Why Cuss?

Why the fuck do we cuss? What’s the history behind swearing? And why is it the shit? But most importantly, what the fuck is swearing? Siddown, shut the fuck up, and let me tell you.

For the uninitiated, swearing is the beautiful fucking art of using what adults tell kiddies is “colorful language”, the most common swear words being fuck, shit, damn, and this author’s personal favorite, piece of shit. However, swearing is not just an American (or even English-speaking) thing. Different languages have different swear words. My personal favorite is the Italian phrase “tu cazzo culo”, translating to “you fucking ass”. But historically, swearing takes on a whole different meaning, especially in the early Middle Ages. No, back then, medieval kings didn’t say “that bitch is dead”. No. Swearing back then was to be taking an oath by God. So, in God’s name would be considered taboo back then, at least according to HistoryExtra.

So now that you know the history of cussing, why do we cuss? Well, first off, cussing has been proven to reduce pain. That’s right, you heard me. Cussing can help relieve stress and pain. Well, Goddamn. In a study done by Keele University in Staffordshire, England, Professor Richard Stephens, persuaded 67 of his students to plunge their hands into ice-cold water and to do two tests. The first test, students were told to stick their hands into water while repeating a single swear word. The second, they were instructed to use a neutral word. The results were amazing. It was found that students who used a swear word were able to hold their hands under for longer (Wired).

Now, I have a friend named Jenny, who thought, like so many others, that people who swear have a lack of intelligence and that those who swear have limited vocabulary. Well, that is not the case. In fact, she was shocked and surprised when I told her that this wasn’t the case. That’s not to say she’s a bad person. If anything, she’s nice. It just goes to show that others are quick to demean those as lesser for using vocabulary that is not up to others’ expectations. Leading off that, according to an article posted in Science Alert “The use of…. swearing…. is often seen as a sign that the speaker…. cannot express themselves…. Or even lack[s] intelligence. Studies have shown, however, that swearing may in fact display a more, rather than less, intelligent use of language”. The article even goes on to explain a study conducted by psychologists from Marist College and how it “found links between how fluent a person is in the English and how fluent they are in swearing” (ScienceAlert).

As for why swearing is the shit. Well, there many reasons. For some people, it’s fun to do. For others, it’s a great way to release stress and anger. But to best way to find out is to swear yourself. So, go ahead. Swear. I don’t give a damn. Knock yourself the fuck out. And have fun with it. And that’s it. Congrats, you made it to the end of my essay! Now go get yourself a cookie.

Works Cited

Byrne, Emma. “The Science of Why Swearing Reduces Pain.” Wired, Conde Nast, 23 Apr. 2019, http://www.wired.com/story/the-science-of-why-swearing-physically-reduces-pain/.

Stephens, Richard. “Swearing Is Actually a Sign of More Intelligence – Not Less – Say Scientists.” ScienceAlert, http://www.sciencealert.com/swearing-is-a-sign-of-more-intelligence-not-less-say-scientists.

“‘Damn Your Blood’: Swearing in Early Modern English.” HistoryExtra, 24 Apr. 2019, http://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/damn-your-blood-swearing-in-early-modern-english/.