About Profanity Use Among Americans

The American culture is probably the most vile when it comes to the use of profanity. The country that seems to have it all must appear very uncultured to those countries where etiquette reigns strong. While profanity certainly isn't unique to Americans, it plays a unique role in out society.

History

Profanity typically refers to a word, expression or even a gesture that is considered insulting or rude. Historically known as taboo words, many have withstood the test of time, and variations thereof exist today.

Types

Several common types of profanity are prevalent in the United States today. Dysphemistic swearing is the exact opposite of using a euphemism; in actuality it can mean using the wrong euphemism. Abusive swearing is intimidating. It degrades or threatens those it is used towards. Idiomatic swearing is senseless and meaningless. Teenagers use idiomatic swearing because they believe it makes them sound tough, or it makes them part of what they perceive to be a "cool" crowd.

Types

Emphatic profanity is used to emphasize something; usually something that isn't quite as big, beautiful, wonderful or worthwhile as the user of the phrase is stating. Cathartic profanity is swearing that indicates something unpleasant or bad is happening in the person's life. It is meant to make others feel that the one swearing has it worse that most others do.

Types

Blasphemy is spoken about in the Bible, and is one of the more common forms of profanity in the United States today. Blasphemy refers to "taking the Lord's name in vain," and is an increasingly popular manner of using blatant profanity.

Features

Profanity can also mean using words considered as racial slurs or words that degrade specific groups of people. Whether specifically ethnic or geared toward insulting groups of people with a specific disability, such words are indeed considered to be profanity.

Potential

Many terms deemed completely inappropriate in the 1960s and 1970s have found their way into TV shows and radio broadcasts (initially only on programs aired late at night). More recently these same terms and words of profanity have become increasingly more commonplace. Profanity will undoubtedly continue to prevail in the entertainment industry and in our daily conversations.