Many words and expressions are viewed as 'taboo', such as those used to describe sex, our bodies and their functions, and those used to insult other people. This book provides a fascinating insight into taboo language and its role in everyday life. It looks at the ways we use language to be polite or impolite, politically correct or offensive, depending on whether we are 'sweet-talking', 'straight-talking' or being deliberately rude. Using a range of colourful examples, it shows how we use language playfully and figuratively in order to swear, to insult, and also to be politically correct, and what our motivations are for doing so. It goes on to examine the differences between institutionalized censorship and the ways individuals censor their own language. Lively and revealing, Forbidden Words will fascinate anyone who is interested in how and why we use and avoid taboos in daily conversation.
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' ... accessible and wide-ranging publication ... this is a thoroughly engaging and fascinating book, written with brio and humour.' Journal of Politeness Research
Book Description
A fascinating insight into taboo language and its role in everyday life, showing how we use language in order to swear, to insult, and also to be politically correct. Lively and revealing, Forbidden Words will fascinate anyone interested in how and why we use and avoid taboos in daily conversation.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Self-censoring of speech,
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This review is from: Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language (Paperback)
Why is it taboo to talk about menstruation, yet a little more acceptable to refer to "Aunt Flo?" How does something go from being offensive to politically correct (such as race or sexual orientation)? Why are some words offensive by merit of association (i.e. niggardly)?
There are words you shouldn't say in front of children, in mixed company, or to your mother. There are topics best to be avoided. There are terms that get bleeped, politely ignored, and words we tie ourselves into knots to find euphemisms for. These are our forbidden words. They are forbidden because they describe our taboos in frank and blunt ways. We find roundabout ways to describe sex, excrement, eating, menstruation, and death for a reason. The authors of this book explore that reason. They delve into what makes a topic taboo, then into what makes a word taboo. In general, the authors do not consider censorship--political reasons for considering certain words or topics off-limits or an organized, mandated way of making them so. They are mainly interested in the limits we put on ourselves, on our understanding of social mores that keeps us from spouting off like George Carlin at a business meeting. While this is a slow and scholarly read, it is unbelievably useful to anyone interested in language and the anthropology of language. Highly recommended.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting book,
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This review is from: Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language (Paperback)
Very interesting book about history of censorship and its application. Beginning of the book is easy and entertaining to read. However, pretty soon it gets convoluted, scientific and confusing. If you're not serious about this subject, this is not for you. It's hardly a lighthearted beach reading.
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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linguistic goodness, tabooed behaviour, bodily effluvia, taboo sense, taboo terms, taboo expressions, menstruation taboo, taboo language, taboo words, verbal hygiene, ritual insults, word taboo, rhyming slang Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, New York, Australian English, American English, Standard English, Big Brother, Christopher Robin, Old English, Samuel Johnson, African Americans, Native Americans, Papua New Guinea, Red Riding Hood, Australian Aborigines, Bob Dylan, Second World War, Valentine's Day, Australian Aboriginal, British English, Justice Bland, Local Government, Macquarie Dictionary, Middle Dutch, Oscar Wilde, Robert Zimmerman New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
linguistic goodness, tabooed behaviour, bodily effluvia, taboo sense, taboo terms, taboo expressions, menstruation taboo, taboo language, taboo words, verbal hygiene, ritual insults, word taboo, rhyming slang Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, New York, Australian English, American English, Standard English, Big Brother, Christopher Robin, Old English, Samuel Johnson, African Americans, Native Americans, Papua New Guinea, Red Riding Hood, Australian Aborigines, Bob Dylan, Second World War, Valentine's Day, Australian Aboriginal, British English, Justice Bland, Local Government, Macquarie Dictionary, Middle Dutch, Oscar Wilde, Robert Zimmerman New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
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- Fair of Speech: The Uses of Euphemism (Oxford Paperbacks) by D.J. Enright on 6 pages
- LINGUISTIC MEANING V1 PB by Allan in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word by Randall Kennedy on page 84, and Back Matter
- Euphemism and Dysphemism: Language Used as Shield and Weapon by Keith Allan in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Natural Language Semantics by Keith Allan in Front Matter, and Back Matter
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