unless youre a perfectly actualized person without any forms of prejudices or any semblance of knee-jerk fear based instincts, its better to keep that mask on. frankness is very often not the highest form of courtesy.
NaughtyBoyCutler Another classic input from the 'Trolls of RUclips', ladies and gentlemen! Stay tuned and don't miss the upcoming insults in our next episode!
My Dad's side of the family love swearing, my Mum's side hate it. They do find it offensive. I laugh every time my Mum tells me she wishes Billy Connolly wouldn't swear so much. He worked in Scottish shipyards, I'm surprised he doesn't swear every other word😂
I love Hitch, as did Fry. He is surely missed. What I love is he said in that in a debate with his brother, Peter Hitchens, who says that he doesn’t like swearing; he’s very much a stupid pearl-clutcher.
When I was in my teens, my grandfather heard me use a swear word, and told me that "Profanity is a crutch for the conversationally crippled." ... some 25 years later, after hearing him curse, I quoted it back to him. He told me, "well that's a crock of shit!" >.< I miss my grandpa so much. ♥
No it's been overused it's tired and old. Plus is it good or bad anymore, no one knows? Get a dictionary and learn some new words. And yes it does show you're a low class trashy person!!
Johnny Brist Ohhhh... I just realised you're obese and a troll. *unoriginal comment is unoriginal* well... FUCK YOU! Nah but seriously shut the hell up, you overuse the word trashy so much you are basically being a huge-ass hypocrite saying "fuck" is overused.
Poo McPoo OK maybe I did, but I have a new version of that which is unique and fresh. It's trasherization!! This trasherization of language by swearing has rendered a once noble language now pathetic and tired, like an old weary man living under a freeway overpass who has to endure the relentless wind and rain that mother nature has unforgivingly dealt weak soul!! Now top that!!
I'm with Stephen, i've always found swearing enjoyable & my vocab is pretty decent. It's a good way to express the frustrations of life & you can have a giggle at the same time. :O)
I've always considered swearing to be one of the greatest pleasures of language. I have been swearing since I was about ten to eleven years-old, as did most of my other classmates at the time. It is humanising, relieving, expressive, emphasising, and comforting. It may be used in conjunction with humour and in a moment of lightheartedness, as a product of frustration and anger, or as a means to curse the existential challenges and injustices of living. In concurrence with Stephen Fry, it most certainly should not be taken as an indicator for the depth of one's vocabulary, nor the measure of their intellectual capabilities; That's just fucking stupid.
If x is the average english vocabulary, not considering combinations of vowels and consonants considered indecent or "swearing" due to their references to past, present or future bodyparts and functions of the interlocutor or their close family (we shall call these Y), then it follows that as long as a single swearword exists in english (y>0), x+y>x and hence those who swear have a larger vocabulary than those who do not. Not only that but we must also consider that these "undesirable terms" add a genuinely musical variety to speech spanning from staccato to legato, crescendos and fortisimos to the subtlest pianisimos whispered through the teeth for added effect. I wouldn't have language without it.
"The sort of tween person who thinks swearing is in anyway a sign of lack of education or lack of verbal interest is just fucking lunatic" One of the best quotes I've ever heard
Mr. Fry used someone else's credit card when he was 17 years old. In plain language, he stole money. He has never complained about being imprisoned, as he acknowledges that he was guilty, and moreover, that English prison isn't all that much worse than British boarding school. (He had been sent away to boarding school at age 7.) He served a short sentence (and in one of his documentaries, he even went back to the prison and revisited the cells and chatted with the warden - now THAT'S guts!). He got out of prison, enrolled immediately in some catch-up "A" level courses, and won a scholarship to Cambridge. Perhaps if prison were not horribly dangerous and the standard of living for non-violent prisoners not unreasonably bad, it would not be such a bad idea for first offenders to be sent to prison for short sentences. But those would have to be prisons which did not put first offenders in with career criminals, where the first offenders learn quickly how to be much worse persons, simply in order to survive. For most people, I think the fear of the loss of freedom of movement would be a bigger disincentive to re-offend than probation.
Like any word, if used intelligently it sounds good, if used bad, it sounds bad. A bit like sarcasm, most people misuse it, and end up sounding irritating, but when used cleverly it's good. Well not necessarily cleverly, just be moderate. I know of some people who literally say fuck every 2-3 sentences, who piss me off just as much as those who misuse the word 'literally; ie. "I literally went blue in the face." To which I reply, "No....you fucking didn't!"
Mr Fry is every man I would like in my life! My father my big brother, my little brother, my husband!!! Impossible- I know, my uncle! Yeah- he's so beautiful
That argument doesn't even make sense it's laughable. This guy didn't make a living from swearing. And he's no John Cleese isn't near as funny. This guy is a wannabe!!
