“Sometimes a term may begin as a pejorative word and eventually be adopted in a non-pejorative sense. This happened with the terms Quaker, Yankee, Okie, Tory and Whig, Ham radio operator, Methodist, Shaker, Unitarian and Sooner which were originally slang insults but came to be used as non-pejorative standard words.”
If you ever go to Jamaica, don’t say blood clot. That phrase is at least as obscene as tabernacle is in Quebec!
Interesting! Any idea why?
I have no idea. My co-worker’s Jamaican boyfriend became visibly upset when we just said the words. He said it is more obscene than the word bloody. I wonder how their medical professionals conduct business without those words?
If you ever go to Jamaica, don’t say blood clot. That phrase is at least as obscene as tabernacle is in Quebec!
Interesting! Any idea why?
I have no idea. My co-worker’s Jamaican boyfriend became visibly upset when we just said the words. He said it is more obscene than the word bloody. I wonder how their medical professionals conduct business without those words?
In most of the uncivilized world women during their menstruation period are looked at with disgust. That’s where it probably comes from.
I did a quick web search. Nothing definitive, but a lot of people seem to have the same view that it may refer in some manner to the menstrual discharge.
It occurs to me that in Jamaica or in other cultures, they may wonder why we consider the word “fuck” to be so taboo, and negative. At least I wonder about it. Fucking is generally a quite positive and enjoyable activity as I recall. Yet to call someone a fuck, or to use the word as an adjective, or to use it as an expletive denotes great negativity.
It occurs to me that in Jamaica or in other cultures, they may wonder why we consider the word “fuck” to be so taboo, and negative. At least I wonder about it. Fucking is generally a quite positive and enjoyable activity as I recall. Yet to call someone a fuck, or to use the word as an adjective, or to use it as an expletive denotes great negativity.
Fuck, the word that is, appears most commonly in Black street speech usually as a noun and is directed to a familiar. It’s sometimes preceded by mother. Mixing tone with the word determines the intent. Personally, I use it when I .... Up something or hit my knee on my desk, which often happens. most of the time a loud “goddamit” will do. And yes, George is right, we’re all animals, we like to fuck but we’re embarrassed to admit it.
I don’t think having sex per se is the problem as much as the fact that we were never able to find a way to do it without appearing like animals. When Europeans first started to discover new lands and came across more primitive cultures, it was their nakedness and their dancing (often mimicking the sexual act) that helped them to see all these peoples as not human.
Europe has tried for many generations to separate us from the animal kingdom. You can see it in their religion, their art (in most of European dances one barely touches the other person), or their clothing, covering most of the skin. They ate with utensils and tried to come up with the most awkward rules to bring them closer to the “image of God.” But no matter how much they tried, the sexual act in the end always remained quite animal-like.
Most other cultures don’t probably make much of a big deal of this “problem” as seems to be evident from, say, the lyrics in rap music or watching the resort animators in the Dominican Republic joking around as the man pretends to have an intercourse (from behind) with his female partner. Luckily, the resorts’ open bars allow many of the permanently half-drunk Europeans to be entertained by this act.
I don’t think having sex per se is the problem as much as the fact that we were never able to find a way to do it without appearing like animals. When Europeans first started to discover new lands and came across more primitive cultures, it was their nakedness and their dancing (often mimicking the sexual act) that helped them to see all these peoples as not human.
Europe has tried for many generations to separate us from the animal kingdom. You can see it in their religion, their art (in most of European dances one barely touches the other person), or their clothing, covering most of the skin. They ate with utensils and tried to come up with the most awkward rules to bring them closer to the “image of God.” But no matter how much they tried, the sexual act in the end always remained quite animal-like.
Most other cultures don’t probably make much of a big deal of this “problem” as seems to be evident from, say, the lyrics in rap music or watching the resort animators in the Dominican Republic joking around as the man pretends to have an intercourse (from behind) with his female partner. Luckily, the resorts’ open bars allow many of the permanently half-drunk Europeans to be entertained by this act.
Humans can be much more creative and varied in sexual activity than the other animals. So I think that the social taboos, stem not so much from the animalistic nature of sex, as they do from the sheer power of the sex drive itself. The sex drive is suppressed, so that other controlling factors can come into play.
Humans can be much more creative and varied in sexual activity than the other animals. So I think that the social taboos, stem not so much from the animalistic nature of sex, as they do from the sheer power of the sex drive itself. The sex drive is suppressed, so that other controlling factors can come into play.
Well, the burka probably serves the purpose of lessening the chance of one’s wife attracting a male who is not her husband (the same as the Catholic nuns, devoting their lives to only one “man.”) I think it’s very different from the Europeans’ complicated wardrobe.
Well, the burka probably serves the purpose of lessening the chance of one’s wife attracting a male who is not her husband (the same as the Catholic nuns, devoting their lives to only one “man.”) I think it’s very different from the Europeans’ complicated wardrobe.
What are you referring to concerning a European’s complicated wardrobe George?
More complicated means less primitive, more God-like and less animal-like.
Personally, I don’t think humans can ever be less animal-like. The more they try not to act “like animals” the more they do, because we are animals. We just happen to be a little more advanced intellectually, thus we seem like we are “god-like”, but get us in the water and you might find that dolphins and whales are more “god-like”. Depending on the species, “more complicated” by your definition could apply. I don’t think humans can get away from the fact they are animals no matter how much they try, even with clothing.
