What the f**k?! It has become apparent over the last decade that the use of the F-word has increased, both in it's regularity and in the diverse subject matter it describes. WebTwitcher was scandalised to see the recent study from Ohio State University on the usage of the word 'fuck' in law terms. What? It's a swear word banned in the WebTwitcher household! Why legitimise it further!

Not wanting you, loyal readers, to think that WebTwitcher is suffering from a bout of Tourettes, here is a short history of the F-Word, so you can impress your foul mouthed friends and colleagues with your infinite knowledge. The first mention in The Oxford English Dictionary dates way back to 1503. John Ayto, in the 'Dictionary of Word Origins' makes a comedy mention of 'John le Fucker' from 1250, proving that the expletive we randomly throw about today was being used for similar purposes 750 years ago.

Never strangers to controversy, the Monty Python team has, during various points on their rollercoaster careers also deemed to instruct us on the usage of the 15th century swear word. Take this in depth study the team did, for example, on the usage of the F-word in the English language. Obviously with the arrival of the web, there are many more XXX topics WebTwitcher refuses to discuss with her innocent and cherished readers.

Funny find of the day, however, is a recent addition from Eric Idle (ex-Monty Pythoner) who has written a charming little song dedicated to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) after being sued by them for his use of the word in the US, which highlights many of the points raised in the previous Python dialogue.

Expletives and intensifiers aside, a short history of the word can, of course, be found on Wikipedia, while the excellent Urban Legends will dispel many of the rumours surrounding it's history and usage. I'm now off to wash my potty mouth out with soap...

Leave a reply »