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Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad Language
Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad Language
Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad Language
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Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad Language

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Have we always "sworn like sailors"? Has creative cursing developed because we can't just slug people when they make us angry? And if such verbal aggression is universal, why is it that some languages (Japanese, for instance) supposedly do not contain any nasty words? Throughout the twentieth century there seems to have been a dramatic escalation in the use and acceptance of offensive language in English, both verbally and in print. Today it seems almost commonplace to hear the "f" word in casual conversation, and even on television. Just how have we become such a bunch of cursers and what does it tell us about our language and ourselves?
In Expletive Deleted, linguist Ruth Wajnryb offers an entertaining yet thoroughly researched, lighthearted look at this development, seeking to reveal the etymologies of various terms and discover how what was once considered unfit-for-company argot has become standard fare. Wajnryb steps outside the confines of English in her search for answers, exploring whether offensive words in English are mirrored in other languages and examining cultural differences in the usage of dirty words. For instance, why is it that in some languages you can get away with intimating that a person and his camel are more than just good friends, while pouring scorn on a mother's morals guarantees you a seat on the next flight out?
An amusing and idiosyncratic look at the power of words to shock, offend, insult, amuse, exaggerate, let off steam, establish relationships, and communicate deep-felt emotions, Expletive Deleted is a must-read for anyone who loves language -- or has ever stubbed a toe.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherFree Press
Release dateJul 13, 2005
ISBN9780743287579
Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad Language
Author

Ruth Wajnryb

Ruth Wajnryb is an applied linguist, researcher, and writer. She has a weekly column in The Sydney Morning Herald in which she explores linguistic topics.

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Rating: 3.171428582857143 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I've been reading Expletive Deleted ($&#@*!) by Ruth Wajnryb for a long time. It's not a long book, but it's taken me months to get through it. It bears the subtitle: "A good look at bad language." This is more or less true, if by "good" we really mean "comprehensive beyond belief." However, I have to give Ruth an "A" for effort. She's taken an exhaustive look at something I've wanted clarity on for a long time, and though she hasn't exactly delivered what I needed, she gave me a lot to think about.If you read this book, you may not emerge smarter or even more informed, but you'll get a sense of how much thinking Ruth's given to bad language: how it begins, how it evolves, how it derives its power from taboo, how that power shrinks from over-use. What fascinates me is how bad words are only bad as long as people think they are.Since I didn't love this book, I don't recommend anybody read it. (I only recommend books that I love. There are far too many wonderful books out there to waste your time with those that are only okay.) It can be dry at points (mostly just between the two covers) and a little dull. Some fun facts clearly got cut in the editing process.Read more at Invisible Lizard's Unusual Oranges
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    By raising an unconscious behavior to the conscious, _Expletive Deleted_ shines a light on taboos, pragmatics, and social interactions. I enjoyed the "peel back the covers" revelations and read many excerpts out loud to my husband. I find there is a continuum of writers about linguistics. On one end, there are scholarly researchers like Noam Chomsky and Stephen Pinker. On the other, popular-press columnists like William Safire and Richard Lederer. This book tends towards the latter, while I was looking for the former. Because of that mismatch, I was disappointed by the lack of field research (It is not difficult to find native speakers of other languages; the world is full of them.), and I sometimes tripped over the style. The pop-press side of the continuum revels in clever writing, distractingly at times.

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Expletive Deleted - Ruth Wajnryb

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