What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves

by Benjamin K. Bergen

It may be starred, beeped, and censored -- yet profanity is so appealing that we can't stop using it. In the funniest, clearest study to date, Benjamin Bergen explains why, and what that tells us about our language and brains.

Nearly everyone swears-whether it's over a few too many drinks, in reaction to a stubbed toe, or in flagrante delicto. And yet, we sit idly by as words are banned from television and censored in books. We insist that people excise profanity from their vocabularies and we punish children for yelling the very same dirty words that we'll mutter in relief seconds after they fall asleep. Swearing, it seems, is an intimate part of us that we have decided to selectively deny.

That's a damn shame. Swearing is useful. It can be funny, cathartic, or emotionally arousing. As linguist and cognitive scientist Benjamin K. Bergen shows us, it also opens a new window onto how our brains process language and why languages vary around the world and over time.

In this groundbreaking yet ebullient romp through the linguistic muck, Bergen answers intriguing How can patients left otherwise speechless after a stroke still shout Goddamn! when they get upset? When did a cock grow to be more than merely a rooster? Why is crap vulgar when poo is just childish? Do slurs make you treat people differently? Why is the first word that Samoan children say not mommy but eat shit ? And why do we extend a middle finger to flip someone the bird?

Smart as hell and funny as fuck, What the F is mandatory reading for anyone who wants to know how and why we swear.

Genres: Nonfiction, Language, Psychology, Science, Audiobook, Linguistics, History

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2016

About the author

BENJAMIN BERGEN is an associate professor in the Cognitive Science Department at UC San Diego where he directs the Language and Cognition Lab. He is trained in linguistics and cognitive science at UC Berkeley, receiving his Ph.D. in 2001. Bergen is an active researcher in cognitive linguistics and cognitive science, with over 40 publications and 60 presentations in the two related fields. His writing has appeared in Wired, Scientific American, Psychology Today, Salon, Time, the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, and the Huffington Post. He lives in San Diego.

Bergen has presented dozens of invited lectures at linguistics, psychology, and cognitive science departments in the U.S. and abroad, and at national and international cognitive linguistics conferences. A large part of his research uses experimental methods to study the use of mental simulation in language understanding, including motor simulation, perceptual simulation, and how grammar affects mental simulation. In other work, he has constructed computationally precise models of language development and use.

Reviews

[Maede · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتابِ فحش‌هاست. نه فحش‌های آبکی‌ای مثل اسکل و کره‌خر. منظورم اصلِ کاری‌هاست. همون‌هایی که خون رو به جوش میارن، نگاه‌ها رو خیره می‌کنند، مردم به خاطرشون چاقو می‌کشند و رسانه‌ها با صدای بوق، شنونده‌ها رو از این نجاست‌های کلامی محافظت می‌کنند. این لغت‌ها مهمند، چون کلماتی هستند که ما برای انتقال دادن بعضی از قوی‌ترین احساساتمون ازشون استفاده می‌کنیم

این کلمات قوی‌اند، برای همین انگشت وسط رو با تمام احترام به سمت تمام قوانین زبان می‌گیرند و با قواعد خودشون بازی می‌کنند. اون‌ها به طور متفاوتی در مغز آنالیز و یاد گرفته میشن و در طول زمان تغییر می‌کنند. اینجوری می‌شه که معلوم نیست فاعل و مفعول واقعی جمله‌ی فاک یو کیه (از لحاظ گرامری و خب... معنی!). یا چطور میشه فاکین رو تقریبا وسط هر جمله‌ای جا داد و جمله‌ی معنی‌دار تولید کرد! یا چطور میشه که دیک از یک اسم به شدت رایج در مدت کوتاهی تبدیل به یک لغت رایج برای آدم‌های عوضی و آلت تناسلی مرد میشه

