Language Lesson: acceptable swearing
In response to Kate’s fabulous response to my Mystery Photo on Friday – in particular her question over the use of the word “bugger” – I decided to share an ad which illustrates the perceived “acceptability” of this particular word in this country.
It’s an old (2007) Toyota TV ad with a very Strine take…
(Non-Aussies should be aware that we have a slightly sick sense of humour Down Under. Be-ware!)
I have to admit, having grown up in a household where there was quite strict monitoring of questionable words and investigations into the true meaning of such words (hello Mum!), this particular one still has the power to make me cringe slightly.
After being beaten around the head by it in this ad, however, it just becomes funny. Well, it did to me. But as has been thoroughly established, my humour sits on the darker side of ‘normal’. There are a series of these ads on You-Tube if you are keen to be pummelled some more. Go on. It’s fun!
So yes Kate, in my experience, Aussies these days (generally) tend to use the word Bugger as a pseudo (acceptable) swear word. But try not to say it ’round my Mum, OK?
I am intrigued however, to know YOUR take on this particular word, dear reader…
BB Questions:
1. What is your acceptable (in my head I am doing a Super Nanny impression… ass-septable) swear word?
2. Is “bugger” acceptable in everyday speech in your house?
3. If you are Australian, do you agree or disagree with my call on this one?
In anticipation!
27 Comments
Leslie
I use it every day in the classroom. Why? Because I can.
I can’t use any of the other words so it’s the only one I can use.
My school children have been raised on the TV ads with even a baby saying it.
It’s seen as perfectly normal.
He’s a little bugger, is a term of endearment. And just saying “Bugger!” is like saying heck.
Bush Babe
Thanks Leslie… I recall being astonished (and very shocked) when first aware of the ‘real’ meaning of this word – about age 11. I sat alone in the stables staring into space pondering the enormity of it.
NB Wagtail post tomorrow sometime. Keep those students posted! BTW what year are they in?
🙂
BB
M+B
I think Bugger is my favourite word! I admit though, I was a bit taken aback when my daughter was about 18 months old, walking aroung saying “Bugger, bugger, bugger” and looking very pleased with herself! I think maybe I use it less frequently now, either that or she doesn’t register anymore???
I do blame the Toyota ad though
Jenni
Hmmm…I need to go look up the ‘real’ meaning of this word! I have no clue what it could be that would shock you, BB.
I don’t know that I should share which swears I use. I have a bad habit of swearing. The “s” and “f” words are probably most common. Maybe I should start saying “bugger”. It sounds much nicer. I also say “holy cr–” and “what the h—” a lot. I’m very, very bad. I find Australian and English swear words fascinating, too, because some of what I’m told are the worst sound so innocuous to me.
Jenni
Wow. It only *sounds* nicer.
Bush Babe
Jenni – uh huh! That’s right… not pretty. Now put it out of your mind!!
M+B – I must admit I do think it has some ‘punch’ when you use it. And it seems to have become so much more regular in use since these ads… perhaps its lost its ‘naughtiness’ a bit?
Debby
Oh, my gosh! Super Nanny is a very practical no-nonsense woman who does great things with stupid parents, but honestly, honestly, every time she says ‘ass-septible’, I grit my teeth a lot. I thought I was the only one who noticed this.
Bugger: I know what it meant, but knew you couldn’t mean it that way, so figured that it had a new, more innocuous meaning these days.
A Novel Woman
Ah, bugger. I just left the page for a second and it erased all my comments. I love the word bugger, and yes, I do know what it means. Ditto, sod off. I love hearing Hugh Grant say it in Four Weddings and a Funeral. (Although I love that movie, does anyone else find Andie McD’s character repugnant?) Calling someone a little bugger is a term of endearment. At least according to my British Nana, although she also swore like a trucker.
Anyway, I pepper my conversation with tons of profanity, which is not uncommon in Canada, particularly for urban dwellers. And I have the advantage of being able to swear in two official languages.
Here in Quebec, you can say the “f” word on French TV, but not on English programs. For Francophones, the really bad ones are related to the church. The “f” word equivalent would be “tabernacle” and if you want to be really creative, you string a bunch of them together: “tabernacle, sacrament, chalice, ear of Christ what are you doing?!” I learned a lot when Jean Guy St. Coeur, a local firefighter and cusser extraordinaire, dropped a hammer on his foot when he was installing my fireplace. Holy Nun’s Knees, Batman!
(You knew I’d have something to say about this when you posted on my blog, didn’t you? (wink))
PS the visual verification is “ponan” who is, I’m guessing, Conan’s lesser known, and perhaps less barbaric, brother.
Portia
Thanks for sharing that commercial, it was a great start to my day.
The only word not allowed in our house is the F word. With 3 teenage boys it flies out of their mouth too quickly sometimes and I don’t like the word. The penalty for F-word usage is to pick up the dog poop in the back.
I’m not sure about the word bugger but I’m off to look up what it means. It sure sounds funnier than the F-word. I’ll try using it once today and try it out.
