Four letter words

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My dad raised us to believe that to talk using four letter words showed a lack of self control. I used them as a teen but as I approached the end of the teen years, I realized that they did sound pretty bad coming from the mouth of a Catholic. Of course, that was always one of the point my dad made - Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in front of Our Lord since that’s where we are at all times.

I was just thinking about this topic because I went to the Walk for Life in San Francisco last weekend. The pro-aborts lined the streets spewing four letter words and I mean spewing. My kids didn’t know what the heck they were saying since neither of us profanities and they are homeschooled. I told them they were not to use that language - ever and how it really doesn’t make any sense in the context it’s usually used. I spent the whole day telling them that throughout their lives they would have to choose whether they’d want to hang out with people like those or the people that were with us. That was the main reason I brought them. We’re always trying to give examples of what sin does to people and this was one of the best places to see this exemplified. I think when my kids think of swearing that they’ll always remember that that’s what those people who were for killing babies were quite fond of the four letter words and they won’t want to do it - at least I hope. 😉
 
I voted never, but in reality it is closer to never than “when upset by accident”, although it’s not never :whistle:
 
I do not. Since I am a teacher, I do not want it to “slip.” When my daughter was in 1st and 2nd grade, she had no idea what the bad words were. How is that for being sheltered.😃

Peace,
Jen
 
I work and was raised in a manufacturing environment so my level of vulgarity training was very thorough. At one time, you could say it was like an art form.

Now I don’t swear unless I get angry or it just slips out. I am trying to control it better because it really is disgusting. This is the same mouth I receive Jesus with at mass.

Peace,
Trevor
 
I am fortunate in that neither I nor anyone in my family ever uses any vulgar language such as that. Thus, having never allowed myself the luxury of even “pretending” to say them, they simply aren’t in my brain’s automatic response sector.

However, I will say, “gosh, heck, darn, shoot” – and I don’t consider them to be vulgar or otherwise offensive in the least. Perhaps if I was speaking in that way around my grandmother it would be offensive, but for me and my peers (I’m 21) those words have no more meaning than “ah! oh! ack! eek!” etc. They and phrases they are often found in no longer have the meaning of the phrases they were originally derived from. They are now just unrefined sounds for expressing surprise, shock, annoyance, pain, etc.

I fully expect that within 100 years the words that are currently considered vulgar will have lost that significance.
 
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Timidity:
I’m just curious about the “four-letter word” usage amongst fellow forum readers.

Myself, I don’t use four-letter words. not because of any great moral backbone or anything, I was just “undersocialized” at the age when kids start using those words, and so I never developed the habit.

My spouse, on the other hand, uses such language as part of normal vocabulary, it doesn’t really bother me unless our daughter is present.
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Look at the highlights. We may use more four letter words than we think.🙂

Using obscene language stunts a person’s vocabulary. Those words substitute more appropriate words. I find that type of language not only offensive, but lacking creativity. I do not tolerate it in my home.
 
WORK is a four letter word. Some people think it is a bad four letter word 😃

However, housework is an even dirtier word 😃
 
I never use them. I’ve found that girls will actual notice this and they really like it. So that’s motivation enough to not start cursing :D.
 
I do not use vulgar or “swear” words at all, I never have in all 49 years of my life.

One thing that puzzles me is that I am a liscensed amateur (ham) radio operator and wjth very few exceptions, other ham operators stick to the law very strickly, and do not use swear words over the air; but when off the air, most hams I know use vulgar and swear words with every other breath.

Isn’t it amazing how they can remember to swear when they are not on the air?:confused:
 
Hmm, well, I’m so over cussing. Used to do it, I picked it up from some friends with whom I no longer associate for many reasons, and I really wish I never started. Now, I have kicked the habit (it only took one week, but let me tell you, I had to exert some effort). Nasty habit to start…I heard somebody start going off with cuss words one day, and realized how stupid I must sound using them. It did become so colloquial for me that I found myself injecting it into conversations that it really didn’t belong in. And while I used to use them driving, I have found that I have much more enjoyable drives, with less stress now that I check my speech.

Eamon
 
I don’t say curse words to people, however I catch myself at some times of anger mumbling them under my breath or thinking them. I have a tendancy to sometimes use those words online and I shouldn’t because it’s just as bad, but for some reason I think because it’s in text it’s not so bad. I still have alot of work to do in that department.
 
I used to swear a lot–the f word, the s word, mf even. I was bad. It was part of my normal speech. But, I never said gd. I don’t swear at all now. After I saw the Passion of the Christ, I started a cover to cover Bible read, then began a conversion to Catholicism that I never dreamed would be something I would do, and stopped swearing almost immediately. Amazing stuff.