نويسنده‌ی زبان‌شناس کتاب با دسته‌بندی فحش‌ها به چهار گروه اصلی شروع می‌کنه و البته برای ثابت کردن نظر خودش ما رو با یک لیست عریض و طویل از فحش‌های آبدار انگلیسی و چند زبان دیگه مورد عنایت قرار میده. چهار دسته‌ی اصلی با این فحش‌ها کدگذاری شدن

1. Holy
استفاده کردن از اسامی مذهبی و اعتقادی در جایی که ربطی به مقدسات نداره. همون "جیزز" انگلیسی یا "یا ابرفض" خودمون در جایی که... جاش نیست

2. F...
تمام کلمات مربوط به رابطه‌ی جنسی و اعضای بدن مرتبط بهش. انعطاف این مدل فحش‌ها و تعداد کلماتی که زبان‌ها برای این اعضای بدن ارائه میدن خارق‌العادست

3. Shit
هرگونه خروجی نامطبوع از بدن. هیچ توضیح دیگه‌ای لازم نداره

4. N...
یکی از قوی‌ترین ابزارهای تحقیر زبانی. تمام کلماتی که برای تحقیر افراد با رنگ پوست، ملیت یا گرایش جنسی متفاوت استفاده میشن

بعد از این دسته‌بندی، کتاب با دقت ولی تکرار بیش از حد به جواب دادن به سوالات جالبی که در مقدمه مطرح کرده می‌پردازه. تقریباً موضوع اصلی تمام فصل‌ها به شدت برام جذاب بود، ولی توضیحات تکراری نویسنده در واقع تاثیر معکوس داشت و باعث شد که نتونم اونطور که باید از فهمیدن این حجم از اطلاعات جالب لذت ببرم. این کتاب به راحتی می‌تونست نصف بشه و چیزی که از دست نده هیچ، بهترم بشه

با این وجود حالا مطالب فوق العاده‌ای در مورد زبان و نحوه کارکرد مغز می‌دونم که قبل از این حتی بهشون فکر نکرده بودم. این کتاب در اصل از فحش‌ها، این هیولاهای قدرتمند استفاده می‌کنه تا نگاهی به رابطه‌ی ما با زبان بندازه و اندکی به این ساختار پیچیده سرک بکشه

کتاب و صوتیش رو می‌تونید از اینجا دانلود کنید
Maede's Books

۱۳۹۹/۱۲/۲۹

[Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally!!!! I finished this one ... not much to say after 6 days of no reading .... this book is mostly a study of how society perceives slurs and how the definition of slurs have changed over the years , this is not a study on swear words per se ... so a little too technical for a theme that I don't believe I wanted to read , but interesting study none the less.

[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting exploration of profanity. This is for anybody who is interested in language, cultural norms and differences, social psychology, or cognitive and neurosciences.
Benjamin K. Bergen provides some remarkable evidence-based arguments. His examination of profanity's alleged harm to children was impressively analyzed, supported and outlined.
The sections about American and British Sign Language and the global, cultural differences with regard to offensive language and gestures were really interesting and I enjoyed all the studies regarding how our brain reacts to profanity. I was actually fascinated by the extraordinary grammar of swearwords. Seriously, I loved that part. There were a lot of "huh, would have never thought of that"-moments. But I guess you might have to be a bit of a language/grammar nerd like me to get the same reaction.
Some of this is very textbook style. At times, I felt like being back in the classroom plowing through research papers. But a very well-executed research paper. Mr. Bergen takes great care to explain concepts, theories and even some of the necessary statistics (relating to significance) and images, tables, and graphs are used to clarify his points. Even if you've never bothered with this sort of stuff before, his ideas and findings are easy to follow and his laid-back, humorous style makes this fun to read. Mr. Bergen had me laughing at some of his footnotes. I wish research had been made into this much fun during my rather dry and sober studies.
I thought I was reasonably well-versed when it comes to my vocabulary (for a non-native speaker anyway) but I had to look up several of the "bad" words I'd never come across before. It's extremely unlikely I shall ever actively use them considering we're talking highly offensive language, but always good to learn something new.
Overall, very informative, insightful and certainly unique. 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Diabolica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished. It's taken me five months, but nevermind that.

