So, what’s the point of unsayable words that we regularly say? According to Emma Byrne, author of Swearing Is Good for You, profanities are a fundamental part of our language, performing a vital role in our development. Blaspheming – the mere mention of God or Jesus – was once beyond the bounds, as was the word “bloody”. We know this because the nature and type of unsayable words changes across time and cultures. It’s not so much about what they describe – the words “sex”, “rectum” and “vagina”, for example, do not require asterisks – but more about what they represent: the unsayable. However, in spite of their widespread circulation and occasional profitability, these words remain marginal, suspect, unacceptable in polite society. Indeed some people struggle to describe the world, or their feelings, without extensive recourse to such words, while there are standup comedians and celebrity chefs who build careers out of using little else.
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