Using Taboo Terms

Introduction
What is this all about?

What is a taboo word?  And what can we use instead?

Many Taboo Words
Is there more than one kind? Where did they come from?

New Words
The beginning of new taboo words. 

Using Taboo Terms
How, when and why taboos are used in everyday language.

To Sum It Up
What was this site on?

Terms & Explanations

Usually we avoid taboo words. However, a speaker can mention them in order to elicit a shocking effect, or a reaction of disgust. This application of taboo words openly appears with insults. Such insults can be mild euphemistic expressions such as you old so-and-so, which vaguely replaces any given taboo word intended to insult or they can be direct, harsh and sometimes very graphic statements about the addressed person’s race, sex, body, mind or mistakes.  
With taboo words, varieties of sociolects and standard varieties have connecting points, when the chosen taboo subject bridges them, because both can lack appropriate expressions for the taboo words. A speaker of a sociolect might use the above mentioned euphemism to fall just as well as a speaker of the standard variety if that person is talking about a person who died in military service, e.g. in war. But here we are mainly looking at the impact and the situation of taboo words on and in the standard varieties. Sociolects and non-standard varieties can deal with specific words and expressions in a completely different way than the standard variety and would have to be surveyed much more closely in each single case, which would be complicated further by the fact that style shifts are also possible. In this brief survey that could not be accomplished. National standard varieties can include taboo terms and words into their vocabulary thus making it possible for speakers to use them without it being considered inappropriate. Speaker groups create a certain vocabulary, set formal or informal rules and a certain etiquette and, while applying them, redraw borders of what is in general considered as being appropriate language. This propriety of course can differ greatly according to certain variables that define the standard variety appropriate in each situation. While today it might be acceptable to talk about sexuality at home or in the streets, it is defined by certain conventions that such a topic and the vocabulary that goes along with it would not be suitable to deal with or to use in places of worship e.g. a mosque or a church, in situations where strict rules have to be followed, e.g. the etiquette used among royalty, in official procedures, e.g. a legal matter, politics, e.g. a debate in parliament, etc…  
Depending on the social reputation and influence of a speaker group, it can introduce words into the prestigious varieties that define what is generally accepted as the good tone. One indicator for a style shift is the complete elimination of taboo terms.  
As Wolfram and Schilling-Estes explain, taboo words in American English are viewed more in respect to social behavior than to social classes.

“[…]Speakers of any social class or ethnic group may be considered ill-mannered, if they use these terms in inappropriate circumstances, while the use of these terms by females traditionally has been considered inappropriate under any circumstances. All dialect groups recognize taboo terms, although the conventions for usage may differ to some extent from group to group, as may the classification of particular terms as taboo items. For example, the use of bloody as an intensifier (e.g. Where’s the fucking car?) is considered acceptable if odd in American English, but it is quite offensive to British English ears, [...]”[1]