I object to that assertion my good man!! Swearing doesn't make one funny, or cool, or anything other than a played out hack!! Yes, indeed, swearing may have at one time appeared cutting edge or shocking, but that was around 1965!! It's 2015, and people who continue to use the played out and tired Fword are truly pathetic!!
***** yes nitpick on this point, but don't address my main point which you can't!! Using the same swears for 50 years show a lack of vocab and a low IQ!! Let's put it this way so maybe you can understand. Valley Talk was a popular fad way of talking in the 80's that originated in California. Phrases like OMG, "Like" and "as if" to name a few caught on across the country! After a few months of these repetitive phrases they get really tired, and people abandoned Valley Talk. IF people were using Valley phrases today we would say hey get yourself some new phrases those are 30 years old and tired right? Well, there's no difference with these swears they even older and tired, but just because they are swears everyone gives people a pass? Don't think so!!
***** low class uneducated people swear, for the most part. And yes, people are bored and irritated with swears now. They are way overused and it just sounds stupid to hear the Fword used in almost every sentence some people now utter!! Do people use Ridiculous in almost every sentence? No way!! So you analogy is false, terrible and Ridiculous are no way near as overused!! And what does it even mean anymore? Does it mean good, or bad? No one knows they just throw it in their sentences. It really has no meaning anymore! If you're going to throw a word in your sentences just to punctuate things, why not use eh like they do in Canada, or something like that? At least it sounds more civilized and less uncouth!! Oh, but I forgot you love the descent into the gutter that both US and England has gone into don't you? You would love everyone to swill beer or weed in public, spit, cuss, and fight on the sidewalk wouldn't you? Your kind is the reason both countries have gone down the tubes and are the laughing stock of the civilized world!! Using certain words may not mean the person is incapable of using others, but it's a good indicator, and relying on those words will certainly lower your vocab after awhile!! If you don't use it, you lose it, as the saying goes!!
***** what baseless comparisons? Low class people swear and do much more, all of which makes them low class! No you didn't address any of my main points again!! Like how is it OK to use the Fword in almost every sentence? How is that fine? And ridiculous and terrible are not overused like the Fword is!! No you never address my valid points do you? You remind me of pit nutters and gun nuts, both of whom are insane!! How about you try addressing my points for a change? Oh, I forgot you have no base for your opinions they are pointless and you have little reasoning ability!! And yes uneducated is a word, but then you being the definition of this word you probably don't know that!! Here's the definition and spelling, both of which I used properly!!!! Uneducated - Synonyms and More from the Free Merriam-Webster ... www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uneducated Cached Definition of UNEDUCATED. lacking in education or the knowledge gained from books
Swearing does not reveal any personality of ones other than the fact that he swears. Think about it, you can be intelligent and cuss, you can be rich and cuss, you can be very kind and cuss( maybe not at people). See people who read this and once disagree or still disagree will realize what assumptions do to them.
Yes it reveals you are crude, low class and trashy!! The push by media and stupid young kids to have it accepted as normal is pathetic. Fword is so overused at this point, it's meaningless, tired and old at this point!!
LMAO, how about instead you reply to the video and argue your delusional opinions to Stephen fry. Quite possibly one of the most brilliant speakers ever known. They are words, words that have no physical effect. So why make a big deal out of it.
And you try to argue to others of how swearing is a sing of a poor vocabulary but you probably didn't watch the entire video, because the kind of person who would say swearing is a sing of a poor vocabulary usually have a pretty poor vocabulary themselves.
Johnny Brist Swearwords are probably the purest forms of language. Look at how far back the f-word goes, and you'll find that it's a good, hearty Anglo-Saxon word, much older than 'cathedral' or 'government'. I agree that some swears are overused, but I think it's probably because of intended shock factor, which results from not really understanding why swearwords exist in the first place.
The word Fuck is one of the most versatile content words in English, but there is nothing quite like swearing in Spanish. It is just easier to build long insults. And that's weird because generally, it is in English, not Spanish, that one can pre and post modify nouns more freely.
I am 30 now, but when I was a kid I was very much "taught" not to swear. If I said a bad word the response would ofttimes be "what did you say? We don't use such language here!" or similar. They say it doesn't sound nice or well-behaved. Now, I don't mind swearing at all, in fact I rather enjoy it, both when I feel the need to swear myself and when other people do it. I completely agree with Stephen Fry (on almost anything he says in general!), and I have tried explaining it to my parents the same way. It does make for some funny situations when someone in close vicinity of my parents swears, say at a dinner at their friend's house (which happened recently!) and my parents just turn so awkward and seem to not know what to do. It was my childhood friend (my parents know her parents) who said something along the lines of: "fuck off, mom, I don't want the Brussels sprouts!" to her mom, and it looked as if my mom wanted to escape their house. The awkwardness was fucking amazing!
