Cursing in HP (WAS Re: cultural references (was: Britishisms, swearing))

[aldrea279]

No: HPFGUIDX 40625

Random monkey said:

>>"One thing that interested me... Unless I'm mistaken, there wasn't 
any 
swearing at all in the books until the fourth one. I know before 
that, 
there was mudblood, but that has little significance to us, and 
people 
toss it around here like it was nothing; Ron said something once that 
made Hermione gasp "Ron!" but that's implying a curse, not saying 
one.>>


Oh...and I seem to remember something where "Ron told Draco to go do 
something that made Hermione gasp"(I'm thinking this is in the forest 
near the QWC in GoF)...or otherwise I'm mixing up my series.  But 
that always implied to me that Ron was using a very naughty word(any 
particular one come to anyone's mind? *grin*), and no, JK didn't type 
it, but she basically told us which word Ron had used.  


Rosie replied:
>>Um... I have heard said that Ron says "I'm not going to take any 
crap from
Malfoy this year" in one of the books (PoA, I think) although in my 
(British)
copy he says "rubbish" not "crap".>> 

I don't consider "crap" really a curse word.  But do you think JK 
might be graduating her language as she graduates the book's themes?  
Alot of people seem to think that the books are bridging from (mostly)
Children's Books to Adult Books, and so the degree of language is 
likely to change.

Random Monkey replied:
>>I come from the Midwest, the type of place John Mellencamp (or 
whatever
he calls himself this week) would sing about. I wasn't allowed to say
"crap" until I was seven or so, and my parents never really allowed me
to say "damn" at home (although sometimes they just ignored that I 
used
it). My mother swore a lot, though, mostly while driving, so I didn't
understand until I was older that there were different levels of
swearing.>>

Well, Howdy Midwest, meet Southeast! =P

I have to say I think all of this depends on the parents and the 
upbrining.  I myself am a 15 year old living in Arkansas(deep 
south?).  The very worst swear word I have ever said out loud would 
probably be "bitch"- and usually I whisper it at that(which greatly 
amuses my friends) and I only use it when quoting someone else.  
Until a couple years ago, my parents would give anyone in my family a 
stern talking-to if we used such words as: crap, stupid, shut up, 
sucks(actually, we still get in trouble for using this word- though I 
have gotten to where I can control my tongue around my parents) or 
any of the normal curse words.  Infact, just today I used the 
word "stupid" around my younger sister and she felt the need to run 
to my mom and tell her that I had used the word. I still won't 
say "shut up" to my younger sister because I know she would run to my 
mother with that also.  


So, my opinion is that it basically goes by the parents.  I know kids 
that were cursing like sailors in middle school.  I have cousins
(probably second or third) whom are alot younger than I am(elementary 
age) and use such curse words that I myself have never used aloud.  I 
imagine Petunia and Vernon are the type who wouldn't have Dudley 
cursing like a sailor *smiles*, but the occasional "damn!" or such 
might slip past them.  Ron, on the other hand, does have 5 older 
brothers.  I doubt Arthur or Molly support such language, but I can't 
picture Fred, George, or Bill working too hard to restrain themselves 
around ickle Ronnie-kins.  Also, to support this:  Malfoy has no 
problem with using Mudblood.  I doubt old Lucius would, either.  But 
Ron regards it as a nasty insult bordering on curse word, as do alot 
of the wizarding world based on the reaction it got out of the 
Gryffindor team and Hagrid.

~Aldrea, who very descreetly kept saying "worst she ever said", 
because the mental cursing is a different thing....right? =P