This book was well-written and had a good flow to it. The reasoning behind Bergen's claims made sense, and Bergen did a good job of showing both sides.

Not to mention, there was quite a bit of well-placed humour throughout the book.

My only qualm, is that I came to read the book wanting to find out why we swear, and on that note I discovered nothing new.

[Olive Fellows (abookolive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

People from New Jersey may disagree, but swearing isn't looked upon highly in polite society. It's censored on our televisions and radios (seemingly arbitrarily), you'll get shushed when you let a certain bad word slip in front of children, and, if you cuss regularly, you'll be told endlessly that it's actively degrading your vocabulary.

If you're interested in language or use swear words and want to have a comeback ready when people tell you not to, this is the book for you. It's all about why we see certain words - a mere collection of letters - as bad. It's a fascinating read that makes excellent points about which curse words should be more accepted, and which ones we should stop using entirely.

See my full review on Booktube!

[Jamie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to review this book, but first, a little story.

I once served on an ancient Navy minesweeper that could barely put to sea, powered by twitchy Packard diesels that were dangerous to operate and impossible to get parts for. One hot summer day while underway I was doing paperwork in my stateroom, which was next to the wardroom. I had the door open to catch the occasional breeze off the fantail.

As I was working, the ship dropped the electrical load and went dark. This was not an uncommon event, and I knew the Electrician’s Mates would soon have the lights back on. In the meantime I leaned back and closed my eyes, grateful for a few moments of respite in another long workday. While I sat there I heard the door to the wardroom open and the Mess Cooks entered to set the table for lunch, working by the light of the battery powered battle lanterns which come on automatically when power is lost. They could not see me in the dark, and since I had nothing else to do I listened to them talk. After a few moments I smiled and checked my watch, and started counting.

In two minutes I heard fuck or some variant sixteen times, as noun, verb, adjective, and adverb, in constructions ranging from simple fuck and fucking to the more creative fucktastic and the “fuck that fucking motherfucker.” Sailors swear, always have and always will. It is the oxygen of life at sea, and so common it barely registers in your mind. Our salty Chief Bosun never graduated from high school but could swear fluently and extravagantly in several languages, and was held in awe by the junior ratings.

Sure enough, in a couple minutes the lights came on and I got back to work, just another day at sea in the fucktastic Navy.

What the F is a serious work of scholarship, its author a professor of cognitive science at UC San Diego, although he recognizes the absurdity and humor in some of his discussions of profanity. The book looks at it from a variety of angles, historical, cultural, literary, even biological. For instance, people whose normal speech centers in the brain have been damaged by injury or stroke can often still swear, and do so prodigiously, because there is a secondary speech center located deep in the brain, which can be activated spontaneously and unconsciously, as when you bang your shin and yell, “Fuck!”

Reactions to swearing are greatly influenced by cultural expectations. “In France, for instance, even the most profane words of the language, like foutre (“fuck”) and putain (“whore”) are so common that if no one told you they were bad words, or gros mots (“fat words”) as they’re called in French, you could be excused for not figuring it out yourself. There’s no concerted censorship of specific words in the media in France as there is in the United States, which is part of the reason these words are everywhere.”

Japanese does not even have what we would consider profanity. The closest you can come is to be deliberately insulting by using the wrong form of language, such as by addressing an adult as a child. A Japanese baseball player who came to the United States found that he needed to swear in Spanish to get both meaning and intensity across.

The book concentrates on profanity in American culture, and looks at the four main categories of indecent words. Here, my determination to review the book falters a bit, because while the author has no problem calling the c-word or n-word by their actual names, there are things I just can’t bring myself to write. It reminded me of the dilemma I was in when I wrote a review of Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer: Notwithstanding its reputation as one of the great novels of the twentieth century, it is the filthiest thing I have ever read. It can make you wince.