I love this! Stephen Fry is GOD! LOL I love swearing as well. Especially at trolls. Then they get all bent out of shape and try to accuse me of a poor vocabulary. No surprise, that's all they can come up with. What's even funnier is they all seem to share the same brain cell because that's all they all ever come up with. Not one of them can come up with ANYTHING original to say. I LOVE IT!
BillieJolene1 No I was meaning you!! And the fact that he may be rich has nothing to do with him swearing as I stated above!! Small minds use small words like the Fword!! Too bad England has sunk so far! He's no John Cleese though I suspect he's feeling that he's a failure!!!
BillieJolene1 Guess you're right USA has almost completed it's Trailer Park Trasherization (TM my phrase) and you're the queen on the trailer park float parade!! Kudos on that!! Have you ever heard of class before?? Thought not!! It's not lady like to swear, but then USA has few ladies anymore right? Now they're all just ho!!
BillieJolene1 ahh there's that intellect Fry was talking about hahahaha!!! You totally dodged my critique of Americans culturally going down the tubes didn't you? How convenient!! I don't insist on getting your attention, I just want to educate the ignorant masses!! Thank me when you graduate to adulthood!!!
Warning: Essay Incoming It's hilarious how swear words are really more catchy, compact ways of expressing acceptable meanings, yet people are shunned for using them, being more efficient and passionate. Fuck can mean sex or extreme dislike and annoyance. It all stems from inequality. Rich higher class people use a certain set of words, poor people another. Rich people look down on poor people, and thus their language. Some poor people language sticks around, and remains looked down upon. After a couple generations, those words are taken for granted to be bad, no questions asked. That's what those people grew up with. If I walked into a room and said, I AM EXTREMELY ANNOYED AT ALL OF YOU, a few heads would turn from the volume, but I wouldn't cause too much of a scene. Now if I said FUCK YOU, the room would attack me. Same meaning. Different sound. It's better to just not swear to cause less of a scene, but if everyone understood this, things would change. *exhales
Jonathan Chen When the Normans invaded Britain, they became the upper class, the rich elite; the Germanic peoples, descended from Saxons, Angles and Vikings were mostly laborers and low-end artisans, farmers and soldiers. The Normans, who spoke a Latin-derived language, gave us words like 'excrement'. The poor, who spoke Germanic-derived languages, gave us words like 'shit'. Very interesting stuff; it's all about social class, and less about national culture at the end of the day.
This is so right on. There are so many different ways of swearing, and what makes it rude or not has much less to do with the actual words used than the intent and direction behind them. One person can be using much much cruder language and yet NOT be rude, while another who is clearly using it with the intent to intimidate someone is very different. But then it's not so much the choice of words as the meaning behind them...
There's a nice interview with both after the long break and solo projects, well worth a check if you haven't seen it. Am working through "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" at the moment and soon to move onto "Jeeves and Wooster" after your post. Have already conquered "Blackadder", "QI" and "House". Will soon run out of their material again though =( Fry's in V for Vendetta as a sidenote though.
I love him for this video. Everything he says makes perfect sense! I showed this to my English teacher after talking about George Carlin's seven dirty words the other day in class.
I really agree with Stephen Fry about swearing, but it is also equally important to always consider whether you are using a swear word for the emphasis or simply for the lack of a better way of describing your thoughts. I have personally often noticed, that when I feel like swearing there often is a more powerful way of communicating the point without using one. But it does take a moment of time. And of course, sometimes swearing turns out to be the best choice.
When you say a word too much it loses its meaning. On that basis I reserve swearing for when I really mean it. I also try to mix it up a little, so I usually pick less common words.
That is in fact what gives swearing it's meaning and effectiveness and the fact that it's taboo. Like Johnny said the fact that it's used so regularly and so publicly takes away from that
Reece Swaby yes it's totally lost any meaning now. It's used for good stuff, for bad stuff, just to use in every 2nd sentence to appear "cool". Basically it's old and tired at this point. It's not edgy or controversial anymore it's just irritating!! Like people who used Valley Talk remember that? After a year it was really old and you told your friends stop saying "Like" and OMG now OK it's tired. Same thing with the Fword, only for some reason no one has said that to them!!!
@masterblend100, what is truly amazing to me is the amount of effort you have expended here, arguing about what other people should or should not say (or worse, be "allowed" to say). It seems that all of that time and effort could have been directed toward something that has some value. If this is truly a cause you feel deeply about (it certainly appears to be), hashing it out on RUclips with people who certainly appear not to care, seems a fool's errand at best.
We did exactly the same thing, although with me swearing like a drunken sailor as the ship goes down, we did have to underline and reiterate the point that they shouldn't swear in front of a) teachers at school, or b) my mother. The only trouble we had was with one blaspheming, and he was threatened with suspension. We said "ACLU" and the problem was over.
