Do people curse/swear more often today than they did in the past?

[Ken Cheng]

It seems to me that expletives fly more freely in daily life today than they when I was a child. We know that it's more tolerated in the mass media now than it was in decades past, but what about in general? Do people curse/swear more now than they did in the past, or is it really not that much different?

[kidd]

Depends on the social group. I heard people use curse words since I was a kid. They just use them like they are normal speech.

So, no, people don't curse more often than in the past. It's the same.

[kay &!*]

this reminds of a thread.. i forgot who started it, but the person created the thread due to me cussin at him during an argument, hah
something about using curse words in debates or something. oh well, i've cussed too many times at too many diff ppl

i'd say it's not any more often now than it was in the past. just more in the media, like u mentioned.

[remember_Cedric]

this reminds of a thread.. i forgot who started it, but the person created the thread due to me cussin at him during an argument, hah
something about using curse words in debates or something. oh well, i've cussed too many times at too many diff ppl

i'd say it's not any more often now than it was in the past. just more in the media, like u mentioned.

But we like how you do it. You cuss with sincerity and style!

[KeongJai]

In the past insults used to have class and wit.

[Candide]

Fvck yeah!

In the past insults used to have class and wit.

Only the witty and classy insults stood the test of time and were passed onto the next generations.

[Ken Cheng]

In the past insults used to have class and wit.

Today, people would say, "f**k you!"

Back then, it was more like, "v**ken ze you!"

Six letters instead of four...such sophistication!

[KeongJai]

Actually they would have said something like.
"May I have the pleasure of your absence?"
But now people say "**** off"

[Ghaleon]

In the past insults used to have class and wit.

In modern times, everyone thinks they can do it. So it's not the same anymore.

[pemberly]

it may be more acceptable in the media now, but i don't think ppl curse more. you think ppl back in the day were more polite because when most ppl think about the past, they think about the upper class and characters in books and such. if you look at the regular illiterate plebeians of the past, they probably cursed more than us. we have the benefit of formal education, and society in general now is more politically correct.

[darkcser]

It seems to me that expletives fly more freely in daily life today than they when I was a child. We know that it's more tolerated in the mass media now than it was in decades past, but what about in general? Do people curse/swear more now than they did in the past, or is it really not that much different?

I thought people swore more in the 80's. At least they swore more in movies. A couple of weeks ago I was watching the original Back to the Future (probably my favorite film of all time), and was quite surprised.

[Ghaleon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrvMTv_r8sA

[Trien Chieu]

it may be more acceptable in the media now, but i don't think ppl curse more. you think ppl back in the day were more polite because when most ppl think about the past, they think about the upper class and characters in books and such. if you look at the regular illiterate plebeians of the past, they probably cursed more than us. we have the benefit of formal education, and society in general now is more politically correct.

Agree.
I would like to add that people in the past smoke a lot more than now as well. However, people do a lot more drugs now than in the past.

[Dennis Chen]

I'd have to say it happens less. Back when Heavy Metal was all the rage, every other word was an expletive.