Fiction_L Archives Euphemisms for swearing Dates: 2/13/04,2:09 PM  through  2/16/04,12:39 PM  (8 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to February 2004 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: Renee Patterson <[removed]@exchange.acld.lib.fl.us>
REC'D: 2/13/04, 2:09 PM

I have a patron looking for novels (any reading level) in which the
characters appropriately would be talking in swear words but the author for
whatever reason has changed the words to euphemisms, used "frigging" or some
such, or even #&^%*%$ instead.

Any ideas?
(cross-posted to YALSA-BK)

Renee Patterson
Librarian
High Springs Branch Library

FROM: "Greta Ulrich" <[removed]@nileslibrary.org>
REC'D: 2/13/04, 2:15 PM

In Peter Carey's novel "The True History of the Kelly Gang" the word "adjectival" is used frequently.

Greta Ulrich
Niles Public Library

-----Original Message-----
From: [removed]@maillist.webrary.org
[[removed]@maillist.webrary.org]On Behalf Of Renee Patterson
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2004 2:03 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Euphemisms for swearing

I have a patron looking for novels (any reading level) in which the
characters appropriately would be talking in swear words but the author for
whatever reason has changed the words to euphemisms, used "frigging" or some
such, or even #&^%*%$ instead.

Any ideas?
(cross-posted to YALSA-BK)

Renee Patterson
Librarian
High Springs Branch Library

FROM: "Karen Traynor, Chittenango" <[removed]@midyork.org>
REC'D: 2/13/04, 2:21 PM

The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey.

Karen Traynor
Sullivan Free Library
519 McDonnell St
Chittenango, NY 13037

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Renee Patterson <[removed]@exchange.acld.lib.fl.us>
>I have a patron looking for novels (any reading level) in which the
>characters appropriately would be talking in swear words but the author for
>whatever reason has changed the words to euphemisms, used "frigging" or some
>such, or even #&^%*%$ instead.
>
>

FROM: Dennis Lien <[removed]@tc.umn.edu>
REC'D: 2/13/04, 2:44 PM

At 03:03 PM 2/13/04 -0500, you wrote:
>
>I have a patron looking for novels (any reading level) in which the
>characters appropriately would be talking in swear words but the author for
>whatever reason has changed the words to euphemisms, used "frigging" or some
>such, or even #&^%*%$ instead.
>
>Any ideas?
>(cross-posted to YALSA-BK)
>
>Renee Patterson
>Librarian
>High Springs Branch Library

A classic case is Norman Mailer's first novel, THE NAKED AND THE
DEAD (1948), where all his soldiers say "fugging" this and that.
Supposedly a society matron, introduced to Mailer at a party,
recognized him as "ah yes, you're that young man who doesn't
know how to spell f*ck." (Well, all right, she didn't say
the asterisk version either, but this is a family list...)

Ron Goulart does/did this a lot in his comedic sf novels,
usually quite imaginatively. Unfortunately, virtually all of
his stuff is out of print except for the TEKWAR books he
ghost-wrote for William Shatner, and I've not read them and
don't know if you uses this technique in them or not.

If you want to go beyond prose fiction, you'll find a lot of it
in comic strips and books.

"Street" characters in Marvel comics, like LUKE CAGE - HERO FOR HIRE
tended to use "freaking" as an adjective and "Spit!" as an interjection
a lot. (Or used to twenty years ago when I was a regular Marvel
reader, anyway.)

I am neither a prose fiction nor a comic character (well, that may
be arguable...) but I tend to do this most of the time myself, if
only so I don't shock and disappoint my cats. My favorite is
"squid and petunias!"

Dennis "X*&G$$!!" Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu

FROM: "Dillie, Thomas" <[removed]@gcpl.lib.oh.us>
REC'D: 2/13/04, 3:06 PM

In The Naked and the Dead Norman Mailer used "Fug," "Fuggin'" and all variations thereof early and often.

Tom Dillie, Head Librarian
Cedarville and Jamestown Community Libraries
Greene County Public Library
P.O. Box 26
74 N. Main St.
Cedarville OH 45314
[removed]@mail.gcpl.lib.oh.us

"'Under consideration' means we've lost the file. 'Under active consideration' means we're trying to find it."
--The Complete Yes Minister: The Diaries of a Cabinet Minister, by Jonathan Lynn


-----Original Message-----
From: Renee Patterson [[removed]@exchange.acld.lib.fl.us]
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2004 3:03 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Euphemisms for swearing

I have a patron looking for novels (any reading level) in which the
characters appropriately would be talking in swear words but the author for
whatever reason has changed the words to euphemisms, used "frigging" or some
such, or even #&^%*%$ instead.

Any ideas?
(cross-posted to YALSA-BK)

Renee Patterson
Librarian
High Springs Branch Library

FROM: "Karen Traynor, Chittenango" <[removed]@midyork.org>
REC'D: 2/13/04, 3:18 PM

Many of the classics use this technique as well--Vanity Fair by Thackeray and Tom Jones by Fielding both use the first letter of a word followed by blanks, such as "d_ _ n" for damn, etc.

Karen Traynor
Sullivan Free Library
519 McDonnell Street
Chittenango, NY 13037

FROM: "Kathie Wright" <[removed]@geneva.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 2/16/04, 10:52 AM

Dick Francis used a lot of substitutes for swear words in most of his
books. Finally, he used the biggie, I think, but his earlier books
are pretty profanity-less.

---- Original Message ----
From: [removed]@exchange.acld.lib.fl.us
To: [removed]@maillist.webrary.org
Subject: RE: Euphemisms for swearing
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 15:03:16 -0500

>
>I have a patron looking for novels (any reading level) in which the
>characters appropriately would be talking in swear words but the
>author for
>whatever reason has changed the words to euphemisms, used "frigging"
>or some
>such, or even #&^%*%$ instead.
>
>Any ideas?
>(cross-posted to YALSA-BK)
>
>Renee Patterson
>Librarian
>High Springs Branch Library
>
>.....................................................................
>.
>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
>Everything Fiction_L: http://fictionl.webrary.org

Kathie Wright
Geneva Public Library
127 James Street
Geneva, IL 60134
630-232-0780 x262

FROM: Jonathan Pearce <[removed]@Balona.com>
REC'D: 2/16/04, 12:39 PM

> ---- Original Message ----
> From: [removed]@exchange.acld.lib.fl.us
> To: [removed]@maillist.webrary.org
> Subject: RE: Euphemisms for swearing
> Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 15:03:16 -0500

Although my offering here constitutes flagrant self-flugeling*, I must
observe that BalonaBooks character Bapsie Kuhl believes that her own
made-up curse words are more refined that the garden
variety Anglo-Saxonisms used habitually by most earthy Balonans.
Actually, her made-up-isms are more obscene- and
profane-sounding than the originals.
Bapsie uses her refined vocabulary in Sang Froyd
(ISBN1585007366), Focusing the Private Eye (ISBN0741403056),
and One Brick Shy (ISBN0741403471).
*Musicians and music lovers will note that self-flugeling
undoubtedly is a reference to the flugelhorn, a charming instrument
blown by flugelhorners.
[removed]@Balona.com
Taste a sweet--if flatulence-inducing-- Chocolate Korndog, at
http://www.balona.com/chocolate.html

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