I used to think that swearing was a sign of poor vocabulary, but now I know that this is not always the case (my God, if Stephen Fry swears, and he's got one of the largest vocabularies that I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, then there's no hope for the rest of us). If anything, swearwords are probably the words we say that convey the most emotion the most precisely, and if not in the literary sense, certainly in the conversational sense. This is a fucking great realisation, isn't it?
Hugh Laurie is a very close friend of Fry, they established their careers in their own comedy skit show (A little bit of Fry and Laurie) Laurie's also British, he's just a very good actor.
I was one of those who used to say such things about swearing, then Stephen Fry fixed me. Now...I do it, rather a lot, and damn he is right. Fry has altered my views several times now, he just seems to appear right about everything. lol
It's kind of starting here in the States. First time I saw it was after Sandy. However, I never expected to see the term in actual everyday usage in place of restroom at a beach.
I’m only here because I was working had stuff fall. And I cursed. Few minutes later the manager comes up to me and said a customer heard me cursing. Old people are so soft
To me, swearing means I'm comfortable enough to not watch my language. That's a beautiful thing. The mask has dropped a little.
I cannot agree more with this.
unless youre a perfectly actualized person without any forms of prejudices or any semblance of knee-jerk fear based instincts, its better to keep that mask on. frankness is very often not the highest form of courtesy.
I find swearing immeasurably important at work for this exact reason.
Fuck yeah
I have yet to find a boring discussion featuring Stephen Fry.
+TraustiGeir You will be searching a many years to come upon no boring discussion featuring Mr Stephen Fry....you fucking lunatic.
NaughtyBoyCutler Another classic input from the 'Trolls of RUclips', ladies and gentlemen!
Stay tuned and don't miss the upcoming insults in our next episode!
Or maybe you don't understand a sarcastic reference to the video...
+NaughtyBoyCutler sarcasm is difficult to understand on the internet, to be fair
NaughtyBoyCutler He's right, you know.
I was shocked to see that cushion there and it should be removed immediately.
Children could see it!
"I told him to watch his F**king language, m'lud"
"I should bloody well think so!"
I love A Bit of Fry and Laurie, legendary comedy
I was shocked to see that cushion there. It really wasn't necessary!
"I haven't met anybody who's truly shocked at swearing, really, they're only shocked on behalf of other people". Never a truer word said.
My Dad's side of the family love swearing, my Mum's side hate it. They do find it offensive. I laugh every time my Mum tells me she wishes Billy Connolly wouldn't swear so much. He worked in Scottish shipyards, I'm surprised he doesn't swear every other word😂
"Civility is overrated."
- Christopher Hitchens
I love Hitch, as did Fry. He is surely missed. What I love is he said in that in a debate with his brother, Peter Hitchens, who says that he doesn’t like swearing; he’s very much a stupid pearl-clutcher.
When I was in my teens, my grandfather heard me use a swear word, and told me that "Profanity is a crutch for the conversationally crippled." ... some 25 years later, after hearing him curse, I quoted it back to him. He told me, "well that's a crock of shit!" >.< I miss my grandpa so much. ♥
Swearing can make anything you say more expressive! "I fucking love this" sounds better than "I love this". It adds more excitement and expression!
No it's been overused it's tired and old. Plus is it good or bad anymore, no one knows? Get a dictionary and learn some new words. And yes it does show you're a low class trashy person!!
Johnny Brist Ohhhh... I just realised you're obese and a troll. *unoriginal comment is unoriginal* well... FUCK YOU! Nah but seriously shut the hell up, you overuse the word trashy so much you are basically being a huge-ass hypocrite saying "fuck" is overused.
Poo McPoo OK maybe I did, but I have a new version of that which is unique and fresh. It's trasherization!! This trasherization of language by swearing has rendered a once noble language now pathetic and tired, like an old weary man living under a freeway overpass who has to endure the relentless wind and rain that mother nature has unforgivingly dealt weak soul!! Now top that!!
Johnny Brist Good job! Troll away my friend!
but you should watch out not to mix these words up. because "I fucking love you" has a different meaning from "I love fucking you"
I'm with Stephen, i've always found swearing enjoyable & my vocab is pretty decent. It's a good way to express the frustrations of life & you can have a giggle at the same time. :O)
Mega Raichu what?
@Mega Raichu There's a difference between choosing not to swear yourself, and trying to force other people to do the same thing.
I've always considered swearing to be one of the greatest pleasures of language. I have been swearing since I was about ten to eleven years-old, as did most of my other classmates at the time. It is humanising, relieving, expressive, emphasising, and comforting. It may be used in conjunction with humour and in a moment of lightheartedness, as a product of frustration and anger, or as a means to curse the existential challenges and injustices of living. In concurrence with Stephen Fry, it most certainly should not be taken as an indicator for the depth of one's vocabulary, nor the measure of their intellectual capabilities; That's just fucking stupid.