The four categories of profanity are religious, (such as ‘goddamn’); sexual (‘fuck’), biological (‘shit’), and slurs (‘n-word’). Each category has a large number of entries, some of which are so common they mostly pass without notice (mostly, though I once refused to hire a young man who apparently thought he was showing his free spirited nature by replacing every adjective with ‘fucking.’) This is not true of the last category, of slurs, taboo words which have the power to enrage and are intended to hurt. In Paul Theroux’s Deep South, he writes that occasionally southerners would deliberately use the n-word to try to provoke him:

I sometimes felt that hearing my Yankee accent, a Southerner, especially in a rural area, and nearly always uneducated and poor, said the word as a hostile taunt to challenge my sensibilities, to get a rise out of me. The word is, fundamentally, about power, the power of blacks to use it freely and even affectionately, while creating an explosive atmosphere when used by whites, My parents abhorred the word, even the conventional uses of it. They viewed it correctly as racist, betraying the bigotry and ignorance of anyone who spoke it. I can’t think of another word in English that has such singular force: to speak it is to breathe fire.

Some of the book’s chapters lead to strange and unexpected places, such as the unique grammar of profanity. For instance, “I could give a fuck” means the same as “I couldn’t give a fuck.” There is also an interesting discussion of how words slip in and out of profanity. For hundreds of years a cock was a bird and Dick was an innocuous first name, and in polite company people did not say ‘swive’ (the old ‘fuck’). Eventually, though, as the profane version became more and more common people started looking for alternatives, so rooster (something which roosts, and only later a male chicken) replaced cock in the United States, although it is still common in Britain. Similarly Dick was re-invented as Rick. Languages change, and sometime in the future both cock and Dick may once again be seen as harmless.

The book ends with a look at society’s attempts to enforce correct language, and recognizes that while protecting children is a good thing, there is actually no evidence that exposure to swearing is harmful or causes aberrant behaviors. A perfect example of social schizophrenia is with professional sports such as football and basketball, where the majority of players are African American, and the n-word is affectionately tossed around locker rooms as frequently as the players’ names. But say it on camera, in any context, and the hammer comes down with suspensions and heavy fines and pious comments about the sanctity of the game from league executives who themselves probably can’t go three sentences without a fuck or shit.

There is a lot to learn in this book, things that make you say, “hmmm.” It has its lighthearted moments, but it will genuinely make you think about the words you say, the context in which you say them, and the impact they are likely to have on those around you.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a few chapters to get into the book because the author set a less than serious tone from the offset. I thought he was going to try joking his way through a book about cursing, which didn't seem particularly interesting to me. However, when he finally got into the neuro and cognitive (linguistic) science of it, I ended up loving it!

The key message of the book was that the utterances of curse words do not simply break the rules of polite society; they break the rules of typical brain behavior and linguistics. For example, curse words like fuck and damn don't follow the rules of grammar. The phrase, "Fuck you," does not even have a subject, despite appearing to have one. It seems the subject is "you," but it is not. The authors related how figuring this out was akin to learning about matter and then finding out one form of matter doesn't follow the laws of physics. Despite having taken linguistic courses, I hadn't really thought much about this. It changed the way I saw language in general. Reviewing these breaks in the rules of sentence construction were the best parts of the book. It also appears that curse words, at least those related to impulsive language, don't follow the rules when it comes to where they should be located in the brain. If a person has a stroke or surgery that affects the parts of the brain responsible for understanding or speaking language, they will not be able to speak and/or understand language (depending on which region is affected). However, even for those individuals who have had entire hemispheres taken out, rendering them completely incapable of speaking any intelligible language, they can still spout out expletives. This convincingly demonstrated that cursing (or at least impulsive language) is an entirely different phenomenon from normal speech. The author tied all of this together with how one learns to speak the entirely different language of curse words. Really eye opening.

