Do I have a "Potty Mouth"?

Question

I'm a London babe, late twenties. I swear. A bit more than ladies, but not as much as chavs. Not in every sentence, but I'm not afraid to express myself with profanaties. Is this really wrong? Am I trailor trash? Or is it just the way of the world these days?

Answer 1

No, I find myself doing it a lot as well. I have had to stuffle it lately since my son is starting to talk but I find that I 'slip-up' a lot more than I think. Sometimes I get bad reactions, but oh well. Life goes on right?

Answer 2

I can't really say that you have a "Potty Mouth." In general, it's best to express yourself without swear words, but it's really not that big of a deal to throw one in here and there. Think about it: They're just words that, over time, people have decided to be bad words.

I try not to swear, and I'm usually pretty good about it. I rarely do it when I'm around other people. But when I'm alone, and an irritation presents itself, I sometimes let a g-dd-mnit or something related slip out.

You gotta admit, though, sometimes an occasional swear can really spice up an expression.

And I hope this isn't inappropriate to say, but I actually kind of like hearing British people cuss. For some reason, those words just sound a little different when spoken in that accent. I don't know why. = D

Answer 3

"Potty Mouth" is a fairly apt description for it.

It's a bit like letting farts slip out of your mouth as you talk. Not a crime against humanity, but not terribly pleasant for those around you, either.

I work with 14 other "westerners" in a Japanese office, and when we swear (yes, me too) I can't help but feel a bit self-conscious knowing that another 14 or so polite (and English-speaking) Japanese men and women are within earshot.

I know, I know: maybe they swear like sailors in their own language, right? Not so. They have swear words, but few of them and they are rarely used by educated people in public.

So...it's not necessarily "the way of the world", it's just the way of OUR world. We think it's normal now, but go back to a mixed office setting even just 30 or 40 years, or go to a foreign country that has very different views on "civilized" behaviour, and you'd find yourself having to rethink "normal". "Normal" and "proper" are almost synonymous, aren't they? Still, I can't imagine our behaviour ever being accepted as proper.

Long story short: I'll try to keep the freakin' swearing to a minimum. Thanks for bringing it up.

Answer 4

I was always told by my Grandmother that erudite and articulate people find better words to swear with than just the standard naughty seven.

I'll own up to the occaisional (and sometimes more than occaisional) four-letter word escaping my thoughts to be verbalized, but on the whole I do try to think of things to say that express my thoughts more clearly.

I tend to swear out of frustration, anger or pain...but anyone can call someone a B*tch. It takes a higher mind to call her a "snitty little guttersnipe who wishes she could afford last year's Pradas."

Answer 5

I tend to agree that our propensity for mindless swearing is indeed becoming a way of the world these days. A person swears because they lack the words to express what's on their mind. Unfortunately, I am just as guilty as you or anyone else though I continually work on the issue.

Answer 6

Back in the day, I always used to think that people who swore a lot simply didn't have any intelligent words to help them express themselves.
Well, that's over and for a long time, I swore like a sailor.
Since the first of the year, I've tried really ahrd to clean up my act. It is not nice for a young lady to have a potty mouth.
Do you have one? IDK. I'd have to hear one of your general conversations. But if you have to ask, you probably have one. Are you trash? No. Is it wrong? No. It's personal preference.

Answer 7

Of course you are not trailer trash, but some people may find it offending if you swear around them...believe me, i have first hand experience. I used to swear a lot, but now i don't.

Answer 8

I would say you have a potty mouth if lots of your expressions, profane or not, are always about bodily functions. I can deal with profanities - I just get sick and tired of the poop, pee, butt, gentials and spit references that seem to be an everyday topic of conversation.

It's actually becoming "original" NOT to swear. Go figure.

Answer 9

I swear a lot too, I'm just selective of who I do it in front of. Like in front of my mom I would say damn and s**t but never the F bomb. If you use a swear in every other sentence it tends to make you look ignorant.

Answer 10

its the way of the world these days!!
i do the same! not every sentance like you, but sometimes i come out with the odd swear word, but its all about expression!!! :o)