Four-letter words are unprintable because they usually refer to sexual or excretory functions. They are regarded as coarse or offensive. The term is recorded from the 1920s.
They are used in offensive phrases to show that you strongly dislike someone or something or you are annoyed. Except in cheap pulp novels, four-letter words are not used in literature.
When I started schooling in the 1940s, four-letter words were taboo and we never used them in conversation. However, when I started working two decades later, I received the shock of my life as many of my colleagues were obsessed with four-letter words.
One of my bosses, an old Thomian, used f-words freely in his conversation, but he was careful not to use them in writing. Another boss used taboo words ‘shit’ whenever he was annoyed.
Rave reviews
A long time ago, some of my friends who had not been to a theatre for years treated themselves to a popular stage play that had received rave reviews. I asked how they had enjoyed their night-out. One of them said, “It was a good play.” Another friend said, “The storyline was good and acting was superb, but …” When she hesitated I felt that there was something wrong with the play. She continued, “You know the only problem was that the foul language some performers used.”
Four-letter words have spread to various fields of activity. In offices, staff rooms, and public places, people use them freely. It may be that once the taboo words are now high fashion. As columnist John Leo noted in ‘U.S. News and World Report’, comedian Eddie Murphy used hundreds of four-letter words in a single performance. Not to be outdone, some of our own performers use such words to please the audience.
American baseball star Lenny Dykstra used the f-word the way others use punctuation. Even the prize-winning play ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ was littered with four-letter words. Some filmmakers and authors are under the impression that the use of foul language reflects real life.
However, there are purists who hate to pollute the language with expletive explosions.
Today, it appears that some young men and women think that no noun is complete without an obscene adjective attached. It is strange that some educated people also use foul language not knowing the damage they are causing.
They perhaps do not know that words can reveal much more about a person’s character. Wise employers know this fact.
A leading businessman once told me that if he found any employee using foul language, he would fire them. The reason was that such employees would use the same foul language with customers.
Foul language
If your child uses foul language, do not ignore it. I can still remember how a father stared at his son who used a four-letter word. He asked his son, “What did you say?” The son realised that the language he had used was not okay at home. Very few parents have the courage to warn their children against the use of foul words in conversation.
One day a commuter grew tired of the stream of obscenities coming from another traveller. At first, he tried to ignore her. On second thought, he decided to intervene. When he raised his voice and asked the woman not to use such offending words in a public place, his words had a profound effect. The woman who was shouting suddenly became silent.
Some people do not take kindly to such criticism. On such occasions, you can turn the criticism into a compliment by saying. “I think so highly of you that it surprises me when I hear you use bad language. I can’t help feeling concerned about the impression you are making on others.” You need some courage to utter such words.
There have been many celebrities who had used foul language. Known for his blunt talk, Vice President Joe Biden was heard telling President Barack Obama, “This is a (expletive)deal” during the signing of the Healthcare Reform Bill.
While he was whispering into the President’s ear, the profanity was picked up by nearby microphones. President Donald Trump addressing Republican supporters in Las Vegas said, “They (OPEC) want to raise the price of oil because we have nobody in Washington that sits back and says, “You’re not going to raise that (expletive) price.”
Swearing vocabulary
Psychologists seem to take a different view. According to them, there is a correlation between people who are good at language and who are good at generating a swearing vocabulary. They say swearing is also associated with social intelligence as it takes cognitive skills to determine where and when it is appropriate to swear and when it is not. Although swearing can be potentially beneficial, we must not forget that it is considered socially unacceptable for many good reasons. Therefore, if you wish to swear, do so sparingly.
If you speak out boldly, you can stop language pollution to a great extent. If nobody stands up and protests, people will continue to use foul language. Isn’t language pollution increasing because we are too eager to follow what others tell us is fashionable. Exercise your rights when someone begins to use foul language.
The world is full of strange people. One day, I objected when a colleague used some unprintable words in his conversation.
He turned towards me angrily and said, “This is the language people use today. It’s the trend!”
I rest my case.
