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I would love a show specifically discussing insults and profanity through the ages. One of my favourite cuss words from the past is zooterkins, not sure if that's the right spelling.
Not a swear word but another way of referring to something that is garbage that is still used here in the UK is codswallop which is just too silly not to use.
Looking forward to a full hour of WWW! Yeah, life is going to be better soon.
I believe you could. Growing up in Kansas, I'd hear "What a Possum Stink That Is!" or "Ain't That The Cat's Meow!" That's swearing with clean words.
California has some local "swearing" with Spanish thrown in.
You guys can do it; you have a "Way With Words!".
See you on the radio this weekend.
You all would probably like Samuel Johnson's Insults, edited by Rutgers professor Jack Lynch (who, incidentally, has a great grammar guide online).
Lynch edited Johnson's Dictionary as well, and we had delightful time with him on the show a couple of years ago. His book about insults was an outgrowth of editing the dictionary, because Johnson included so many of them. I was pleased to learn, for example, that a "clodpate" is "A stupid fellow; a dolt; a thickskull," and that a "fustilarian," as defined by Johnson, is "A low fellow; a stinkard; a scoundrel."
I would love to hear a show about insults. I know you can't put profanity on the air but there are much more interesting insults that don't use any profanity at all. What about ones that have a clever way with words?
Some of my favorites are a few of Shakespeare's insults:
"God be wi' you: let's meet as little as we can."
"I do desire we may be better strangers."
- As You Like It III.2
"More of your conversation would infect my brain."
Coriolanus II.1
"You are not worth another word, else I'd call you knave."
All's Well that Ends Well II.3
The bard is full of em.
My other favorite insults come from Yiddish. There aren't any real curse words in Yiddish, but the insults are just full of wit. They usually come in the form of a suggestion since it's considered impolite to actually curse someone.
Azoy fil ritzinoyl zol er oystrinkn.
He should drink too much castor oil
A groys gesheft zol er hobn mit shroyre: vus er hot, zol men bay im nit fregn, un vos men fregt zol er nisht hobn.
He should have a large store, and whatever people ask for he shouldn't have, and what he does have shouldn't be requested.
I can't remember the Yiddish, but there was one that roughly meant "May you eat as much as a horse and poop as much as a bird"
And the worst possible thing you can say to someone (so I've been told) is
du bist blote
You are mud.
...since mud is dirty, unwanted by all but pigs, and walked on by all other.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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