So a term can be offensive or proper, depending on the geographic area as well as the characteristics of speaker groups both, speaker and hearer belong to.
While the standard variety often creates a common vocabulary within one language, the non-standard varieties show a very idiosyncratic usage of common terms. We already mentioned the different way that sociolects use the same terms. The word tits to refer to `female breasts´ for example, is not nearly as unacceptable in some rural American dialects as it is in non-rural dialects[2]. Of course a farmer would be used to talking about tits, because milking cows is part of his business. It often depends on the amount that each variety relies on jargons. Penis is a term used in Great Britain as well as the United States and, though maybe inappropriate in many situations, would not fall into the category of a taboo word. This is because it is the proper medical term used for the male sex organ. But one can see the difference in age, sex, social level or nationality of the speakers if looking at the many other names applied to the male genitalia such as John Thomas, Percy, cock, stiffy, dick, trouser snake, dong, prick, mutton, joint, Johnson, and so on.  
Changes in application are evident within the speaker groups using certain varieties. As mentionend earlier, the term nigger has a completely different connotation between African American speakers when compared to it being used in a dialogue situation between a Caucasian American and an African American. Each ethnic minority claims the right to be free in the usage of the taboo terms addressing this very minority, without being criticized for using taboo terms. As we explained above with the example of nigger, one and the same taboo word does not necessarily have the same connotation in different speaker groups.  
Especially in the United States the idea of political correctness, which encompasses the concept that language offending sensitivities as in matters of sex, race or religion, should be eliminated, has been a major influence on the language. Since offensive statements can be taken in front of a court to be officially judged and the person uttering such statements might be fined, an official rule of a prescriptive language has spread out among every speaker. Terms such as unwaged for `involuntarily unemployed´, demographic strain instead of too many people and deprived for `poor´[3] are classical politically correct terms, applied so that it is virtually impossible that any group of listeners could feel offended.  
Persons with a high capability concerning language are able to manipulate the language by using taboo terms and/or words. According to the desired effect, they employ or ignore euphemisms or freely and openly talk about taboo subjects. This is a common technique applied by comedians in the US to create shocking effects, which surprise and amuse the audience because of their daring nature. Many comedians, who work outside the limits established by the boundaries of politically correct language, are the most successful ones.[4] Such manipulations are widely used and might be used for the mentioned effect of drastic comedy as well as the creation of negative emotions in an audience. Clinging to taboo words can also serve as a means of expression of opinions. Carrying on with old terms, which have been pointed out as taboo words and have been replaced might be used as a statement against the change or change in general. Here the conscious usage of the term nigger in the United States in the 20^th century is an example of protest. Speakers consciously using the term make a statement against the changes that took place since the end of segregation.

Taboos must be present to create euphemisms, but the attitude of society towards those topics may change. We saw earlier that, as soon as a topic is accepted as an appropriate subject, euphemisms can become part of the standard variety to describe the topic they replaced, or they might be dropped altogether, depending on the level of acceptance and importance. It is very hard to decide or to see when or if a euphemism has been dropped. Older speakers might stick with older terms and this way those terms stay present. At some point however, the terms will be old-fashioned and obsolete if the vast majority of speakers regards it as old-fashioned or simply stops using it.

Another important factor designating the status of euphemisms is the social status of various speaker groups. Popular persons in public life can influence the choice of words in one generation, causing certain terms to be fashionable. Depending on the specific details of the speaker group and their influences it is very hard to decide for sure if this or that term is obsolete.

 Euphemisms are frequently used in the language of adults educating children. Here, to speak frankly of defecation seems inappropriate, so an adult uses the term big jobs instead and the term little jobs for urination.[5] This way, many speakers grow up with euphemisms around them and are used to them from a young age on. While taboo words are not taught, learning to avoid such terms is often a part of a child’s education before the child is even aware of the taboo or taboo word which he/she is euphemizing.

 Replacements and especially euphemisms of course also allow polite discussion of the taboo topics.[6] To use unique instead of unusual or to glow instead of sweating (a similar euphemistic replacement can found in German: transpirieren for schwitzen) serves the politeness of expression, as would big-boned for overweight, distinguished for aged over forty, built-in emphasis for padding or the demands of nature as a replacement for defecation and urination.[7]

 And if the usage of euphemisms is central to the above dialogue situations, it is indispensable to many speaker groups in expressing sexual topics. The multitude of sexual euphemisms describes the social situation of the intercourse (to go to bed with is assigned to `extra-marital copulation´), as well as the situation of the individuals (a crush is a sexual attraction towards another person), the act (to come means `to have a sexual orgasm´), the participants (the already mentioned paramour) or the specific details of the act (to do a perpendicular is `to copulate while both parties are standing´).[8] There is an immense mass of euphemisms for all aspects of sexuality, which shows the need or the desire of speakers to communicate about sexuality on the one hand and the repressive handling of the subject by society on the other hand.