Kate
Wow, i didn’t think my story would get this kind of response 🙂 I love the word bugger and say it all the time but it’s not bad around here. We don’t associate it with the really bad meaning in the US…i don’t think. Little Bugger is totally a term of endearment for me. My religion tends to steer clear of swearing but we all have our little favorites. Mine is Jackass. I LOVE it and say it a lot. I love bastard too but try not to say it very much. Thanks for answering my question. I will refine from saying bugger in the company of Aussies or Brits!
Tami
I definatley have a potty mouth when I get cranked up. Now by potty …. I don’t mean ‘dazed and confused, drunk, or stupid’ nor do I refer to any kind of marijuana usage. I mean ‘foul mouthed’. And by cranked up. I don’t mean ….again….and kind of drug use. I mean ticked (not infected with ticks), pissed (not drunk), really mad. WHEW….the english language is dangerous!
Anyway…. I do use bugger (quite often)…and yes I know what it means. And usually say friggin’ instead of the outright F-Bomb (as Mum calls it…”Try to limit the use of the f-bomb darling.” And I know what it stands for too (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge). I use ‘cock up’ quite a bit. And I think that must be from all those Jilly Cooper novels.
And that is the extent of my potty mouth. Now…..I NEVER take the Lord’s name in vain. And I really hope that no children are reading this …. cause I do not want to contribute to the corruption of minors.
Scotty
Context, context, context. The literal meaning of ‘bugger’ is not nice – I don’t think anyone would disagree with that, but I do believe that once other countries come to understand our colloquialisms, they also come to learn of our irreverent humour towards many things.
The word as we use it is simply a variation on ‘oh, crap’ or ‘oh, shit’ or ‘oh, heck’ and when taken in that context is harmless enough.
I would challenge anyone to look at the Toyota commercial, for example, and try to imagine that we could ever mean the word in its literal form.
Cultural differences can be an awkward thing at times, can’t they? For example, I have many American friends who think it’s okay to say to someone close to them, “Yo, my nigga, wassup?” as a form of greeting – I have trouble understanding this at times given that the ‘N’ word can be so charged in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and under the wrong circumstances. So, what’s required of me regarding that word? Nothing more than to consider the context in which it is used.
So, to answer your question(s), BB:
1. I can pretty much accept that most swear words are dependent on the context in which they’re being used. If I suspect someone of being nasty when they use a particular word, I’ll call them on it; apart from that, I’m fairly liberal about it. Language changes all the time and I simply have to learn to go with the flow sometimes. My only exception to that rule is the use of the ‘C’ word – for some reason, that one just grates on me, even when it’s used in what some might call a humorous context.
2. ‘Bugger’ is not everyday speech in my household or in my workplace but I don’t have a problem with it, given, as I said before, the context in which most of might actually use it on occasion.
3. I’m with you on your call.
jeanie
lol – I can remember Grandma with her shudder at “bloody” and the reasoning behind it – and remember Roy and HG bringing out “Club Buggery” and Dad shaking his head at how his mother would have reacted to such profanity.
My verification today is “mista”.
Jayne
I use all swear words with gay abandon, including bugger 😉
Yes, I know it’s original meaning but the word has evolved and is acceptable (ass-septable)in many contexts 😉
Bush Babe
Debby – isn’t it funny how, depending where we live, our mind automatically label a word “OK” or “BAD”. And yet, the world over, “ass-septable” has the power to make our hair stand on end. (Sorry Super Nanny!). Heh.
Pam (ANW) – thanks. Great reply. How I WISH I could swear in other languages. The world would open up to me!! Heh. And yes, Andie McDowells character is hideous and quite un-love-worthy in that movie. Hugh Grant was adorable though… shame he’s not like that in real life!
Kate – you can say Bugger in front of 99% of Aussies. Even my Mum would cope. WE have been de-sensitisied!
Tami – funny! I agree. Although I have been know to take the Lord’s name in vain. My God is cool with it – he seems to have a sense of humour!
Scotty – abso-freaking-lutely. The “c” word is grounds for capital (or at least corporal) punishment at GG. I TOTALLY steer clear of the “n” word.
Jeanie – ah yes. “BY OUR LADY” – shocking! Have you done a post on that one? Do you (and Pam) both think Blogger is psychic? Or a comedian!! Go organise a wedding, for heaven’s sake woman!
Hugs
BB
PS My verify word is: itists… read into that what you will!
Bush Babe
PS Jayne – don’t get me started on “gay”… heh heh!!! (Speaking of which, where is the lovely Dykewife today??)
🙂
BB
A Novel Woman
Jayne’s comments SLAY me! Clevah little buggah.
Today’s word verification?
arcion
Try saying it out loud.
A Novel Woman
Oh good grief.
Not the word ver is:
dicsupqz
This thing is deliberately messing with my head.
