Anything Goes...

I saw a young boy on TV today who has set up a club called the "No Cussing Club." He has started a campaign to stop swearing, or cussing, or cursing or whatever you want to call it. I was deeply worried I must say. I love swearing. I love swear words. I love the ability to express so much emotion in a single word.

Swearing is invigorating, satisfying, no other words can relieve stress or sum up emotion so clearly and quickly. It brings colour to language. A swear word brightens up a sentence. It adds electricity to it and sets it alit.

In Ireland of course swearing is inherent in the language. Take a walk over any main street in any town and tune in to the conversations as you pass, a ballet of colourful expressions dance like song across the lips of people in a lyrical discourse - Fuck this Fuck that Fuck you Fuck me.

Some would say that swearing is the sign of a poor vocabulary. As a writer and someone who celebrates words, the structure of sentences and language itself, I whole heartedly would disagree. Swearing is an exploration into how expressive language can really be. It would sadden me not to be able to do it.

Here's a much more intelligent and well-read man than I on the subject: Stephen Fry.