"Filthy"-- Re: GoF chapter 24-26 Post DH look

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 182066

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "k12listmomma" <k12listmomma at ...> wrote:
>
> > To answer the question as why 'filthy' seams to be used as an
> > opprobrious epithet, I think that JKR means us to substitute
> > another word beginning with the same consonant, one which one
> > really can't use in a children's book. I don't think I need to
> > be more explicit.
> >
> > Bruce Alan Wilson

Shelley:
> Is that it, or it is a "British" thing? Kind of like "bloody"? Seems to me 
> that it's more "Brit" than a replacement for a vulgar word with the same 
> starting letter.
> 
> Someone British- can you shed light on these words?

Geoff:
I'd be inclined to agree with Shelley that it is more a British (or 
English) thing. I can 't see JKR even expecting the reader to substitute 
the f-word for her use of "filthy" because she has been very judicious 
with her avoidance of bad language, certainly in the earlier books. 

As a result, one thing which annoys me in the films is that Ron is 
portrayed as a bit of a foul mouth; fiery temper doesn't always go 
hand in hand with swearing. I have - or perhaps had - a name for 
being rather short-tempered but my only foray into the world of 
what I would call extreme bad language was in my teens when 
using the f-word and various other "x"-words established your 
street cred.

Listening surreptitiously to the teenagers I meet up with today, I 
don't hear these words in every second sentence. I often think 
they are used by people who feel less able to express themselves 
in standard English - I hope that doesn't sound patronising or 
snobbish.

"Filthy" and, or for that matter, "dirty" are used to express a 
deep dislike for something but I think there is a deep conservative 
element to many British folk, including young people which 
makes them use these in preference to the hugely pejorative 
and confrontational f-word and its stablemates.