Frazz by Jef Mallett for March 22, 2015

Remember the lady who got into trouble for using the word “niggard”. People lost their minds. It never occurred to the m that THEY were misinterpreting what she had said-a word with Scandinavian roots that mean stingy, & NOT one that was derived by mangling the Spanish word for black & morphing it into an epithet of hatred.

Rinse his mouth with that mop water.

This is SO true. People are constantly trying to change what a word means. Just look through the Urban Dictionary some time. I was looking up an alternate definition of a word, that I already knew had an alternate one, but someone else tacked on ANOTHER entirely different meaning. It, of course, had to do with the nasty three letter s word, but most of those alternate meanings do.

And as for ‘curse’ words, in some places they’re used so commonly, they’re just another word. Mostly adjectives, but usage may vary.

One of my high school pals had to read a page of a book in English class. He stopped at the word “asinine” because of the ass sound. Another time he had to read “Macbeth”, I think, and stopped at “Out, out, damned spot”. This was in ’62.

Can’t agree with Frazz here. The punishment is not for using the word. The punishment is for using A word inappropriately.

The more inappropriate the use, the worse the punishment.

I totally agree with Frazz. If you want to infuriate a rude person, just nod agreeably while he goes on and on. Action, reaction is what he expected. When the blows lands nowhere it really makes them furious.

It’s the motive and intent behind usage of the word that is the problem.

George Carlin would be proud of Frazz.

Years ago we were watching a golf tournament. Tiger Woods made a bad shot, and said “F—-”, meaning “oh, no” or “Rats” or something like that. People are bent out of shape about it to this day, because someone decided that it’s the “F-bomb” and any use of it in any context has to do with sex, which is oh-so-dirty and evil and so on..It didn’t faze my then eight year old son. He understood what Tiger meant (though to him at the time it was probably a nonsense syllable of irritation). But a few minutes later, there was a commercial — the one with two outdoor bathtubs. And my son watched it and asked “What’s erectile dysfunction?”.So why is one word a “bomb” but a commercial about two older people actually wanting to do “it” accepted, in a daytime broadcast of a sporting event?

As others have pointed out – words do have meanings, meanings that can produce emotional responses. “Propriety” is driven by culture – at the middle school level (where I teach), I have heard students call each other some of the most vulgar and insulting names imaginable (7th grade girls in this case), and when I talk to them about it, the usual response is “that’s OK, she’s my friend.” I have to teach, and re-teach, the lesson that there are indeed different behavioral expectations based on cultural situations and that in my classroom – under my supervision, we all will observe a level of respect and dignity that I define. Failure to comply does have consequences. I am, after all, a Benevolent Autocrat

It has caused me interest in how some words in England are considered vulgar but are not in America and vice versa. Also in America how some words that mean the same thing as swear words are not considered vulgar. It is interesting on what basis a word is considered vulgar.

On the other hand, if you knowingly say things that are likely to offend, it means that either you intend to offend or that you have so devalued the listener that you don’t care about how they perceive you.

Puta in Mexican Spanish is a whore, in Peruvian Spanish a complainer. Pinche in Tex-Mex is mean and stingy, in New Mex- Mex, fornicate. I get in a lot of trouble with that one, raised in Texas, live in New Mexico.

So are Frazz and Mallett saying all language, words and terms should be allowed by and in front of all people of all ages? If a child hears swearing constantly, that’s all he’ll pick up on.

Because I look very white bread suburban and have an extensive vocabulary that I use with relish but also live and shop, and work in pretty rough neighborhoods I have found to my amusement and surprise that using expletives can actually put people at ease. I find myself more easily accepted and approachable. And gosh those supposedly unacceptable words can be expressive and a quick easy stress relief.

There is always a time and place to either refrain or use both the high and low vocabularies.

As I like to say …

Son of a monkey!

I agree with Frazz!

Jeez Frazz that’s a load of Banana Sauce !

Three letter ‘s’ word —

?sex?’sup?

MurderRapeWarTorture-“Bad words”? These words are harmless compared to words that are worse (which I will not post today because it’s Sunday). You strike me as the kind of person who not fear what would happen if you were to say “bad words” without facing the consequences. I used to use “bad words” once (1972-1974) and almost ended losing many friends and almost ending up having an accident (a garbage truck nearly hit me on my way to school) When I told my mother about what nearly happen to me, she told me it was “a warning from God” I gasped! From then on, I made that New Year’s Resolution to swear off swearing. And to this day, I have.

is Frazz an aspie?

Night gaunt I usaully agree with you. Here too. Murder, torture, rape, war and a few others, may not be curse words, but that the thing they represent is obscene.

Alright Frazz, go “relinquish control” to the principal by calling him the N-word. Or would that be offensive?

Also, this “argument” isn’t internally logical. If what Frazz is saying is correct, then you’re only relinquishing control if the hearer decides it’s offensive. Given that relinquishing control is supposedly the opposite of offensive, Frazz is essentially saying “It’s inoffensive because other people might consider it offensive.”

Put another way, “Because people have free will to interpret things however they like, I can’t consider anything I do to be offensive, since I’m not the one making that decision.” Talk about simplistic.

I wish the face of the boy hadn’t sunk below the level of the panel. I would love to have seen his expression.