In defense of the f-word

**leejo** · 07-02-2004, 04:47 PM

A subject near and dear to my heart lately

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2004Jul1.html

**H-Hour** · 07-02-2004, 04:50 PM

Yeah, I've been thinking a lot about the login screen too.

**Wyzcrak** · 07-02-2004, 04:51 PM

I say that word every time a website makes me register to view content.

**leejo** · 07-02-2004, 04:51 PM

well if you login you'll understand what my giving you the duece means.

**leejo** · 07-02-2004, 04:52 PM

For the login impared f'ers out there:

In Defense of the F-Word

By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, July 2, 2004; Page A15

I am sure there is a special place in heaven reserved for those who have never used the F-word. I will never get near that place. Nor, apparently, will Dick Cheney.

Washington is abuzz with the latest political contretemps. Cheney, taking offense at Sen. Pat Leahy's imputation of improper vice presidential conduct regarding Halliburton contracts in Iraq, let the senator know as much during a picture-taking ceremony on the floor of the Senate. The F-word was used. Washington is scandalized.

The newspapers were full of it. Lamentations were heard about the decline of civility. The Post gave special gravitas to the occasion, spelling out the full four letters (something that it had done only three times previously). Democrats, feeling darned outraged, demanded apologies. The vice president remained defiant, offering but the coyest concession -- that he "probably" cursed -- coupled with satisfaction: "I expressed myself rather forcefully, felt better after I had done it."

The Federal Communications Commission just last year decreed that the F-word could be used as an adjective, but not as a verb. Alas, this Solomonic verdict, fodder for a dozen PhD dissertations, was recently overturned. It would not get Cheney off the hook anyway. By all accounts, he deployed the pungent verb form, in effect a suggestion as to how the good senator from Vermont might amuse himself.

Flood-the-zone coverage by investigative reporters has not, however, quite resolved the issue of which of the two preferred forms passed Cheney's lips: the priceless two-worder -- "[verb] you" -- or the more expansive three-worder, a directive that begins with "go."

Though I myself am partial to the longer version, I admit that each formulation has its virtues. The deuce is the preferred usage when time is short and concision is of the essence. Enjoying the benefits of economy, it is especially useful in emergencies. This is why it is a favorite of major league managers going nose to nose with umpires. They know that they have only a few seconds before getting tossed out of the game, and as a result television viewers have for years delighted in the moment the two-worder is hurled, right on camera. No need for sound. The deuce was made for lip reading.

Which makes it excellent for drive-by information conveyance. When some jerk tailgater rides my bumper in heavy traffic, honking his horn before passing and cutting me off, I do a turn-to-the-left, eyeball-to-eyeball, through-the-driver's-window two-worder -- mouthed slowly and with exaggerated lip movements. No interlocutor has yet missed my meaning.

Nonetheless, while the two-worder has the directness of the dagger, the three-worder has the elegance of the wide-arced saber slice. It is more musical and, being more clearly spelled out, more comprehensible to the non-English speaker (a boon in major urban areas). It consists of a straightforward directive containing both a subject and an object -- charmingly, the same person.

According to The Post, the local authority on such matters, Cheney went for a variant of the short form, employing the more formal "yourself." And given the location, the floor of the Senate, it seems a reasonable choice: Time was short, and he undoubtedly reserves the right to revise and extend his remarks.

Ah, but the earnest chin-pullers are not amused. Cheney's demonstration of earthy authenticity in a chamber in which authenticity of any kind is to be valued has occasioned anguished meditations on the loss of civility in American politics. Liberals in particular have expressed deep concern about this breach of decorum.

Odd. The day before first reports of Cheney's alleged indiscretion, his Democratic predecessor, Al Gore, delivered a public speech in which he spoke of the administration's establishing a "Bush gulag" around the world and using "digital brown shirts" to intimidate the media. The former vice president of the United States compared the current president to both Hitler and Stalin in the same speech -- a first not just in hyperbole but in calumny -- and nary a complaint is heard about a breach of civility.

If you suspect that this selective indignation may be partisan, you guessed right. But here's an even more important question. In the face of Gore's real breach of civil political discourse, which of the following is the right corrective: (a) offer a reasoned refutation of the charge that George Bush is both Stalinist and Hitlerian; (b) suggest an increase in Gore's medication; or (c) do a Cheney.