The author provided some insights about why the FCC doesn't really have a set list of what words are unacceptable.

He ended with a thoughtful discussion on whether cursing was morally ok. I personally could have done without this section, mostly because his arguments were not that great. I happen to agree with his point of view, but didn't love his logic. He was rightfully trashing bad studies (I love when authors engage in extreme critical thinking about studies with bad methods), but at the same time, the studies that he, himself, used to make his arguments didn't seem particularly solid. In any event, it was food for thought. For example, a woman was arrested for saying, "Fuck," in front of her children. Is that ok? Is hearing the word fuck come out of your mother's mouth more harmful than experiencing her being arrested? Are mere words really that powerful? Will they damage children?

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, nerdy, sciencey book that takes something taboo and unserious and treats it seriously, which very much appeals to me. This is going to be a short review, because I read the book back in the beginning of April, and my memories of the specifics have mostly faded. I remember that for the most part, I found it HIGHLY enjoyable.

Bergen is a linguist and cognitive scientist, so he's got all the good details. This book is basically everything I wanted from Swearing is Good For You (which cites this book as one of its sources). That book turned out to be pop science, all overview, no details. This book lives in the details, but it is still highly readable, and funny in many places. I can't remember all the details, because again April, but he basically goes to town on profanity, covering the neuroscience of it, how swearing evolves over time (because language), what swearing is like in other countries, how slurs differ from other types of swearing, and my favorite chapter he spends basically the whole time explaining the weirdness of one single phrase, and it was so nerdy and amazing. There was a lot of other stuff, too. I'm definitely going to listen to this one again in the future so I can lock it in my memory.

I would tentatively recommend the audiobook. Bergen is a talented narrator, and he brings a humor and energy to his own writing (probably all his practice as a lecturer). But, he spends quite a bit of time talking about the hows and whys of slurs, i.e. (don't click if you don't want to see them) faggot, nigger, retard, etc.. And because this is a book more in the academic style, and he's discussing the linguistics and psychology and social science of those words, he does say them, and say them quite frequently. It was jarring every single time, especially the n-word. If that doesn't sound like a great time to you, don't do the audio. If you think you can brace yourself to hear them said pretty casually, do the audio. It's fun otherwise to listen to this one, like attending a rare fun lecture in school.

[11811 (Eleven) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving up on this one. I've been trying to finish it for months even though some small part of me always suspected this might not be as awesome as I had hoped. It wasn't predetermined suspicion but I had to wonder why there should be a 288 page book covering this bit of trivia. The information seemed so much less than the content.

And that's when shit went south for me. While never fascinating, the interesting stuff became less and less interesting until I found myself drowning in the minutae of things I don't care about. I'd give five stars if this were a one page article but that's the best I can do.

If you are reading/listening to this, I wish you better luck than I had.

1.5 stars.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite necessary, but still interesting. A study of obscenity, brain science, and their relationship.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: This review contains profanities and offensive words. This is purely a part of a professional way of analysing language and by no means meant to offend anyone! Thank you for understanding! :)

What the F by Benjamin Bergen is an excellent read for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of language and its relation to humans.

Words have power. We know that because WE are the ones giving them power. And I don't just mean power as in saying "stand up!", making people do just that.

If I say "faggot" or "nigger", most of us will feel discomfort. As Bergen points it out, we could face psychical reactions such as increased pulse, sweaty palms or even changes to breathing. We understand that these words are one of the most powerful derogatory terms out there and therefore we do not use them. This (self-)censorship alone makes them even more unacceptable when used.

If I say "bitch", the reaction is probably less intense than the examples above get. We use this word more freely, it can be seen in movies/books and I often refer to my best friend as such in a humorous way. This, of course, is personal and I would refrain calling a stranger bitch. For others, they wouldn't use it all. It also depends on the tone and the setting these words are used in. If I say "you bitch!" to someone I know while I'm laughing, then it doesn't register as something offensive. However, if I say "you bitch!", practically spitting the words after someone bumped into me, then everyone knows they were meant with a malicious intent.

