I would like to throw down a challenge to my gentle readers...
It started when I noticed myself and others using exclamations such as "Oh my God!" and "Geez!", and so on. And I thought about the way we use words, the way our language shapes our thoughts, and what words and expressions we have at our disposal...
So the challenge is...
Can you think of an exclamation that is not "dirty" (such as the usual four-letter words) but that does not have some religious significance or etymological link?
So far I have come up with only two - "blast" and "bother". Not exactly compelling stuff...
When something significant happens, we are shocked, we are scared, surprised, and so on - we need a way of expressing these emotions. But why is it that the vast majority of these words are either about sex or religion? Why do we say "fuck!" when we stub our toe, or "Jesus!" when we drop a glass on the floor. What are we tapping into when we make these utterances? And why would an atheist go around using expressions that appeal to a supreme creator?
There has been much written on the topic of language and thought; I wonder what the implications are for swearing. I would like to have a word or phrase at my disposal that doesn't sound like I am appealing to some deity for intervention. I am now resigned to making some up and hoping they spread like memes.
So - I would like to ask anyone reading this: think about what exclamations you use, and post a comment below. Can you think of any that don't fall into the above categories of the usual four-letter words or religious words and euphemisms? For example, "gee", "geez", "geepers", etc are 'soft' forms of 'Jesus'. "Golly", "gosh" from "God". "Cripes", "crikey", etc from "Christ". And so on...
So what's left?!
curses!
Don't know if you've read much about speech act theory (pick up Austin's How to Do Things with Words, if you get a chance) but the point of an exclamation is to convey the extremity of your emotional response in reaction to an event or condition. The reason we resort to breaking linguistic taboos (concerning sex or religion or human waste) is that it shocks (or at one time could be counted on as shocking) your listener, thereby sharing your dismay.
This is why the "dirtiest" words you can think of would probably make the most effective exclamations, and why non-taboo terms and phrases (e.g. "Oh brother!" "I never!" "well, I'll be a monkey's uncle!", "That's a fine how-do-you-do!", etc.) sound tepid and lame.
That said, here's some exclamations that aren't obviously taboo-breaking (although if you do some research, I'm sure a couple of them might be).
Fie!*
Yipes!
Ouch!
Yow!
Well!
Rats!
Avast!
Dear me!
Oy!
Alack!
* - I use fie. It's a bit affected, but it's a little better than, say, "alack" or worse, "avast". Moreover, it's decidedly agnostic - it's borrowed from Old French, and is thought to be immitative (like "ouch").
Warning - if you're going to start excising the judeo-christian references woven through the english language, and you want to be really thorough about it, you've got a lot of work ahead of you. To start with, you've gotta get rid of "good bye" (historically: God by ye), as well as subtler words: inspiration, perdition, celestial, etc.
A charming, if slightly long-winded Canadian entry
A Canadian ex-collegue of mine was fond of exclaiming "son of a sap-sucker!" in moments of stress or surprise. Not quite concise enough for a toe-stubbing, of course, but useful none the less.
What's wrong with a good, old-fashioned, nay, primitive, OH!
I'm quite fond of...
Good Grief!
My first instinct is to assume that it has some religious connotation, but I'm struggling to see what that would be exactly. Grief is certainly not the sole domain of theists.
I guess "bugger" loses out on scatalogical grounds.
What about "jiminey"? To close to Jesus, I suppose.
"By jingoes!"
A suggestion for a curse for a new millenium: "gates!" Short, explosive and about the worst thing you can say about anybody... Remember that, the next time you kick a chair in the dark (or your computer freezes on you.)
Son of a...
I like "Son of a sap-sucker...", but as you mention, it's a little long-winded when you need something quick that rolls of the tongue. Of course, people outside Canada might not appreciate the cultural reference to "sap suckers"...
I suppose "Oh!" would work, but it isn't terribly expressive. Then again, I rather like the French "Aieee!" which is meaningless, but has an appropriate 'sound' for the occasion.
But full points for meeting the criteria! :) Thanks!
::gavin
Great Scott!
I thought of "Great Scott!" just then, when trying to think of a title... I can't think of where it might come from, or for that matter who Scott is!
Anyway, thanks for a very insightful and informative post... I will check out the book you mention one day - it sounds interesting. I remember when my g/f introduced me to Lakoff, and I haven't thought the same way about language since.
"Fie!" is a great one; I think I might try using it, and see how it "fits". I use "Oy!" a fair bit, but usually to get someone's attention. "Avast!" is fun, reminds me of pirates. Don't know how "natural" it would feel though.
You also make an excellent point about all the judeo-christian influences on English. And indeed, the considerable influences of German and French, and other languages to a lesser extent. I suppose if we really traced things through (and oh what a tangled mess that would be!) we would probably find much more than is evident now.
Anyway thanks for the post!
::gavin
great scott
comes from Batman (tv) doesn't it ;-)
exclamations
My kids are all university students now but during adolescence each one resorted to the various curses or exclamations you've mentioned. Recognizing the value in creativity and respect for other peoples sensibilities we came up with the following:
1. manufactured locally: snigfrix
2. borrowed from the ni-Vanuatu of the South Pacific: haow! (explosively)
3. revived from long ago and effective when uttered by an adolescent male: no,no,no,no,no (with an emphasis on the first no)
4. was it Daffy Duck or Elmer Fudd: dag-nabit
Thanks for the stroll down memory lane.
Sandy
Don't forget...
Off the top of my head, I love to use "egads" or "fudge" for the shorter variety of non-taboo expletives. As for the longer variety "Holy hand-grenade of Antioch" seems to work quite well.
As for "Great Scott" the earliest time I remember that being said was by Doc Brown in "Back to the Future" parts 1,2 and 3.
And thinking again for others, how about "shoot" or "darn"?
GRRR!!!
Lately i'm just so confusticated that i can't even find a combination of swear-words strong enough to relieve the pressure, so i start growling and grumbling in gibberish, sometimes breaking out into a tantrum of complete nonsense as my brain is stabbed from all directions with sharp twisted reality. it's the life of a programmer!!!
I think I have one!
DRAT!
Back to the Future, baby
"Doc" Brown used to say it all the time, while Marty resorted to a more modern (at the time) "Whoa, this is heavy!"
Funny enough, however, in part III, Marty actually uttered a "Great Scott" to which Doc replied "I know, this is heavy!"
Another one of BTTF's great utterences of excitement (works very well around the office):
"What in the name of Sir Isaac H. Newton happened here?!"
history
i need an antonym for relieve
history
i need an antonym for relieve please answer back
what's left.
Thats why I came into this site, to find out what the opposite of the word "gee" is. And you ask what's left? That's what I'm asking.
Jeff F