I didn't actually know any four-letter words. You really do not want to know how old I was when I first (a) heard the word "fuck" and (b) learned what it meant (a preceded b by a number of years).
I have no strong feelings about talking blue. Talk blue all you want. Except I can't normally talk blue as my husband will protest ("Constance What!?!") and my children are too young and on my blog, I once lost readers over the word "crap". When I got the comments about crap, my only thought was CRAPTASTIC.
So it's under the breath "goddamn fuckity fuck fuck fuck" if I ever feel the need to let loose at home which is actually pretty frequent as little Jack is really very good at finding new ways to piss. me. off.
But everyone in my life? Still thinks I'm squeaky clean.
Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.
10 comments:
Ha ha! You lost readers over the word "crap"?? Ha ha ha! Better not say "nertz" or you won't have anyone left!
I once lost a reader because I TOOK OUT things that religious people would call taking the Lord's name in vain. I took them OUT so they wouldn't offend people, and she found it offensive that I would even mention doing that.
You seriously lost readers over Crap? I do censor my words a bit because I know I have a few very strong Christian readers and they are just the sweetest women, and I probably need the moral compass. Plus, otherwise I would probably be cussing waaaaay too much otherwise. If it is important to the story however, or I'm really fired up, I will let whatever I want to fly. I do cuss way more in my mind, than what actually ever comes out of my mouth in real life however.
I so totally lost readers over the word crap. Sometimes I take a little walk on the wild side and say "dang". Ha!
On the plus side, my blog's complete Pollyanna Goody Two Shoes reputation has ensured that the Chinese government has not yet seen fit to ban my site...
You site design is BEAUTIFUL. Love it!
Oh my Gosh! My grandmother used to call it "wooden swearing"... My husband used to laugh when I broke out with the occasional cuss word although I have gotten far better at letting go. Constance the billionth, I do the same on my blog. I know there are some wonderful Christian ladies who care about me and I would hate to offend them.
Artemisia -- thanks! :)
Laura -- wooden swearing, I love that! I'll have to remember that one. I don't want to offend the readers of my regular blog, either -- some of them have been with me for a long time and I really value their friendship -- but I do wish that I didn't feel like I was crossing the line with 'crap' and 'darn' and so on. Nertz! ;)
Wow, crap. I don't think I would even be conscious enough about using "crap" to realize I needed to avoid it!
My "open" site is all clean & family friendly (because I know my soon-to-be-SIL & one of my cousin's reads it & they would rat my unholy tail out to my mom in a hot second over it)
So there is a fair amount of cursing in my apartment. I try not to keep it sleazy & only use when germaine to the conversation ~ but still ... Every once in a while a good F**K is just cleansing.
Leah -- I was the same (didn't realize it was a big deal) until the angry emails and comments! Cah-rayzie!
C-1-M -- my mom used to read my blog, of all things (although she doesn't anymore -- a post in and of itself!). Talk about feeling the pressure of censorship, ugh. It wasn't just the cussing but *so*many* other issues that I had to skirt around or else just not talk about; I once posted a YouTube which offended both her politics and her religion (because for her, they are one and the same) and she didn't talk to me for a year.
i remember walking in to the kitchen at about age 13 and hearing my aunt call my mom a douche bag. all in good fun... and thusly began my (now) long and illustrious swearing career.
:P
-constance, a googleplex
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