There are SO MANY, things that affect the way we view certain words, from society to geographical location, religion or age, tone or the century we're in, different factors contribute differently to the power and acceptance of words.

And that is f****** awesome.


Language is a very fascinating thing and if you enjoyed what you've just read, I would recommend you read Bergen's book as it is filled with this sh#t! :p

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Stacey Bookerworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book for anyone interested in linguistics or sociology and social norms. This book takes an in depth look at why some words are socially unacceptable and how these words came to be considered profanities in the first place.

I loved that this book examined the cultural differences that exist in terms of offensive language. For example, I was unaware that the Japanese language contains no profanities whereas the Russian state has a list of profane language which are banned from use in the arts. I also enjoyed the section on body language and profane gestures around the globe.

For me, as someone who rarely swears, the opening lines took my breath away slightly and made me wince a bit. "This book is about bad language. Not the tepid pseudoprofanities like damn and boob s that punctuate broadcast television. I mean the big hitters. Like fuck. and cunt. And nigger."

As the author points out these words are used to express intense emotions but they can also inflict emotional pain and are the cause of numerous disputes. "In short, bad words are powerful emotionally, physiologically, psychologically, and socially."

I would definitely recommend giving this book a read.

[Atila Iamarino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nunca tinha pensado na importância dos xingamentos e o que eles expressam. Descobri que em alguns casos de AVC, por exemplo, alguém pode perder a capacidade da fala (se acontece no hemisfério esquerdo do cérebro) mas ainda conseguir xingar (quem controla isso é o hemisfério direito).

Um ótimo livro sobre linguística que fala sobre como pensamos sobre palavrões. Uma boa parte do conteúdo não é transponível para o português, como o tamanho dos palavrões e repetições de temas como aqueles terminados em consoantes. Mas vale para entender como uma palavra se torna profana e onde ela se encaixa no nosso espaço mental depois disso.

[JC · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are very few books that I uave abandoned, this was one of them.

The subject matter is fascinating, the discussions and theories compelling, and it was all easy to understand. That being said, it was very repetitive, so mch so that I started skimming each paragraph to see if new material was presented.

Something else bothered me about the author's tone. It was light and jokey but it felt obvious that he was dumbing (and he knew it and reveled in it) down for people because he didn't think folks interested in the subject could follow. Hence the repetition.

His repeated use of the N word was also very off-putting. Yes, I know it is supposed to be, but his reasoning for it was, frankly, bullshit. Yes, it's a taboo word, and for very good reason. Other cusswords when used against someone are seen as rude and aggressive, but the N word? That word is used to violently oppress people. There is a difference in saying "fuck you!" to someone and calling someone a name that denies their humanity. So you don't get to lump that word in with the others and say the words have equal meaning in their offensivenessz

[Ian D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Απολαυστικότατο και πρωτότυπο ανάγνωσμα που μας ανοίγει ένα παράθυρο στο θαυμαστό κόσμο της βωμολοχίας, ως κοινωνικό φαινόμενο, ως ανάγκη, ως εθνικό γνώρισμα, ως μέρος της κουλτούρας ενός λαού, ως γλωσσικό ιδίωμα.΄Όποιος με ξέρει θα σπέυσει να πει πως θα μπορούσε να έχει γραφτεί για μένα. Κακοήθειες...

Ο συγγραφέας έχει κάνει πολύ καλή δουλειά (και γαμώ τις έρευνες, κυριολεκτικά!) και έχει μελετήσει μια σειρά από ιδιωματικές εκφράσε��ς και στατιστικές, προσβλητικές κινήσεις ανά τον κόσμο (συμπεριλαμβανομένης και της μούντζας) και σε διάφορες γλώσσες μέχρι την αμερικάνικη νοηματική, χωρίς ωστόσο να γίνεται ποτέ βαρετος. Το χάρηκα πολύ κι όχι μόνο γιατί αρέσκομαι κι εγώ στο μπινελίκι.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio #58

This book is absolutely brilliant! I highly recommend the audiobook

Like that one time I called myself a TILF on FB and I got fired
Yeah like that

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this was so fun, English majors and other geeks with potty mouths will enjoy Benjamin K Bergen's enlightenment on the topic of swearing. There's so much interesting stuff packed into this book that I have a hard time focusing on what the highlights were.

