I have a few pet peeves, most of which I don't think about until they come up. This particular peeve comes up more often than I would like so here goes: the use of the expression "cussin'".
Nit picky at bit? Yes, it might be to some but it matters to me. Cussing is a euphemism for cursing. Cursing is damning someone or something to hell, away from the face of God. Swearing is not cursing nor is it cussin'. It is actually taking an oath, asking the Lord to verify what you are saying is truth. Or just asking in general to prove that something is true. It has now come to encompass language which is offensive, which diminishes the value of taking an oath.
Some describe movies or TV shows as having cussin' in them but more likely it is what was once considered to be filthy language, what I call 'the language of the streets'. It is heard not only in the streets but in kitchens and classrooms, at scenes of crimes or traffic accidents. The most vile words never spoken in polite company in the past are now used even by children without compunction, sometimes repeating what they've heard or have been called. There is little restraint from using these filthy words in social situations. I've had to insist guests in my home refrain from every sort of such words in my presence, and for the most part, this is respected.
What is tragic is that people no longer recognize such profane or vulgar language as being what it is. I don't agree that it is a matter of opinion either because there are times where most people can control themselves when in the right situation.
We are an educated and decent society for the most part, (putting on my rose-colored glasses again), and do hope that if enough people speak up about it, object, this practice will be reversed. There are enough perfectly good words to use to express dismay over something or to describe a situation. Make use of them and adjust the conversation. I have the same hope for the misuse of the Lord's name, the use of OMG in Facebook posts or text messaging, or spoken, even having this abbreviation added to the dictionary as a new 'word'. That's another post!!!
There are TV shows which Justin enjoys, most notably the cooking or bar renovation programs, which are just loaded with bleep bleep bleep. Now, I am not a person fond of cooking per se but I can prepare a meal and get it served without resorting to the use of profanity. But it puts butts in the seats, so to speak, which makes me wonder if the producers and writers are encouraging it. Of course they are!!! A recent movie I paid to see made use of one word which makes me flinch, when, as a word person, I could have found something else. But the word is used for punctuation, to bring the point home, supposedly. Or to jack up the rating because certainly no one would go see a PG movie...Ugh, that bugs me!
