Filthy English: The How, Why, When And What Of Everyday SwearingWhen the Sex Pistols swore live on tea-time telly in 1976, there was outrage across Britain. Headlines screamed. Christians marched. TVs were kicked in. Thirty years on, all those words are media-mainstream - bandied about with impunity on TV and in the papers. This is the story of our bad language and its three-decade journey from the fringes of decency to the working centre of a more linguistically liberal nation. Silverton takes a clear, comprehensive and witty look at swearing and the impact of its new acceptability on our language, our manners and our society. He considers how we have become more openly emotional, yet more wary about insulting others. And how it's seemingly become alright to say **** and **** but not ****** or ****. This is the story of that cultural revolution, written by one who was there at the start, proudly striking some of the first blows in the long struggle for the right to reclaim filthy English and use it. |
Contents
Vulvas Vaginas and Breasts | |
Penises and Testicles | |
Anuses Faeces Urine and other Excreta 5 Mothers Fathers Sisters Brothers | |
Homosexuals Male and Female | |
Popular Music | |
Around the World | |
Coloured People and People of Colour | |
Bleeps Censorship and Euphemism | |
The Couch the Football Match and the Romantic French Poet | |
Afterglow | |
Further Reading | |
Acknowledgements | |
Index Copyright | |
Other editions - View all
Filthy English: The How, Why, When, and what of Everyday Swearing Peter Silverton No preview available - 2011 |
Filthy English: The How, Why, When, and what of Everyday Swearing Pete Silverton No preview available - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
actually American anyway arse Australian bastard bloody blues bollocks brain breasts British bugger called century clitoris cock cocksucker course culture cunt curse dick Dictionary didn’t dirty words English language euphemism fart father favourite female Ferenczi football French Freud fuck fuck fuck fuck’s German Hebrew homosexual Irish Italian joke kind kurwa La Malinche Lady Chatterley’s Lover Latin least linguistic London Lucille Bogan male meaning meant metaphor modern mother insult motherfucker never nigger obscene offensive oral sex particularly penis penises perhaps phrase piss play prick racist record reference rhyming slang Russian Sacré Sex Pistols sexual intercourse shit shouted slur someone song sound Spanish swear words taboo talking tell testicles There’s thing thought told translates twat vagina Vagina Monologues vulva wanker What’s whore woman women word’s writing wrote Yiddish young