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Archiver > GEN-TRIVIA-SCOTLAND > 2001-02 > 0981293945


From:
Subject: Re: An observation
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 08:39:05 EST


In a message dated 04/02/01 4:43:44 AM Central Standard Time,
writes:

<< In December my man (Andy) and I were in Dublin for a weekend break. It
was a lovely place and the people (they probably wouldn't like this) reminded
me very much of Glaswegians (I'm one before anyone says anything!). It was a
really comfortable city to visit and I'll definitely go back But the one
thing I noticed was really prevalent was the use of the F*** word. I wasn't
offended in any way, as I've been known to use it myself when provoked. But
there were blue-rinsed old grannies and small children using it to punctuate
every sentence. (My mother wouldn't dream of using the word.) And as I've
heard the Germans worst profanity is "swinehund" and the Japanese don't have
any swearwords at all, I wondered - does this explain national
characteristics? Not lumping everyone into one boat, but the Japanese and
the Germans are pretty anal retentive. Any thoughts?

Pat >>

English is one of the few, if not the only language that uses sexually
oriented words to express frustration, anger, etc., what we call swears, the
French and Latin languages use blasphemy and biblical or clerical words, as
Tabernack (phoetics used), which is the tabernacle, or Sac-rah-feese, or
sacrifice, and such. Perhaps it is this use of sexual terms results from the
puritan of the English, or it is because using sacrilege could result in such
harsh penalties in non Holy Roman Empire
countries. As for Ireland using sexual slurs, who can explain anything the
Irish do, although this is not a new practice for them, and let us remember
the majority are "professed" followers of the Church of Rome, while Scotland
"professes" to be Protestant, still doesn't get us up early on a Sunday
morning.
Dave

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