The correct answer is "C." And given the circumstances, go for the deuce.

fr1j0l3 · 07-02-2004, 05:08 PM

F-bombs are ok, but a bare breast.. OMG!!!!

**leejo** · 07-02-2004, 05:27 PM

Kinda. For example, on television I could say that you're an f'er or say that you're f'ing daffy, but I cannot tell you to f off or to f yourself. Bare breasts are ok sometimes, if it's a movie about the holocaust for example, but not at a football game, nor, I presume, an f'ing game show or sit com.

I can say what I please in private, though, as can the Veep. Bare breasts are fine in private too. F'ing well preferred, actually.

**H-Hour** · 07-02-2004, 05:37 PM

Do The Cheney!

Beep Boop Beep Boobeep Boobeep Beep Boop
Beep Boop Beep Boobeep Boobeep Beep Boop
Beep Boop Beep Boobeep Boobeep Beep Boop

Fait_Maker · 07-02-2004, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leejo

Ah, but the earnest chin-pullers are not amused. Cheney's demonstration of earthy authenticity in a chamber in which authenticity of any kind is to be valued has occasioned anguished meditations on the loss of civility in American politics. Liberals in particular have expressed deep concern about this breach of decorum.

This may be my favorite post. Please let me rebutt once small piece of that article.

Does anyone want to bring up a certain breach of decorum done in the Oval Office? No, wait. That's none of our business and how dare we bring it up yet again.

**_Ender_** · 07-03-2004, 02:49 AM

Who cares.. the dude said the f- word big deal.

**RGM-79N_GM_CUstom** · 07-04-2004, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Ender_

Who cares.. the dude said the f- word big deal.

People consider him an example and for some dumb reason or another words seem to offend people. Granted I question that considering all words are neutral its the context that makes them good or bad.

07-02-2004, 04:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
leejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Age: 39 Posts: 7,690	In defense of the f-word A subject near and dear to my heart lately http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2004Jul1.html

07-02-2004, 04:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
H-Hour Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,437	Re: In defense of the f-word Yeah, I've been thinking a lot about the login screen too.

07-02-2004, 04:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
Wyzcrak Join Date: May 2003 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 14,139	Re: In defense of the f-word I say that word every time a website makes me register to view content. __________________ Steam Community? Add me. \| Join #tacticalgamer \| Search Results Legend \| New Posts Forum Filter \| Postbox Toggle \| Live Thread Review \| One Line Results \| Free Remote, Encrypted Backup Darkilla: In short, NS is pretty much really fast chess. With guns. Apophis: I haven't seen anyone say that SM's are better than non-SMs. Nordbomber: This is THE first server I've seen where either side can comeback from out of seemingly nowhere with the right teamwork. en4rcment: I have NEVER experienced the type of gameplay that I have found here. Nightly I am amazed at the personalities and gaming talent. Root: Welcome to TG. Feel free to punctuate your sentences correctly. Monkerz: Its gonna take all my skills to beat those boys off in the future.

07-02-2004, 04:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
leejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Age: 39 Posts: 7,690	Re: In defense of the f-word well if you login you'll understand what my giving you the duece means.

