Expletives, both rude and non-rude: Howard Shepherd and Dave Shepherd have a rollicking good time, filling out the time of the show by talking about expletives. (NOTE: This show contains some of the rudest language we have every explicated on The Word Nerds. Not work-, school-, or family-safe!)
This week’s show will have a forum thread in the Rude Words category, since it deals with really rude language. Please bring us your favorite expletives (both rude and non-rude). (3:02)
This show was inspired by an email suggestion from a listener. Thanks to Katherine Pennavaria. (3:40)
Defining “expletive”; grammatical categories of expletives (4:45)
Music bumper from “Baja Taxi” by Brain Buckit (12:20)
Attributive expletives and infixes: filling out words and sentences with rude words, both for rhythmic effect and for shock value (13:06)
Song: “C’est la F**king Vie” by Ginny Clee (24:10)
Rude word of the week: “f**king” (as an attributive expletive) (28:34)
Music bumper from Essence by Evan Stone. (31:59)
Curses, extended curses, and interjections (32:23)
Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
Theme music by Kick the Cat
time: 42:28
size: 38.9 Mb
rating: R (The last two-thirds of the show is about very rude language. Our lovely featured song is not one you want to play at work.)
Thanks for the show, guys!
From the title and the intro, I was hoping for an explanation – at last – of those deliberately vague comments in books. You know, the ones where the narrator of the story says that so-and-so exhausted his store of profanity, much to the secret (or open) admiration of his listeners.
Or someone runs out of native language curses and goes on to swear in every other language he or she knows.
The most mysterious of this kind of swearing is from the desert, at least in the books I have read. An example is the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters, where one character is known as “The Father of Curses.” He can swear with great vividness and enthusiasm and is greatly admired by his workmen. But his comments are not included with the story as his wife is too much a lady to repeat them, even in a private diary.
Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, in a Sire Records press release purporting to offer advice to would-be women rockers:
Don’t think that sticking your boobs out and trying to look f—able will help. Remember you’re in a rock and roll band. It’s not “f— me,” it’s “f— you!”
Amazing versatility, that F word.
Great show. I was on pins and needles when you talked about infixing. But no, you didn’t bring up my favorite (you guys are letting me down lately!
) infix… “re-goddamn-diculous” 
In fact, it’s kind of actually getting to be re-goddamn-diculous the way you keep me at the edge of my seat while I’m listening, hoping you’re going to say something in particular that never actually materializes. I need to get a life. Oh, and I in no way mean to suggest that your show is lacking. I love the show. I guess I just am too easily excitable or something.
So, anyway, word of the day from my friend Stuart, recently relocated to the deep South from Scotland (and immediately having started a movement to allow the sale of higher-alcohol content beer in the local shops, ha ha): sarchasm. Sarchasm is the gulf opening between the author of sarcastic wit, and the reader or listener who doesn’t get it. He makes no claim as to the originality of the term, btw. Just thought I’d share, I think it’s a good word!
Terrific show! You handled the expletives nicely and the explanations were superb! One thing though, and it’s what I told my children when they started to try out cussing years ago. Using a cuss word to ‘fill in’ is really self limiting and interferes with your message. Try listening to William F. Buckley, Jr. to get a flavor of what proper English with well chosen words can communicate. Cuss words actually exhibit a lack of command of the English or any other language! Expanding one’s vocablulary is the goal, not shock value for cussing all the time will cause people to think you’re an uneducated dunce.
Awesome podcast. My favorite so far because i just subscribed through itunes, which is pretty sweet actually.
Thanks, Dan! Wow, you picked a hot one to start, didn’t you? We aren’t always so rude, I promise!
I liked that show a lot! The only downside in my opinion was a lack of reflection on why rude words are referred to as “bad language” and why you didn’t want children to listen to this show. I really think those of you who speak German should read that article I told you of in a mail some time ago: http://www.taz.de/dx/2004/02/02/a0253.1/textdruck. It’s both funny and insightful (and features some creative rude words in German).