Kate
Oh good! Cuz i know it will slip out whenever i save up enough to visit the land down under. And i agree with Scotty totally (i don’t understand how some people can use the N word so loosely either, it really gets to me) and you have some of the funniest readers ever. AND yes the C word and the G word are the only two that are really off limits, everything else slips out now and then.
The word is ‘Mahsp’ that could totally be a swear word!
Scotty
Thanks, Kate.
The ‘G’ word as off-limits? I can only think of two things at this moment – that being the G-spot for women or maybe, ‘Gay’?
If it’s the former then I can only add that I’m aware OF it and have yet to be the lucky recipient of its effects (LOL, insert embarrassed smiley here) – if it’s the latter then I’ll take issue with it given that my daughter is in a lesbian relationship – her love for another human being is no less worthy, less meaningful, or less altruistic than any other person’s love for another.
Despite the fact that I have no religious propensities, I believe in the basic principle of, not tolerance, but acceptance.
Laura Bradbury
Dear Bush Babe,
Found out about your blog from The Great "Novel Woman".
Ahhh…swear words….such a rich topic. Where does one start? For starters we are blessed with a bilingual family so, like the Novel Woman, the possibilities are close to mind-boggling.
Much to the chagrin of my French husband, I swear A LOT, and have given up trying to stop in front of my 3 girls (8,6, & 9 months).
My faves;
English: "gobshite" (took this from hilarious british Father Ted series and have used it frequently ever since), "feck" (from reading too many Marian Keys novels), "effing", "shite", "bugger", and of course the ever-adaptable "effing piece of shite."
French: "merde", "chiant", "bordel", and a word that I made up myself but which I hope to have included in the French dictionary one of these days: "Chiantitude" (meaning something that is knuckle-gnawing boring).
I'd love you to drop by my blog one of these days.
.
Salut…et merde!
Laura
http://www.grapejournal.blogspot.com
A Novel Woman
Ah, Laura, you’re a woman after me own heart, you are.(g)
Do you think it’s a Canadian thing? All my friends swear casually, and my kids do it too (bad mother) but it’s not a big deal as it’s peppered here and there in the conversation for emphasis. And I say shite all the time too. And frack because I’ve been watching Battlestar Galactica. I know. Geek.
Lottery Girl
Dear Bush Babe,
Novel Woman sent me on over, knowing I love this sort of thing. She got me up to snuff on what’s Really Bad in Canada.
I tried to answer your first question by asking my darling teen aged daughters what horrible words Mumsy uses most often. Older daughter got a pen and paper and decided to abandon the project when the list became too long.
I did try to stop cursing when children came along and did quite nicely until oldest got into high school. I also vowed to stop cursing when we moved to Colorado two years ago, and did quite nicely for about two days. Once we crossed into Colorado, it was all over.
The current US presidential election has driven me beyond my limits, and in the past weeks, I’ve even cursed whilst on the phone with my proper Bostonian mother. She’s heard the f word and all its iterations, including “f-ing A!!!” (Said that when I burned my hand at the stove). Other popular sayings include: stupid bitch from hell, dick head, penis breath, etc.
Lest you think I am incapable of any restraint, I NEVER use racial epithets as I find them most offensive. I also HATE the C word and find it offensive.
I love George Carlin’s routine on bad language. WHY are these words “dirty?”
I'm Julie
Oh my goodness Bush Babe this was one hilarious post.
From an American’s perspective, “bugger” is just plain – cute. It makes us laugh because it seems like such a polite way to express mild dismay.
Once as a young backpacker, I met a group of Aussies and noticed that every time I referred to my “fanny pack” the girls blushed bright red and the boys snickered. I never got it, fanny being a very casual, childlike word for “bum” around here. Finally someone explained the Aussie meaning and I nearly died. A few weeks later, I met another Aussie, and told him of my humiliation. He said he didn’t know what I was talking about. I said, “Don’t you know what fanny means in Oz?? Well, apparently, it means…” and I explained it very carefully, so he would never make the same mistake.
Not until I noticed the entire bar laughing at me did I realize he got me GOOOOOOOOD.
Bugger him, anyway.
Bush Babe
Julie – yes. We are a sadistic race. Sorry. But damn, we are funny! (cracking ourselves right up!).
Laura, Lottery Girl and Pam – holy colourful language, Batwoman!! Too funny. Many Aussies love a good adjective, and I guess my family (or at least the girls) are a little more restrained in the F-word dept than many households. Mum always says that you cannot have a good enough grasp of the English language if you need to resort to swearing… but you guys really knock that argument on the head!!! Me? I just tend to fit my language into whoever I am with… its called ‘having a bob each way’ I think!!!
Now bugger off the lot of you!! (Not really, just wanted to end on a high note!)
BB
A Novel Woman
Way to go, girls. We’ve become Potty Mouth Pariahs.
d/iowa
i’ve mentioned before how much i love your words over there. i guess bugger doesn’t apply to me since i’ve only heard it in movies. i think it is a fantastic word though!