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Nine nasty w*rds : English in the gutter : then, now, and forever / John McWhorter.

by McWhorter, John H.

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Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2021.

Swearing -- History.

Swearing -- Psychological aspects.

Swearing -- Political aspects.

English language -- Obscene words.

Sociolinguistics.

9780593188798 (hc)

Alternate title:

Nine nasty words : English in the gutter : then, now, and forever

9 nasty w*rds : English in the gutter : then, now, and forever

9 nasty words : English in the gutter : then, now, and forever

276 p. : ill. ; 19 cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 273-276).

Damn and hell: English's first bad words -- What is it about fuck? -- Profanity and shit -- A kick-ass little word -- Those certain parts -- Why do we call it "the n-word"? -- The other f-word -- Being in total control, honey! -- A motherfucking addendum.

"One of the preeminent linguists of our time examines the realms of language that are considered shocking and taboo in order to understand what imbues curse words with such power--and why we love them so much. Profanity has always been a deliciously vibrant part of our lexicon, an integral part of being human. In fact, our ability to curse comes from a different part of the brain than other parts of speech -- the urgency with which we say f&*k! is instead related to the instinct that tells us to flee from danger. Language evolves with time, and so does what we consider profane or unspeakable. Nine Nasty Words is a rollicking examination of profanity, explored from every angle: historical, sociological, political, linguistic. In a particularly coarse moment, when the public discourse is shaped in part by once-shocking words, nothing could be timelier."--Publisher.

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