I wish the world could see Stephen for the utter genius he is.
It seems to me, the ones striking words from their vocabulary are the ones with the smaller vocabulary, aren't they?
If x is the average english vocabulary, not considering combinations of vowels and consonants considered indecent or "swearing" due to their references to past, present or future bodyparts and functions of the interlocutor or their close family (we shall call these Y), then it follows that as long as a single swearword exists in english (y>0), x+y>x and hence those who swear have a larger vocabulary than those who do not. Not only that but we must also consider that these "undesirable terms" add a genuinely musical variety to speech spanning from staccato to legato, crescendos and fortisimos to the subtlest pianisimos whispered through the teeth for added effect. I wouldn't have language without it.
"The sort of tween person who thinks swearing is in anyway a sign of lack of education or lack of verbal interest is just fucking lunatic"
One of the best quotes I've ever heard
Lovely socks, Mr Fry - but really, are they necessary...?
+DrDespicable Yes. Yes they are.
I see your point...
What?
Did his trousers fall down?
Ah, I see your point...
I love this man. Comedic genius.
Fry is just one of the most intelligent people in media! exteremly well-spoken too!
His voice. His vocabulary. OH MY GOD this is my favorite human being.
Well fucking said
***** It's not about people who don't swear, it's about people who have an issue with those that do. Swear or don't, I couldn't give a shit :)
Stephen fry has some really good points about life, this being one of them
How do we nominate Someone for a knighthood.
This man Deserves one Thats for sure..
He has spent time in prison so will never get one.
I believe it was credit card fraud .
Mr. Fry used someone else's credit card when he was 17 years old. In plain language, he stole money. He has never complained about being imprisoned, as he acknowledges that he was guilty, and moreover, that English prison isn't all that much worse than British boarding school. (He had been sent away to boarding school at age 7.) He served a short sentence (and in one of his documentaries, he even went back to the prison and revisited the cells and chatted with the warden - now THAT'S guts!).
He got out of prison, enrolled immediately in some catch-up "A" level courses, and won a scholarship to Cambridge.
Perhaps if prison were not horribly dangerous and the standard of living for non-violent prisoners not unreasonably bad, it would not be such a bad idea for first offenders to be sent to prison for short sentences. But those would have to be prisons which did not put first offenders in with career criminals, where the first offenders learn quickly how to be much worse persons, simply in order to survive. For most people, I think the fear of the loss of freedom of movement would be a bigger disincentive to re-offend than probation.
All you say may be true, however in cases where the law itself is at fault (eg drug laws) this would lead to even greater levels of injustice.
I was shocked to see that cushion there. It really wasn't necessary!......Simply disgusting
What if my 5 year old grandmother had seen that???
i love Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie
He even swears politely
Honestly I got my first pair of fancy headphones and the first thing I wanted to hear through them was Stephen Fry's voice. No regrets ever.
He is brilliant, a gem.
Stephen fry is the best thing to come out of Britain since I don't know when! He is a a national treasure.
A bit of Fry and Laurie..how I miss that show..those two are priceless together..blackadder was a riot as well.
Like any word, if used intelligently it sounds good, if used bad, it sounds bad.
A bit like sarcasm, most people misuse it, and end up sounding irritating, but when used cleverly it's good. Well not necessarily cleverly, just be moderate. I know of some people who literally say fuck every 2-3 sentences, who piss me off just as much as those who misuse the word 'literally; ie. "I literally went blue in the face."
To which I reply, "No....you fucking didn't!"
"Simon, the whole point of swearing is that it *ain't* appropriate."
This man is a fucking genius. We need more people like him in this world.
Mr Fry is every man I would like in my life! My father my big brother, my little brother, my husband!!! Impossible- I know, my uncle! Yeah- he's so beautiful
It was a great video but...What was up with that unnecessary cushion?
That argument doesn't even make sense it's laughable. This guy didn't make a living from swearing. And he's no John Cleese isn't near as funny. This guy is a wannabe!!
I object to that assertion my good man!! Swearing doesn't make one funny, or cool, or anything other than a played out hack!! Yes, indeed, swearing may have at one time appeared cutting edge or shocking, but that was around 1965!! It's 2015, and people who continue to use the played out and tired Fword are truly pathetic!!
***** yes nitpick on this point, but don't address my main point which you can't!! Using the same swears for 50 years show a lack of vocab and a low IQ!! Let's put it this way so maybe you can understand. Valley Talk was a popular fad way of talking in the 80's that originated in California. Phrases like OMG, "Like" and "as if" to name a few caught on across the country! After a few months of these repetitive phrases they get really tired, and people abandoned Valley Talk. IF people were using Valley phrases today we would say hey get yourself some new phrases those are 30 years old and tired right? Well, there's no difference with these swears they even older and tired, but just because they are swears everyone gives people a pass? Don't think so!!
