The F Word !

I have a new associate who has a rich vocabulary of permutation & combination of the famous F word! Sometimes as a noun. Largely as an adjective. Reminds of a (in)famous speech by Bhagwan Rajneesh. (well, he is no Bhagwan Rajneesh and when he uses the F word, it isn’t funny. (Will upload it sometime)


I don’t want to sound as a direct descendent of Mother Mary who speaks or the keeper of professional manners and etiquette. But how does one cope with a person whose speech is punctuated with profanity, especially so, if one isn’t used to it?


Well, I realise I have some options.

a. Ignore it all.

b. Learn it up and use it to join the club. Etc.

I have chosen on ignoring it. As more and more of it gets used, it has lead me to wonder, why profanity is used in the first place in meetings, public places, amongst friends, professionals, students, cricketers et al.

Do people think it to be an exhibition of sophistication. As some kind of key or ticket to power or success? Or is it another of aping Hollywood phenomenon?

Is it the need to sound rebellious and hence ‘unbelong’?

Or is it just a way of a public living in the modern times. One more word that doesn’t signify anything ?

To me, the usage of profanity in public / professional contexts paints a very shallow perspective to people and their content. Even if perfect sense gets spoken, it takes me a while to sift through the F punctuations, keep it aside and reach to the meaning. Life goes on. There are many species in the world. One such is of the F variety !

11 thoughts on “The F Word !

  1. Shiva says:

    Being a part of the F species (Kavi’s invention) it is irresistable to comment on this post, not as a means of justification or defense, but a step to eradicate the species by chaging the F attribute in them.

    The word has become a vehicle to vent out emotions (in my case, after an utter dejection followed by a sigh of relief) and like nicotine it is habit forming. In any case it is not morden or sophisctication or fashion.

    When I think of life as amoral ( neither moral or immoral), I am definitely not guilty, as long as it doesn’t hurt someone. I enjoyed your questions. I will not find the answers, as I’m scared of introspection, atleast on the aspect of morality!

    Incidentlly, here is one of my post of Osho’s discourse on F***

    He was free to use the word even after being branded as Bhagwan and only that sets him apart.

    http://kodaihills.blogspot.com/2006/03/fxxx-most-beautiful-word.html#links

  2. manuscrypts says:

    hmmm, i see it more as a filler.. especially since it can be used as an adjective, verb, noun and various other forms… so its a good word that describes a lot of feelings hitherto unacknowledged 🙂

  3. they say it because its easy to say and its a good substitute for fighting. But i agree…it must be stopped, and better still ignored.

  4. Jeevan says:

    I never used the F word!

  5. Keshi says:

    Kavi I agree. I used to b so uncomfy with the F word…that was before. But now I realise that the F word can be life-saving LOL! Im serious. Cos when Im really mad at something, I just say F It and it seriously makes me feel better. Its a way of expression of some sort.

    But I agree that it shouldnt be used in public and so many times. Thats sick and quite shallow.

    why dun u tell him that u wud like him not to use the F word when he’s ard u? Try saying that.

    Keshi.

  6. priya says:

    Kavi: Here its a social stigma among the young in schools. I won’t say everyone is saying but ther are handsome number of people use it and they do not care.

    As some kind of key or ticket to power or success- It peer pressure when you are in that group you are pushed to do it if not you become a loser or out of that crowd.

    Is it the need to sound rebellious and hence ‘unbelong’? – Frustrations, anger adn resentment leads people use such words.

    Or is it just a way of a public living in the modern times- Not at all. Just becoz its a westernized country it doens’t mena people dor eally say it. I wonder how many people use the word “shit” unknowingly. In schools we are taught good and bad. Today it has become a necessity for lower class people/ groups of young people to dominate or show how strong they are.

    When the media/ movies encourage, so do the public.

  7. priya says:

    Kavi: Just saw your age 251.. Oh boy how smart and good writeup for that age…..

  8. GuNs says:

    Oh, you should come to the UK.I think its more popular here than even in America.

    I never use it though. NEVER.

    -PeAcE
    –WiTh
    —GuNs

  9. KK says:

    Hey Kavi,
    Well I have policy of not to use profanity against others.. though I use it when I scold myself… I think its kind of a mixture of aping Hollywood, showing power, trying to intimidate the other person, showing hipness and also partly showcasing that they are rebellious.

  10. Kavi,

    I remember a funny incident but thought provoking.

    One day when I returned from work, my wife said that my son has a doubt. My son was just 6 years old and he asked me the meaning for F word. I asked him how he came to know that. He just wanted to know whether it was a good or bad word. I said it is a bad word. He immediately said ” Dad… I could not understand”. The reason is he saw a senior boy of his school dropping some assignments in the school bus. He has picked it up and given it back to the senior. The senior has immediately used F word and did not bother to thank my son. My son’s question why the senior had to use a bad word at him, when he has just helped him. It is a shame that we are going back to stone ages.

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