07-02-2004, 04:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
leejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Age: 39 Posts: 7,690	Re: In defense of the f-word For the login impared f'ers out there: In Defense of the F-Word By Charles Krauthammer Friday, July 2, 2004; Page A15 I am sure there is a special place in heaven reserved for those who have never used the F-word. I will never get near that place. Nor, apparently, will Dick Cheney. Washington is abuzz with the latest political contretemps. Cheney, taking offense at Sen. Pat Leahy's imputation of improper vice presidential conduct regarding Halliburton contracts in Iraq, let the senator know as much during a picture-taking ceremony on the floor of the Senate. The F-word was used. Washington is scandalized. The newspapers were full of it. Lamentations were heard about the decline of civility. The Post gave special gravitas to the occasion, spelling out the full four letters (something that it had done only three times previously). Democrats, feeling darned outraged, demanded apologies. The vice president remained defiant, offering but the coyest concession -- that he "probably" cursed -- coupled with satisfaction: "I expressed myself rather forcefully, felt better after I had done it." The Federal Communications Commission just last year decreed that the F-word could be used as an adjective, but not as a verb. Alas, this Solomonic verdict, fodder for a dozen PhD dissertations, was recently overturned. It would not get Cheney off the hook anyway. By all accounts, he deployed the pungent verb form, in effect a suggestion as to how the good senator from Vermont might amuse himself. Flood-the-zone coverage by investigative reporters has not, however, quite resolved the issue of which of the two preferred forms passed Cheney's lips: the priceless two-worder -- "[verb] you" -- or the more expansive three-worder, a directive that begins with "go." Though I myself am partial to the longer version, I admit that each formulation has its virtues. The deuce is the preferred usage when time is short and concision is of the essence. Enjoying the benefits of economy, it is especially useful in emergencies. This is why it is a favorite of major league managers going nose to nose with umpires. They know that they have only a few seconds before getting tossed out of the game, and as a result television viewers have for years delighted in the moment the two-worder is hurled, right on camera. No need for sound. The deuce was made for lip reading. Which makes it excellent for drive-by information conveyance. When some jerk tailgater rides my bumper in heavy traffic, honking his horn before passing and cutting me off, I do a turn-to-the-left, eyeball-to-eyeball, through-the-driver's-window two-worder -- mouthed slowly and with exaggerated lip movements. No interlocutor has yet missed my meaning. Nonetheless, while the two-worder has the directness of the dagger, the three-worder has the elegance of the wide-arced saber slice. It is more musical and, being more clearly spelled out, more comprehensible to the non-English speaker (a boon in major urban areas). It consists of a straightforward directive containing both a subject and an object -- charmingly, the same person. According to The Post, the local authority on such matters, Cheney went for a variant of the short form, employing the more formal "yourself." And given the location, the floor of the Senate, it seems a reasonable choice: Time was short, and he undoubtedly reserves the right to revise and extend his remarks. Ah, but the earnest chin-pullers are not amused. Cheney's demonstration of earthy authenticity in a chamber in which authenticity of any kind is to be valued has occasioned anguished meditations on the loss of civility in American politics. Liberals in particular have expressed deep concern about this breach of decorum. Odd. The day before first reports of Cheney's alleged indiscretion, his Democratic predecessor, Al Gore, delivered a public speech in which he spoke of the administration's establishing a "Bush gulag" around the world and using "digital brown shirts" to intimidate the media. The former vice president of the United States compared the current president to both Hitler and Stalin in the same speech -- a first not just in hyperbole but in calumny -- and nary a complaint is heard about a breach of civility. If you suspect that this selective indignation may be partisan, you guessed right. But here's an even more important question. In the face of Gore's real breach of civil political discourse, which of the following is the right corrective: (a) offer a reasoned refutation of the charge that George Bush is both Stalinist and Hitlerian; (b) suggest an increase in Gore's medication; or (c) do a Cheney. The correct answer is "C." And given the circumstances, go for the deuce.

07-02-2004, 05:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
fr1j0l3 Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,342	Re: In defense of the f-word F-bombs are ok, but a bare breast.. OMG!!!!

07-02-2004, 05:27 PM	#7 (permalink)
leejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Age: 39 Posts: 7,690	Re: In defense of the f-word Kinda. For example, on television I could say that you're an f'er or say that you're f'ing daffy, but I cannot tell you to f off or to f yourself. Bare breasts are ok sometimes, if it's a movie about the holocaust for example, but not at a football game, nor, I presume, an f'ing game show or sit com. I can say what I please in private, though, as can the Veep. Bare breasts are fine in private too. F'ing well preferred, actually.

07-02-2004, 05:37 PM	#8 (permalink)
H-Hour Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,437	Re: In defense of the f-word Do The Cheney! Beep Boop Beep Boobeep Boobeep Beep Boop Beep Boop Beep Boobeep Boobeep Beep Boop Beep Boop Beep Boobeep Boobeep Beep Boop

07-03-2004, 02:49 AM	#10 (permalink)
_Ender_ Join Date: May 2003 Location: I am lost, if you know where I am then please feel free to tell me. Age: 29 Posts: 2,048	Re: In defense of the f-word Who cares.. the dude said the f- word big deal.

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