***** low class uneducated people swear, for the most part. And yes, people are bored and irritated with swears now. They are way overused and it just sounds stupid to hear the Fword used in almost every sentence some people now utter!! Do people use Ridiculous in almost every sentence? No way!! So you analogy is false, terrible and Ridiculous are no way near as overused!! And what does it even mean anymore? Does it mean good, or bad? No one knows they just throw it in their sentences. It really has no meaning anymore! If you're going to throw a word in your sentences just to punctuate things, why not use eh like they do in Canada, or something like that? At least it sounds more civilized and less uncouth!! Oh, but I forgot you love the descent into the gutter that both US and England has gone into don't you? You would love everyone to swill beer or weed in public, spit, cuss, and fight on the sidewalk wouldn't you? Your kind is the reason both countries have gone down the tubes and are the laughing stock of the civilized world!!
Using certain words may not mean the person is incapable of using others, but it's a good indicator, and relying on those words will certainly lower your vocab after awhile!! If you don't use it, you lose it, as the saying goes!!
***** what baseless comparisons? Low class people swear and do much more, all of which makes them low class! No you didn't address any of my main points again!! Like how is it OK to use the Fword in almost every sentence? How is that fine? And ridiculous and terrible are not overused like the Fword is!! No you never address my valid points do you? You remind me of pit nutters and gun nuts, both of whom are insane!! How about you try addressing my points for a change? Oh, I forgot you have no base for your opinions they are pointless and you have little reasoning ability!!
And yes uneducated is a word, but then you being the definition of this word you probably don't know that!!
Here's the definition and spelling, both of which I used properly!!!!
Uneducated - Synonyms and More from the Free Merriam-Webster ...
www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uneducated Cached
Definition of UNEDUCATED. lacking in education or the knowledge gained from books
Swearing does not reveal any personality of ones other than the fact that he swears. Think about it, you can be intelligent and cuss, you can be rich and cuss, you can be very kind and cuss( maybe not at people). See people who read this and once disagree or still disagree will realize what assumptions do to them.
Yes it reveals you are crude, low class and trashy!! The push by media and stupid young kids to have it accepted as normal is pathetic. Fword is so overused at this point, it's meaningless, tired and old at this point!!
LMAO, how about instead you reply to the video and argue your delusional opinions to Stephen fry. Quite possibly one of the most brilliant speakers ever known. They are words, words that have no physical effect. So why make a big deal out of it.
And you try to argue to others of how swearing is a sing of a poor vocabulary but you probably didn't watch the entire video, because the kind of person who would say swearing is a sing of a poor vocabulary usually have a pretty poor vocabulary themselves.
Johnny Brist Swearwords are probably the purest forms of language. Look at how far back the f-word goes, and you'll find that it's a good, hearty Anglo-Saxon word, much older than 'cathedral' or 'government'.
I agree that some swears are overused, but I think it's probably because of intended shock factor, which results from not really understanding why swearwords exist in the first place.
mitch blaska of course words have an effect on people, which is physical/psychologocal!! How is fry one of the best speakers?
Hugh and Stephen are fabulous! I love to watch them!
the "not necessary" remark is what i always get ... will use this line
The word Fuck is one of the most versatile content words in English, but there is nothing quite like swearing in Spanish. It is just easier to build long insults. And that's weird because generally, it is in English, not Spanish, that one can pre and post modify nouns more freely.
That's interesting, I had no idea. I can imagine that some of them would be quite funny, if it's just a long sequence of insults.
Celi Méndez Ikr, I'm from Spain.
Celi Méndez fuck makes fucking sense no matter where the fuck you fucking put it
fucking right..
you need to fucking fuck the fuck off, ya fucking fucker..
Everyone should just quote this when they see that kid who made the No Cussing Club...
+CreepshowandGore I do.
I'm gonna join that no cussing club and shout out every cuss word in every language I know
I am 30 now, but when I was a kid I was very much "taught" not to swear. If I said a bad word the response would ofttimes be "what did you say? We don't use such language here!" or similar. They say it doesn't sound nice or well-behaved. Now, I don't mind swearing at all, in fact I rather enjoy it, both when I feel the need to swear myself and when other people do it. I completely agree with Stephen Fry (on almost anything he says in general!), and I have tried explaining it to my parents the same way. It does make for some funny situations when someone in close vicinity of my parents swears, say at a dinner at their friend's house (which happened recently!) and my parents just turn so awkward and seem to not know what to do. It was my childhood friend (my parents know her parents) who said something along the lines of: "fuck off, mom, I don't want the Brussels sprouts!" to her mom, and it looked as if my mom wanted to escape their house. The awkwardness was fucking amazing!
one of the few people who will truly make me star stuck
Matt Dillahunty sent me here
Justin Walker haha same!!!!!!
