Virtually all obscene or profane words, phrases, & terms in American English were once in common, every day usage as non-onscene, with the exception, of course, of using God's names or titles wrongly. Even the "F-Bomb" was in everyday language, meaning "to pierce", with no sexual connotations. For example, the kestrel, one of the few birds that can fly against a stout wind, was called the "windpiercer, with the F-word in place of "-piercer". (This was in the Middle English of the 11 & 1200s AD.) The vulgar word for "feces" was in common use as such from the 1300s to the end of the 1500s. After that, it was taboo in British print.
Otoh, the word "bloody", still in everyday use in the USA, became highly-offensive to British because it referred to "young bloods", rowdy young aristocrats much-disliked by most commoners. Seems it became offensive to British C. 1676 AD. And "back in the day, the use of the words "death, die(to cease living), devil, a pox upon thee", etc. were considered obscene.
A word that's hovered between common & vulgar for a long time is "piss". When the KJV was made, it was common usage for "urine, to urinate". It came from Old French pissier, "to urinate". It's been replaced in newer English Bible versions with "urinate".
The word "jazz" used to be used only for scatology pertaining to semen, and mostly by blacks. They also commonly used it for "stuff, a variety of things", or something they had no name for, such as the first jazz music, mostly played by whites. They started saying, "Listen to that jazz", & soon everyone began calling that music "jazz" & it became everyday usage.
Once,in HS, we were asked to name a power we'd like to have that was real, or close to it. (Nothing such as Superman's powers was allowed.) I wrote, "the power to make a common word into a cussword, and/or the power to make a cussword acceptible for everyday use." (Got an "A" on my paper!)
Now, while I won't use language considered obscene in American English, as it's considered by most to be very un-Christian, I wonder if otherwise such words are actually sinful?
(BTW, "cussing" was a hard habit for me to break after 4 years in the Navy, where almost-all English-speaking sailors I was ever around "cussed like sailors". This included British, Canadians, many English-speaking Japanese & South Koreans, Australians, New Zealanders & English-speaking French. It took the HOLY SPIRIT'S power to free me from that habit.)
Otoh, the word "bloody", still in everyday use in the USA, became highly-offensive to British because it referred to "young bloods", rowdy young aristocrats much-disliked by most commoners. Seems it became offensive to British C. 1676 AD. And "back in the day, the use of the words "death, die(to cease living), devil, a pox upon thee", etc. were considered obscene.
A word that's hovered between common & vulgar for a long time is "piss". When the KJV was made, it was common usage for "urine, to urinate". It came from Old French pissier, "to urinate". It's been replaced in newer English Bible versions with "urinate".
The word "jazz" used to be used only for scatology pertaining to semen, and mostly by blacks. They also commonly used it for "stuff, a variety of things", or something they had no name for, such as the first jazz music, mostly played by whites. They started saying, "Listen to that jazz", & soon everyone began calling that music "jazz" & it became everyday usage.
Once,in HS, we were asked to name a power we'd like to have that was real, or close to it. (Nothing such as Superman's powers was allowed.) I wrote, "the power to make a common word into a cussword, and/or the power to make a cussword acceptible for everyday use." (Got an "A" on my paper!)
Now, while I won't use language considered obscene in American English, as it's considered by most to be very un-Christian, I wonder if otherwise such words are actually sinful?
(BTW, "cussing" was a hard habit for me to break after 4 years in the Navy, where almost-all English-speaking sailors I was ever around "cussed like sailors". This included British, Canadians, many English-speaking Japanese & South Koreans, Australians, New Zealanders & English-speaking French. It took the HOLY SPIRIT'S power to free me from that habit.)
... Then I'd hear my Dad who was also a Deacon say, calling Brother Thomas by his first name, Maston, I wish you would quit doing that... Well he did!... Until the next time... Brother Glen
