Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be fine with what the heck but not what the frick. And I curse like a mofo when around adults only.

*nods grimly*

So weird. The actual intent behind fu*k, frick and heck is exactly the same. Is it the resonance of the specific syllables that creates a problem or is it the idea itself? I just don’t get it.

There's some evidence that swear words share some linguistic patterns across language. In English we tend to swear with hard consonants.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/10/world/swear-word-similarities-cec

In English, I always heard swear worlds more often derive from pre Norman invasion words. Those are not French derived and tend to be shorter and more harsh.
In Mexico some of the swear words are derived from native languages which is why no one in Spain will say ch —.
Swear words have a long history among the oppressed and as a mechanism of resistance to oppression. So everytkme you say f— that, you can remember the 11th century Anglo-Saxon peasant paying crushing taxes to a newly arrived normal overlord. Fight the power, little children.

Anonymous wrote:I’m not a household that lets my 16yo curse so I’m straddling the line on if I’m being too prudish with clutching my pearls over “frick you” and “what the frick”. I tended not to allow my older kids to say “what the __” so I’m trying to be reasonable given the rise of internet type language (bruh, bro, fuhhh, etc)

Do you allow “frick”?

There's value in a well-placed four letter word. It has impact when used sparingly.

But habitual use is lame and lazy. Suggest giving the kid a thesaurus.

Nope.

Anonymous wrote:"Son, we're Battlestar Galactica fans in this house. It's "frak", not "frick"".

Fork you.

-A Good Place fan

Anonymous wrote:I tell my 7 yo she needs to know her audience. She can say whatever words she wants in front of me. I have told her it is my job to help her understand appropriateness and context. If she is caught offending a teacher, friend or whatever, she is in trouble, not for language but for not being respectful. I do not give the language itself much power.

I agree with this take. It teaches more social skills in the end then banning things do. Your kid has to learn to check in with the person they are talking to and read their body language to know the audience.

Shut it down

The intent is the same as the real F word, therefore we don't allow it.