One of the preeminent linguists of our time examines the realms of
language that are considered shocking and taboo in order to understand
what imbues curse words with such power--and why we love them so much.
Profanity
has always been a deliciously vibrant part of our lexicon, an integral
part of being human. In fact, our ability to curse comes from a
different part of the brain than other parts of speech--the urgency with
which we say "f&*k!" is instead related to the instinct that tells
us to flee from danger.
Language evolves with time, and so does what we consider profane or unspeakable. Nine Nasty Words
is a rollicking examination of profanity, explored from every angle:
historical, sociological, political, linguistic. In a particularly
coarse moment, when the public discourse is shaped in part by
once-shocking words, nothing could be timelier.
