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To condemn politicians for swearing in private contexts, as Biden did, is nothing but hypocritical, Jay said. In many social settings, like among teenagers or rugby players, he added, it would be strange not to use foul language. Throughout history, swear words have reflected the taboos of time and place.
A century or two ago, religious words dominated the lewd lexicon: Hell and damn were unspeakable in proper company. Biden's profanity of choice has 15th-century Germanic origins, said lexicographer Jesse Sheidlower, editor at large of the Oxford English Dictionary and author of a book called "The F-Word. Despite popular rumors, it is not an acronym for "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" or anything else.
Over the centuries, the word has appeared repeatedly in obscene contexts in letters and poems, sometimes written in code. At some point in the 20th century, Sheidlower said, it began to reach beyond its sexual connotations. As the word became more figurative, it took on an unmatched level of versatility.
Nowadays, the expletive of choice would probably no longer be the name of God. The expressions that were spared by aphasia would probably get you in trouble in Cheshire, Dartford, Canterbury or any of the 15 British councils that have banned swearing. They would, however, allow such patients to vent their frustration at having lost all other linguistic function.
Swearing plays an important role in maintaining mental hygiene and sanity because it is associated with relieving unpleasant emotions, feelings and sensations. This suggests that the swearwords we acquired early, while we learned to speak, fundamentally connect us to our deepest emotions. Small children often delight in the shock they can produce by using simple words — even though they may have no idea what the word means or why it is so inappropriate — and these impressions stay with us.
Historical linguistics tells us that this has always been the case. The things we swore by have changed over the centuries from religious taboos to physical ones, and vary from country to country.
In Dutch, if you want to insult someone badly you will tell them to contract a horrible disease, while in Chinese, if you are calling someone a show-off, you might say that they are blowing steam into the private parts of a cow.
Whatever the expletive of choice, the fact that people swear — and that others object to it — is probably as old as language itself. Wherever there is a substantial enough record of an ancient language, there is a record of swearing.
So when that policeman in Cheshire or Dartford or Canterbury tries to fine you, just tell them that you were swearing for purely medicinal reasons — and that they are fighting a battle that was lost thousands of years ago.
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