Word Play
We all have those words that make us cringe. For some it is the sound of a word, how it ‘feels’ in our mouth when we say it or more legitimately, the negative connotations of a word, such as racially or sexually derogatory terms. I read an interesting article on HuffingtonPost.com (see link below) discussing our physical aversions to certain words which had me pondering my own cringe worthy speech.
To be frank I have a horrible habit of swearing. Many think it is unladylike and for the most part, I cannot disagree. However, swear words are in many ways a form of expression. Historically swearing has been associated with the nonreligious and lower-class but I feel you can now add to that list the ‘modern’ adult, the early forty-somethings and thirty-somethings on down (YAs, teens, tweens and humorously, the occasional 4-year-old). I can tell you with certainty that I’ve dropped a few f-bombs in mixed company and seen the physical aversion to such an auditory affront bubble up on someone’s visage. Secretly (or rather as I’m blogging this, not so secretly) I enjoy their response…what can I say, I like making people squirm. But more, I think I like knocking people off their high horse…they put far too much superiority into being human. But then again, what the fuck do I know?
Sticks and stones have broken plenty of bones but at the end of the day, it is just a word and true enough, it had never done anything to you. Redirect that aversion, anger and animosity towards your fellow human beings…they’re the one’s wielding words as weapons.
So, as a girlfriend used to say: