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FML: Forget My Language!

Managing Editor Martha Rogers

    I used to have the mouth of a sailor. Growing up a sincerely devoted younger sister to a “very cool” brother, I emulated his speech habits as well as those of my mother. This must have sounded odd since my mother speaks very properly, like a person who has stepped out of 1908, and my brother at that time spoke like the Marine he now is. I liked my unusual combinations of expletives and words over five syllables delivered in what I considered a sharp, snappy manner. I thought it made me edgy (which is ironic, coming from a girl who wore penny loafers to her first day of public school).

    As I went on in college, however, I developed a distaste for bad language, aided by several wonderful female role models and one very intolerant boyfriend (who also made me give up my short stint with smoking—thanks again Patrick!). I came to this change for my own reasons, mostly having to do with wanting to emulate so many wonderful women with so many beautiful writing voices, none of whom used cursing a primary expression. Great authors like Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, L.M. Montgomery, and the Brontë sisters all influenced my thinking and my writing. I realized that they communicated such beautiful, eloquent ideas and moments without ever using a foul word and that the heroines in these novels were such amazing, elegant women who would never dream of using such crass language.

    These reasons are not enough to convince all people and I understand that not all women idolize Elizabeth Bennett. However! There is an entire movement out there that agrees with my conclusion, and articulates the reasoning far better than I. The Cuss Control Academy (www.cusscontrol.com) has posted great reasons why cursing is unnecessary and avoidable. They sort these reasons into three categories: that it imposes a personal penalty, is bad for society, and corrupts the English language. I won’t summarize their entire page here, but if you’re intrigued and would like to check out the group that has garnered praise from the likes of Oprah and CBS, then go to their page and begin improving your own contribution to our cultural lexicon.