I listened to the audio book and now that I have, I want to buy the print version to share with my family and reread myself. The short title 'What the F' and and the cover with the big red F make it seem like the book will be a fun, silly lighthearted look at swearing. While there are many funny moments, this book takes a serious and scientific look at the naughty words we love as well as the ones we hate.

I have to warn you that Bergen is a scientist, this book is focused on language so it follows logic that he would use the actual words he's discussing. In general I like curses and swears but there is one word that I hate to hear, I have a visceral reaction to it, it makes me wince. That particular word is used a fair amount and to me it was jarring.

That aside, I thought the audio book was excellent, the author does a great job bringing his material to life and making it very accessible and funny. He talks about the specific reasons why the Pope might have dropped or at least rolled an F bomb into a speech he gave in Italian. He mentions President Obama's habit of scratching his nose with his middle finger. As well as why children today are no longer named Dick. Fun, funny and interesting stuff. I'm glad I gave this a try.

[Orsolya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the most fascinating areas to ponder are those which break down and decimate the facets in life which we take for granted. These revelations demonstrate how remarkable the simplest of things can be. What is one of the most common day-to-day, minute-by-minute actions we brush aside? Language and speech. By extension, the ability to swear and cuss like a sailor. Benjamin K. Bergen, a profession of cognitive science working with language; attempts to foray into the world of ‘fuck’ and ‘damn it’ in, “What the F: What Swearing Reveals about Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves”.

“What the F” is a very nuanced and complex work that is almost difficult to describe. Bergen’s pages are a mixture of pop psych, neuroscience, cognitive science, social behavioral studies, and linguistics. The issue therein is that these various aspects don’t necessarily combine in a seamless manner. “What the F” begins by discussing how swear words can be defined in the first place and whether or not they are culturally constrained before then exploring how swearing comes about, how our brains react, how swearing occurs in other mediums like sign language, etc. This is all very fascinating but the thesis isn’t clear which results in a scattered text that lacks proper direction.

Also impacting this is the heavy technical jargon. At times, Bergen is conversational in his tone while other times he forgets that the average reader is not a language scientist and has no idea what the eff (see what I did there?) he is talking about. “What the F” is a piece which requires genuine reader attention to truly grasp the material and perhaps only a small section at a time. Otherwise, confusion can ensue.

“What the F” is noticeably filled with much repetition and speculation. This is namely because the topic is not as notably researched and is difficult to define. Despite this, Bergen does include experimental results and studies which solidify the material (both primary and secondary studies).

Approximately, halfway through, “What the F” becomes both easier to digest (Bergen finds his writing groove) and much more enthralling. The language science explored is sort of in the “Why didn’t I think of that?!”- realm but also mind-blowing at the same time. It is obvious that Bergen has conducted a lot of research (7 years according to the author) and really knows the material. The text applies not just to swearing but language studies, in general.

There are clarity issues with charts/diagrams which can be a bit murky to decipher. Again, “What the F” isn’t necessarily always average-reader friendly. Bergen remedies this by ending every chapter with a summary wrap-up which some may deem as merely a page-filler; but it also helps review the latter pages.

The concluding chapters of “What the F” are less powerful focusing more on theory and discussion. Bergen’s thesis and vision is once again obscured making for a light impact and less-than-memorable ending. Much of “What the F” at this stage can be skimmed.

Bergen provides the reader with a ‘Notes’ section (although not annotated) and a list of sources which encourages further research and review.

