Alatar wrote:My bosses from the top down, all swear. In a peculiar way, guys on the floor have more respect for a manager who isn't "above them" and a little swearing is common ground. Its a cultural thing.
Well, then call the US multicultural
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/77tongue.gif)
The lawyers I know, by and large, are a foulmouthed bunch. In litigation, it seems common to trash talk the other side. It's more fun to be battling the "clueless f******* d****** attorney" on the other side than "our worthy adversary who we view with the greatest respect," I guess. I actually have never done a lot of swearing at work, because I'd rather be respectful of the sensibilities of anyone who might silently be uncomfortable, and I'd rather not tread on the wrong side of any unspoken rule that says that more junior people are supposed to use better language, if there is one.
![MrGreen :D](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
And in the current workplace (switched jobs a week ago), haven't heard a single profane word from anyone at any level yet and expect that to continue.
I don't mind a "clean" workplace, just as I enjoy HoF as a "clean" messageboard, but I see no harm whatsoever in cursing, as long as you're not doing it so much you lose your ability to communicate (some people seem to interject swearing into conversation so frequently that it is hard to make out the substance of the sentence). Fact is, "swear words" serve a purpose for most of us. They express strong feeling. And most people who do not use them have come up with surrogate words to express that same strength of feeling (which I find...strange.) I mean, if the sentiment you're conveying is "damn", then how does it somehow become better if you use "darn" to mean the damn same thing? If you're thinking, "F****** idiot," then are you really doing something better if you say (or ultimately train yourself to think), "Flippin' idiot" or "Freakin' idiot"? I find it a bit annoying - just say the actual word, it won't kill you.
JS' point is valid, though. "G-ddamn" is actually in a different category for me. It just sounds presumptuous to me - you're essentially saying, "God [should] damn something or someone..." - which probably isn't actually what you mean (and if it is, you may want to think about why you hate that person or thing quite that much
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/77tongue.gif)
). So I understand why people say "damn" or "goshdarn it" instead.
Prim, nothing wrong with Googling the kids - my mom does the same, and actually most people I know seem to google friends from time to time.