"The swear police are the most miserable people on earth."
-Jess Hall
MANDRAC and the people who use the Fword in every sentence are the most pathetic people on earth!! Learn a few new words, losers!!
Most miserable until you need them
I didn’t think it was possible but my respect for you, Stephen Fry, just went up one notch.
Three cheers for Mr Fry, I couldn't have said it better myself.
I love this! Stephen Fry is GOD! LOL I love swearing as well. Especially at trolls. Then they get all bent out of shape and try to accuse me of a poor vocabulary. No surprise, that's all they can come up with. What's even funnier is they all seem to share the same brain cell because that's all they all ever come up with. Not one of them can come up with ANYTHING original to say. I LOVE IT!
guess when you drop out of HS, Fword is all you got!!!
Johnny Brist YES!! and unlike you he can take that word to the bank!!!
BillieJolene1 No I was meaning you!! And the fact that he may be rich has nothing to do with him swearing as I stated above!! Small minds use small words like the Fword!! Too bad England has sunk so far! He's no John Cleese though I suspect he's feeling that he's a failure!!!
BillieJolene1 Guess you're right USA has almost completed it's Trailer Park Trasherization (TM my phrase) and you're the queen on the trailer park float parade!! Kudos on that!! Have you ever heard of class before?? Thought not!! It's not lady like to swear, but then USA has few ladies anymore right? Now they're all just ho!!
BillieJolene1 ahh there's that intellect Fry was talking about hahahaha!!! You totally dodged my critique of Americans culturally going down the tubes didn't you? How convenient!! I don't insist on getting your attention, I just want to educate the ignorant masses!! Thank me when you graduate to adulthood!!!
No dorn't be durteh!
That sound bite starting at :56 is just beautiful.
Was literally thinking about this subject this afternoon on the way home on the bus
Warning: Essay Incoming
It's hilarious how swear words are really more catchy, compact ways of expressing acceptable meanings, yet people are shunned for using them, being more efficient and passionate. Fuck can mean sex or extreme dislike and annoyance.
It all stems from inequality. Rich higher class people use a certain set of words, poor people another. Rich people look down on poor people, and thus their language. Some poor people language sticks around, and remains looked down upon.
After a couple generations, those words are taken for granted to be bad, no questions asked. That's what those people grew up with. If I walked into a room and said, I AM EXTREMELY ANNOYED AT ALL OF YOU, a few heads would turn from the volume, but I wouldn't cause too much of a scene. Now if I said FUCK YOU, the room would attack me. Same meaning. Different sound. It's better to just not swear to cause less of a scene, but if everyone understood this, things would change.
*exhales
Jonathan Chen When the Normans invaded Britain, they became the upper class, the rich elite; the Germanic peoples, descended from Saxons, Angles and Vikings were mostly laborers and low-end artisans, farmers and soldiers.
The Normans, who spoke a Latin-derived language, gave us words like 'excrement'.
The poor, who spoke Germanic-derived languages, gave us words like 'shit'.
Very interesting stuff; it's all about social class, and less about national culture at the end of the day.
In my opinion, this video was immensely offensive. I really can't believe that people would allow a cushion to be on that sofa!!!!!!!
That was a beautifully prepared statement. I think you're absolutely right.
I just picked up the hobby of swearing. I am quite enjoying it.
This is so right on. There are so many different ways of swearing, and what makes it rude or not has much less to do with the actual words used than the intent and direction behind them. One person can be using much much cruder language and yet NOT be rude, while another who is clearly using it with the intent to intimidate someone is very different. But then it's not so much the choice of words as the meaning behind them...
I agree with this guy 100 percent. He summed up what I've been saying my whole life.
I love Stephen Fry more and more each day.
Beautifully said.
I am supremely pleased after watching this video.
I love that page
There's a nice interview with both after the long break and solo projects, well worth a check if you haven't seen it. Am working through "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" at the moment and soon to move onto "Jeeves and Wooster" after your post. Have already conquered "Blackadder", "QI" and "House". Will soon run out of their material again though =(
Fry's in V for Vendetta as a sidenote though.
I love him for this video. Everything he says makes perfect sense! I showed this to my English teacher after talking about George Carlin's seven dirty words the other day in class.
I've found swearing to be the perfect conduit for releasing pent-up tension and frustration. Swear and go to bed, peacefully
I really agree with Stephen Fry about swearing, but it is also equally important to always consider whether you are using a swear word for the emphasis or simply for the lack of a better way of describing your thoughts. I have personally often noticed, that when I feel like swearing there often is a more powerful way of communicating the point without using one. But it does take a moment of time. And of course, sometimes swearing turns out to be the best choice.
the fact of the matter is that Steven Fry is a very intelligent guy talking perfect sense as per usual.
