OT -- Re: random cover of a range

[Bill Baxter]

On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 11:08 AM, John Reimer <terminal.node at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello Nick,
>
>> "John Reimer" <terminal.node at gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:28b70f8c1460c8cb5f4c18ef2950 at news.digitalmars.com...
>>
>>> So what we have here is a society where people are becoming so used
>>> to hearing and saying expletives and profanity that they no longer
>>> think of their meaning, even though these words retain their meaning
>>> still.
>>>
>> Oh, I very much disagree with this. If I say, for example, "Why isn't
>> this fucking line of code working?" it's blatantly obvious that I'm
>> not remotely talking about sex. Or if someone tells me "Fuck you, you
>> piece of shit!", I'm well aware that the connotation is nothing more
>> than a very strong form of "I'm very angry at you", and that they're
>> not actually talking about sex or excrement. Granted, sometimes such
>> words are used for their original meaning, but in the examples above,
>> the connection between "fuck" and "sex", and the connection between
>> "shit" and "excrement", become nothing more than matters of etymology.
>>
>
>
> You are talking about intent... I'm saying the word still means what it
> originally did even if you use it in the context you do.  I wasn't talking
> about what it connotes when you use it.  Nor did I say that people think of
> this meaning when you say it (you can read that in the above portion).  I
> merely pointed out that this etymology is important part of the definiton of
> how the word became recognized as bad whether or not people recognize that
> or not.  It wasn't just any word that became "bad".
>
>
> I think there are some very good arguments against swearing.  On the jobs
> that I've worked, people notice that I don't swear even though I typically
> make no issue of it.  There is a reason that swearing is bad taste, and I've
> listed them in previous posts and so have others.
>
>
> Anyway, I am getting weary of this conversation, so I'd better leave this
> before I get myself in more trouble here.  If cussing makes you happy, fly
> at it.  But I'd rather not be part in that conversation... or be here
> anymore, for that matter.

Yep, I think all participants have spoken their piece on this topic.
I found it a very interesting discussion.  Thanks!

--bb