Hypocrisy of the profanity police — What makes a word bad?
B. Lorenzo Buckinchere
Jul 5, 2026
Within polite society, there are some words that are considered good, and other words that are considered bad. Words like “fuck” and “shit” are generally considered bad words, meaning it is impolite and unprofessional to use them in schools, churches, or official broadcasts. These words are called profanity, suggesting that they are profound, but in a negative way, therefore, profane.
But what actually makes a word “bad?”
Historically, the medieval hierarchy of English society determined whether a word was good or bad. After the battle of Hastings, the English language became a mix of Anglo-Saxon words, and Norman words.
Now the Angles and the Saxons were Germanic tribes who settled in England after the collapse of the Western Roman empire during the 5th century CE, while the Normans introduced an earlier version of French which had its roots in Latin.
And Latin being the language of the Romans was considered far more sophisticated than the language of “savage tribes,” which is why saying “stool” is considered “proper,” while “shit” is considered “profane.”
England is not the only place where the Normans bastardized the language of entire tribes. They also bastardized the language of native tribes within their homeland, which is why Norman is considered more sophisticated, while Breton is considered superstitious.
Religion also had a major influence over how certain words within a language were perceived. So did cultural nuances.
For example, a pinche is a kind of scullery maid. Insulting someone by calling them a servant doesn’t make sense in English. Yet in Spanish, it makes perfect sense. So you might hear a Spanish speaker say, “Muchas trabajo, pinche dinero,” and wonder what the heaven they’re talking about.
Fast forward to 2026, and the legacy of the Normans has crossed the pond into the Americas. People still believe that saying the wrong word in the wrong setting, or at all for that matter, is inappropriate, and would actually be quick to check you on that, while also calling you stupid at the same time.
For example, he stubs his toe on the nightstand, “Ah, fuck!!”
His wife rushes in, “Don’t swear in front of the baby, stupid!”
So then what’s really bad?
One word is rooted in the language of he whom long dead conquerors have labelled a savage. The other word actually disparages you. And the word that offends you will expose whether or not you’re a hypocrite.
So how come words like idiot, and stupid, and slow, and retard aren’t considered profanity? Yet words like shit and fuck are natural acts, literal bodily functions that we all do from time to time that doesn’t, or shouldn’t offend anybody.
Now if religion had any part to play in influencing how certain language is perceived, then it’s no wonder all the bodily functions keep coming up as the same usual suspects. Because supposedly, sex is bad. And don’t even get me started on the colloquial meanings behind some of the Caribbean’s most notorious expletives.
Oh, I get it! The next time I stub my toe on the nightstand, I’m totally gonna yell, “Ahh, stupid!!”
Happy Independence!!
© 2026 The Buckinchere Publication, SP.
All Rights Reserved.
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