Cuss in conversation

Question

Hi.There are some cuss which are used in conversations amongst close friends.The other day, I saw two friends addressing eachother in the follwoing way.Ex. Hey bas-tard, you lucky son of a bit-ch. Are you fu-cking kidding me?I don't know if this way of talking is common or it is rare.What would be your reaction if you hear your close friend address you like that?I am looking for the level of impoliteness of these words in everyday conversation.Cheers

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

In certain contexts where hip hop and rap music is accepted as symphony, these obscenities have become so banal that they are used casually, even as terms of endearment. Out of this social context, they are just marks of descending into the verbal gutter.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

For obvious reasons, this is a tricky subject to discuss. I'll try.

There are some cuss which are used in conversations amongst close friends.
The word 'cuss' is slang, based on 'curse'. It would typically be spoken, not written (people who say 'cuss' probably don't do much writing!

) Less slang-y is the more staid 'swear words'.
I associate 'cuss' with 'street language'.

The other day, I saw two friends addressing eachother in the follwoing way.

Ex. Hey bas-tard, you lucky son of a bit-ch.
Are you fu-cking kidding me?
This sounds to me like rap talk, gang talk, street talk.
The Queen of England doesn't talk like this.
In my experience, educated people are very unlikely to talk this way.
I don't talk this way.
In my experience, learners of English tend to sound foolish if they talk this way.

I don't know if this way of talking is common or it is rare. It's not unusual.
What would be your reaction if you hear your close friend address you like that? I need to find a new friend.
I am looking for the level of impoliteness of these words in everyday conversation. It depends who you are talking to. You need to feel sure that people will not be offended. If in doubt, don't talk that way.

Don't try it in a job interview, unless it is perhaps eg for a job as a rock musician, or a drug seller.

Let me turn the question around. Why would you want to talk like that?

In your native culture, what are the attitudes to words like these?

Personally, it make me uncomfortable to see these words in our Forum.
Clive

Hrsanei · Answer

Thank you Alphecca Stars for your response.
Thank you Clive for your complete explanation.
In response to your question, I have to say that, I am reluctant to adopt such a way of talking. I will avoid using swear words most of the time.
I asked this question, becuase sometimes, I am addressed like that by my American friends. The equivalant of such terms in my native language would be very offensive.
I just wanted to know how impolite these words are, so I can know how to react.
I don't know how I should react when I am addressed like that, should I interupt my friend and ask him to watch his language? I think, that would be kind of overreacting. but if I remain quiet, it might be under reacting. So I posted this question to see how impolite these words are.
Thank you for your help

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I understand your situation.

I'd be inclined to just say nothing, ie simply respond without the swear words. Such people don't realize they are giving offence, and are unlikely to change their manner of speech.

You're in university, aren't you? I hope it's not your professors!

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

CliveIn my experience, learners of English tend to sound foolish if they talk this way.

I have to agree with this comment. You would have to be extremely fluent in English, extremely knowledgeable about American culture (or whatever culture you are working in), especially about the correlations between language and socio-economic class, and an extremely good judge of character to know how and when and with whom to use this kind of language, or even to know how to react to it. The whole topic is fraught with dangers.

So you should give yourself a very long period of just listening and understanding passively, noting who talks that way and who doesn't. At the very minimum, it should be an absolute rule that you don't talk that way to anyone (or in the presence of anyone) you have not regularly observed also talking that way.

And even then, those words do sound strange or out-of-place in the mouths of those who are not native speakers. I know that when I was in college there was a guy from South America that used to say a swear word every now and then, just to see if he could learn how to use them correctly. We all had some really good laughs at his expense - though he was a good sport about it, and he would laugh too - because he never seemed to get the right inflections in his delivery or he would use the wrong swear words for the context!

CJ

Cuss in conversation

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions