My $.02 worth...

> ...I think for most people it's that:
> 1: the words have been so integrated into the language they cease to be in the least vulgur, offensive, or insulting to many members of younger generations

Actually, that's what bugs me about it. Not so much the cussing in *itself*, but rather the fact that it shows how desensitized people have become to it all.

> 2: they join the ranks of 'like' and 'y'know' as meaningless phrases peppered throughout the hesitant speaker's sentences [ie, man, I am so f***ing tired. Been hanging out with f***ing Tom and Dick again, smokin' some of that good f***ing s*-t.] Took me a bit to adjust when I first noticed it to the fact that people would cuss out their best friends in a complimentary way

Now *that* annoys me. Really. I mean, at least when those same words have *some* semblance of meaning in the sentence, there's a reasonable excuse... but examples like this just grate on my ears (and nerves).

> 3: rebellion
> 4: comformity
> [they go perfectly well together]

Heh. Looking around at my generation, I like to think of myself as a rebel against rebels in general...

> 5: 's harder to stop than one might think [hangs head]
> 6: adds emphasis when speaking to people not desensitized

Or, in some cases, is just annoying to the latter.

> 7: fun idioms §:-)
> 8-sub-1: ticks older people off [youth]
> 8-sub-2: sounds like youth [adults]

Heh. A bit off-topic, ever realize how ironic the phrase "adult language" really is? ;-)

> 9: it's how the language was learned.
>
> There are more, but this is off the top of my head at a quarter past one, so bear with me. I know, none are very good, but the main reasons I can think of for not cussing are:
> 1: creates fewer problems with authority figures
> 2: better first-impressions
> 3: speech more fluid; less inturruptions/distractions
> 4: forces use of more descriptive language
>
> etc. These don't hold much weight with a lot of people.

But those for whom they *do* hold weight seem more eloquent in general...

> I'm referring mainly in this post to the chain-cussers, the ones who have several words per sentence not fit to type here. On sitcoms and such, I believe it's just an attempt to capture the language. Every-day-type cussing [not as extreme, the words still have meaning] it's not considered a big deal and so is often not even an issue to be addressed.

I agree with that. Again, cussing in small bits doesn't really bug me. But those who throw about ten or fifteen expletives in a single sentence...aaaagh. Not offensive as much as just plain annoying.

-- codeman"blankety-blank"38