I haven't seen some of these sketches! I want to find them now.
Fry said my exact thoughts on this matter. Love that guy.
I swear daily because it is therapuetic not just because it makes life interesting but bcause it makes life bearable
Refreshingly delightful and absofuckingly agreeable.
Awesome clip, love it! Intelligence + humor = true wit (as Fry so wryly demonstrates).
the fact of the matter is that Steven Fry is a very intelligent guy talking perfect sense as usual.
When you say a word too much it loses its meaning. On that basis I reserve swearing for when I really mean it. I also try to mix it up a little, so I usually pick less common words.
Yes I totally agree, the widespread use has rendered the Fword meaningless now!! Good job losers!!!
breakingguitars Don't think it's good
That is in fact what gives swearing it's meaning and effectiveness and the fact that it's taboo. Like Johnny said the fact that it's used so regularly and so publicly takes away from that
Reece Swaby yes it's totally lost any meaning now. It's used for good stuff, for bad stuff, just to use in every 2nd sentence to appear "cool". Basically it's old and tired at this point. It's not edgy or controversial anymore it's just irritating!! Like people who used Valley Talk remember that? After a year it was really old and you told your friends stop saying "Like" and OMG now OK it's tired. Same thing with the Fword, only for some reason no one has said that to them!!!
Johnny Brist It's how language evolves and I think it's what makes more people use the N word especially when trying to offend.
Wonderfully put.
An absolute legend. Spot on here, too.
Steven Fry has spoken. Swearing is okay, that's all the justification I need.
I'm not sure who originally said it, but it's one of my favorite quotes.
If I ever meet Stephen Fry, I will hug him and tell him 'You are fucking amazing!'
My Gosh hearing his voice makes it feel like i'm playing LBP
Good ol' young Hugh Laurie. So many wonderful roles in british comedy.
you just had the almost imponderable joy of watching charlie is so cool like,which makes you,like,cool...
@masterblend100, what is truly amazing to me is the amount of effort you have expended here, arguing about what other people should or should not say (or worse, be "allowed" to say). It seems that all of that time and effort could have been directed toward something that has some value. If this is truly a cause you feel deeply about (it certainly appears to be), hashing it out on RUclips with people who certainly appear not to care, seems a fool's errand at best.
That cushion is really getting my gander up
I think it's all behind the context of what the person is trying to say and whether others understand them or not, just like a strong accent.
We did exactly the same thing, although with me swearing like a drunken sailor as the ship goes down, we did have to underline and reiterate the point that they shouldn't swear in front of a) teachers at school, or b) my mother. The only trouble we had was with one blaspheming, and he was threatened with suspension. We said "ACLU" and the problem was over.
yes - if you want a kid to not do something, do not say that he should not do something... tell it, that it should do something else.
stay positive!
I used to think that swearing was a sign of poor vocabulary, but now I know that this is not always the case (my God, if Stephen Fry swears, and he's got one of the largest vocabularies that I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, then there's no hope for the rest of us). If anything, swearwords are probably the words we say that convey the most emotion the most precisely, and if not in the literary sense, certainly in the conversational sense. This is a fucking great realisation, isn't it?
Hugh Laurie is a very close friend of Fry, they established their careers in their own comedy skit show (A little bit of Fry and Laurie)
Laurie's also British, he's just a very good actor.
i never get sick of watching videos of stephen fry talking
I was one of those who used to say such things about swearing, then Stephen Fry fixed me. Now...I do it, rather a lot, and damn he is right.
Fry has altered my views several times now, he just seems to appear right about everything. lol
@oizz the word was bleeped out in the original bbc2 sketch show which was put out in the mid 90's. When fry swears in the bbc 4 program it is left in.
I hadn't even noticed the cushion till he mentioned it
XD "Uh, I told him to mind his fucking language m'lord."
Some words are evocative. That is the point.
you have just had the most imponderable joy of watching charlieissocoollike, which makes you, like, cool.
You've just had the almost imponderable joy of watching Charlieissocoollike, which makes you, like, cool.
Now you can swear in class and when the teacher yells you say "Stephen Fry said it was okey and are you smarter than Stephan Fry?? no your not."
The opening tune is from a Randy Newman song. I think it's called Shame.
Stephen Fry is one of the man I respect the most, I just have to put my finger on who the other are.
my gods, that's one of the best similies I've ever heard
It's kind of starting here in the States. First time I saw it was after Sandy. However, I never expected to see the term in actual everyday usage in place of restroom at a beach.
I wish I had Stephen Fry's voice.
I’m only here because I was working had stuff fall. And I cursed. Few minutes later the manager comes up to me and said a customer heard me cursing. Old people are so soft