I used to swear a lot. I decided to not swear at all (except for possibly mild swears), instead replacing most swears with minced oaths.

My family is Christian and I would get yelled at for swearing even if it just slipped out. So far, I don’t swear unless I’m feeling a strong emotion or acting impulsively, but I’ll usually say things like “F/eff” or “fudge” instead of the F-word.

I like to be “creative”, so my go-tos are usually “Go fudge yourself”, or “What the cluck?”

I might say “mother lover” instead of MF

  • adamhepner@szmer.infoPolski
    4·
    3 days ago

    No, it would do my mother tongue a disservice! There are so many flowery and imaginative ways to express emotions using swearwords in Polish…

  • jbrains@sh.itjust.works
    171·
    3 days ago

    I don’t understand why such minced oaths are socially acceptable among people who don’t want to swear for religious reasons. Do they really not realize that they’re thinking “fuck” and effectively saying “fuck”?!

    And what about the Catholics who take the position that a sin in thought is just as evil as a sin in deed?

    Either say “fuck” or stop even thinking “fuck”. Anything in between is disingenuous bullshit.

    To answer your question, no. I try to comply with folks who don’t want me to swear around their kids, but I volunteer to do that as a courtesy and can’t be coerced into it except by real force.

  • Didros@beehaw.org
    4·
    3 days ago

    As an online gamer:
    Call someone a slur - boring, stupid, causes harm but rarely to the target.
    Call someone an ‘absolute potato’ - seething rage, I am NOT a potato!

  • VeldtSchema@lemmy.mlNederlands
    3·
    3 days ago

    Not me. I’d explode without swearing. I made a point to avoid gendered swear words though. And also to not use them in arguments.

  • Carrot@lemmy.today
    3·
    2 days ago

    I tend not to swear. I never swear in front of children since it’s very common for parents to hate that. If I do swear, it’s usually from something drastic, like a lot of pain or if I’ve messed something up irreperably. I avoid explatives in normal situations though, and when I use them I prefer to use a goofier explative than a swear, like “ay ay ay”, “uff da”, “oy vey”, and things like that. I just find it more fun, and keeps my mentality light in a rough situation. I grew up religious, so I have an unreasonable hatred of replacement words and won’t use them.

    I will use curse words in phrases that I think require them, such as “shit-eatting grin” or “shitshow” because I don’t know phrases that describe those things any more aptly.

  • rigatti@lemmy.worldEnglish
    53·
    5 days ago

    If you’re using direct replacement words and the sentiment is the same, what’s the point?

  • Polderviking@feddit.nl
    10·
    4 days ago

    I pump the brakes with the swearing if I’m around kids, complete strangers, or people I know really take offense to it, i’m honestly not trying to be rude on purpose.

    But other than that, no. I swear a lot and have no intention to lessen that. It’s an excellent coping mechanism for stress and it doesn’t hurt anybody or, in fact, anything.

    Replacing it with things like “what the cluck” would only add to the anger I feel in the moment because I think that’s horribly cringe.

  • vext01@lemmy.sdf.org
    16·
    4 days ago

    I disagree. Swearing a useful expressive tool.

    Just don’t overuse it and know situations where it’s best not used.

  • AnonomousWolf@lemm.ee
    10·
    4 days ago

    I think swearing is good if not overused.

    I’ve heard studies show that people who swear are trusted more, something about them coming across more open and genuine.

  • jafffacakelemmy@mander.xyzEnglish
    12·
    4 days ago

    Swearing is brilliant if you smash your thumb with a hammer, or break something expensive. If you swear all the time in normal conversation you don’t have any special words left to use when those things I mentioned happen.

    • Pulptastic@midwest.socialEnglish
      22·
      4 days ago

      Shouting “asparagus” is just as good, neurologically. It’s the action that matters, not the word.

  • PonyOfWar@pawb.social
    20·
    5 days ago

    I don’t exactly talk like a sailor but I don’t censor myself either. I think swearing is much less of a big deal in my culture than it seems to be in conservative America. For example, bleeped-out words on TV or radio are not a thing here. I have not and will never use any “replacement words”, those just seem forced and silly to me.