Why do people resort to swear words when there are many other appropriate words for everything??

Question

Like instead of saying butt, people say a**! and instead of saying shoot, they say sh*t! why do people swear when there's an affective appropriate alternative to the swear?

Answer 1

Swear words are just as effective, and in many cases, a "swear" word conveys more feeling than saying poop, or crap, or darn, or shoot ...

There's nothing wrong with using so-called "swear words".

Answer 2

Swearing is a bad habit and makes the user look ignorant. Most of the time it's because they lack the vocabulary to more appropriately express a thought or feeling. Personally, I reserve the strong language for when I really mean it. If I used it all the time no one would know when I was serious. But I am capable of couching my "bad words" in language that still clearly conveys what I mean. Sadly, people just don't have good verbal skills anymore.

Thanks for caring. :)

Answer 3

Well, I've come to personally understand that some "swear-words" are necessary in some situations. They simply fit better than another substitute, such as "shoot" or "butt". Language is language is language. Yes, those words are offensive to some, and they are inappropriate in some situations, but they are utmost correct in others. It is the right of some people to swear, and the right of others to refrain from swearing. To try and censor or tell people they cannot use "swear-words" is to cut back on the English language, as in Orwellian Newspeak in the book 1984.

Answer 4

Mostly it is just habit.
They don't have a decent working knowledge of the English language therefore resort to words they feel comfortable with. Unfortunately it just proves them to be of low class or possessing of a lesser intellect or lack of proper education whether from home or school.
An English professor could easily have a child who swears instead of expressing him or herself properly if that child was never admonished for cursing or given alternative ways to convey their message.

Answer 5

When you're very angry about something, no word is better than swear words. I mean, it's not just the "dictionary meaning" "Butt" is not so strong as the other word, which I'm not typing because I don't want to see three asterisks, here. And the same goes for "shoot", and so on. Each word is different, because if there were two exactly identical words, one of them would immediately disappear, because it would be useless. So, if the two words are different, both of them deserve their place.

Answer 6

Poor vocabulary + little imagination

My favorite alternative curse is "Son of a betcha thought I was gonna swear!" Since I curse so seldom, when I start helling and damning, people take it seriously.

Answer 7

why is it that the prudes force me to use inaccurate terms for things, I can not say *** for example to describe an equine, many other examples occur, but those who want to use the word can insert spaces A S S, or similar symbols A$$, or even the infamous Asterisk, *ss, if you ban the word you only make it stronger. So what if little kids fall on their ***, so what if Jesus rode into town on his ***.

I do not think my vocabulary is weak,nor am I low IQ, sorry prudence my dear

Answer 8

It takes quite a bit for me to cuss. It happens once in a while, but I am very bothered with how much I hear it in schools and other public places. There are many other constructive words to use!

Answer 9

There are appropriate times for swear words too. They are more emphatic.

Answer 10

I think it has something to do with shock value. It annoys me to no end with the growing trend of using foul language every where you go. The clerks in grocery stores, office workers, and our children who are saturated with it, leading to them choosing the words they here. A sad growing acceptance of many people.