Sheri
 
Language is a toolbox
A good mechanic tries to have a tool for each occasion

Sometimes a scatological, obscene, or even profane word is just the right thing

Back in High school we had some priests who could swear like sailors when the need arose. They were great examples to me
 
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BLB_Oregon:
Recently, one of my 5 year olds said in an irritated tone, “Now I need to go outside and get that d*m water to stay in place.” I’d never heard him talk that way, when it occurred to me that he might not mean what I first thought. “Honey, do you mean you need to fix your dam so that the water stays behind it?” “Yes, my dam keeps breaking and the dam water keeps coming out.” “Oh, I can help you with that… and honey, we call that ‘lake’ water, not ‘dam’ water.”
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That reminds me of a funny story about my youngest daughter. WHenever I would wash her hair I would put my hand above her eyes to stop any water from inadvertantly dripping into her eyes. One day I forgot to do this and she said, “Mom, use your dam hand.” Luckily, I didn’t start shouting but asked some questions. She wasn’t cussing just equating the action of my hand with the kind of dam that stops water. FUnny.
 
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deb1:
That reminds me of a funny story about my youngest daughter. WHenever I would wash her hair I would put my hand above her eyes to stop any water from inadvertantly dripping into her eyes. One day I forgot to do this and she said, “Mom, use your dam hand.” Luckily, I didn’t start shouting but asked some questions. She wasn’t cussing just equating the action of my hand with the kind of dam that stops water. FUnny.
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That is funny.

I cuss enough to make a sailor blush. It’s just part of how I talk. I don’t cuss in front of my parents, and I try not to cuss when I’m about to do something church-related, but I fall a lot, and when I do, a 4-letter word or two (or more, if it hurts bad enough) usually escapes- whether I’m at church or not- that hasn’t happened inside of a church yet- I hope it never does. I accidentally cussed in the Catholic bookstore in my town- in front of my mom, and the owner of the store:o
 
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m134e5:
That is funny.

I cuss enough to make a sailor blush. It’s just part of how I talk. I don’t cuss in front of my parents, and I try not to cuss when I’m about to do something church-related, but I fall a lot, and when I do, a 4-letter word or two (or more, if it hurts bad enough) usually escapes- whether I’m at church or not- that hasn’t happened inside of a church yet- I hope it never does. I accidentally cussed in the Catholic bookstore in my town- in front of my mom, and the owner of the store:o
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I’ve been fighting this for almost a year now! It’s so hard to remove those words from my vocabulary, especially when I’m annoyed. I’ve found that I cuss less now that I’m thinking of it, but hoo boy it’s hard.
 
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raphaela:
I use the “four letter words” all the time…I know I shouldn’t but it’s a habit I picked up in elementary/secondary school that just won’t go away. My mom hates it so I try not to use them around her, and I definetly don’t use them around children at all. My fiance is the same way, he swears all the time, but when I say the Lord’s name in vain (by accident usually) he corrects me everytime he hears it, which used to be a lot, but now I never say it.
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This is just an observation - But if you have control over what you say around your Mom and kids then you also have control over what you say at all other times. You gotta wanna.

May the Holy Spirit fill you with His Love,

Donna
 
I’m a cusser, too, particularly when I’m trying to work and my computer acts up. I was raised with cussing and now am married to a corrections officer who cusses constantly, so it is hard for it not to seem normal to me (except the F bomb - that irritates me, though again, I do sometimes use it in reference to my computer!).

I do remember the only time my Grandmother ever heard me cuss - I dropped a jar of dill pickles on my foot, and it REALLY hurt. I was maybe 14-15, and I yelled REALLY loud, “D**n it to h*ll!” I was so embarrassed, but she just laughed. Foul language really irritates my daughter, and she never fails to point it out to me when I say something “naughty”, so she’s been a good mediating influence, and I’m not as bad as I used to be.
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m134e5:
That is funny.

I cuss enough to make a sailor blush. It’s just part of how I talk. I don’t cuss in front of my parents, and I try not to cuss when I’m about to do something church-related, but I fall a lot, and when I do, a 4-letter word or two (or more, if it hurts bad enough) usually escapes- whether I’m at church or not- that hasn’t happened inside of a church yet- I hope it never does. I accidentally cussed in the Catholic bookstore in my town- in front of my mom, and the owner of the store:o
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I do pretty good at home…my wife tears me a new one if I cuss at home. At work…well, thats another story. I work in an all-male environment. Many of us are ex-military (I didn’t cuss much before I joined the Army…now I can be obscene with the best of them), and I just have a hard time stopping. Its my regular for confessions…

I’ve managed to stop saying Jes-- Ch— or G-d D–n for the most part…and I’ve cut down on a particular word that starts with ‘F’, but I can’t seem to stop cussing…there’s too much of it around me, and frankly I wouldn’t fit in around here if I stopped…
 
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