“What the F” is certainly a compelling topic which is also clever/novel in respect to its angle and absence of over-discussion on book shelves. However, it isn’t what it claims to be as it is more of a socio-linguist piece than a psychological or neuroscience one. Plus, it does embody flaws like tangents, repetition, and overly technical text. Regardless, “What the F” is an interesting read and suggested for those interested in language and its connection to both the brain and society.

**Note:My rating was torn between a 3-star and 4. On first, standalone sight, I would be enticed to give “What the F” 3 stars but in comparison to other books on surrounding book shelves I have read and given 3 stars to… I went with a 4.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the sharp wit and irreverence of this book.

At other times, I got a bit bogged down in the science and data.

So I think it evens out to 4 stars for me.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is as hilarious and well written as it is serious and interesting.

Basically the author is a neuro-linguist, looking at the use of profanity in our language. Where did these words come from, how are they used, are they bad for us, how has the idea of profanity changed over time?

He talks about the parts of speech and how profanity transcends normal grammar rules, how profanity is used in people who have had strokes or tourettes, and looks at brain function and things like cultural norms. Such a wide spanning book. Such a great read.

Part of this book is hilarious because he comes out with 'shit, fuck, c*nt, tits, motherfucker, cocksucker, nigger and faggot' - all the time - and totally in context. Its just funny to hear these words uttered so matter-of-factly! So obviously, this book is not for you if profanity bothers you - but for the rest of you - this is well worth a listen. Some great insights into the workings of the brain and how language works and evolves. Well written and very informative!

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read an interesting article promoting this book and checked it out from the library. The book itself was not as interesting as the article. The author is very repetitive, sometimes even repeating the same thing within 5 sentences. And the author couches many of his statements as speculation because there is little or no research to support his ideas. That's fine, but having to read over and over that he was speculating got annoying. I think the concept of this book was interesting but reading it sometimes felt like a chore.

Let me save you some time: https://gizmodo.com/the-science-of-ho...

[Kristen]

I gave up on this one almost halfway through. It was interesting while I was reading it, but I never felt any urge to pick it up once I set it down.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone interested in linguistics or neurology. Quite fascinating.

[(• ֊ •)੭ amyfish ~ love2love]

one of the few textbooks that i actually read in full
easy to understand, interesting takes/ideas

not gonna rate cause i don't really have an opinion on it rn (maybe cause it was assigned reading) the book has been read, and i will now go on with my life :)

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interest and odd history book. Unusual subject but the writer does an excellent job laying out the information in a entertaining and captivating read. I learn alot of new words in several languages! Very recommended

[Rafal Jasinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prawdopodobnie w żadnej innej książce nie znajdziecie tylu wulgaryzmów - i to w wielu językach - niż w tej wyjątkowej monografii naukowej im właśnie poświęconej.

Benjamin K. Bergen kompleksowo podszedł do tematu tabu, dość rzadko podejmowanego przez badaczy kultury i lingwistów, próbując wraz z czytelnikami odpowiedzieć na wiele pytań związanych ze słowami "niechcianymi" a jednak występującymi nader często w naszym życiu.

Co sprawia, że te szczególne słowa mają taką "moc", skoro nie różnią się czasami od innych, podobnie brzmiących? Skąd w ogóle wzięły się przekleństwa, kiedy zostały użyte po raz pierwszy, dlaczego niewinne ongiś słowa i wyrazy nagle stały się słowami języka objętego tabu - choćby dlaczego i od kiedy "Dick" przestał być atrakcyjnym imieniem nadawanym urodzonym w Wielkiej Brytanii chłopcom a dziś raczej z rzadka zdarza się mówić na koguta "cock" w języku angielskim?

Bergen kategoryzuje przekleństwa, zajmuje się nie tylko ich historią i rozwojem w języku mówionym i pisanym (w tym gramatyką słów wulgarnych i akronimami) ale również wulgaryzmami w języku migowym, sięga do dziedzin takich, jak psychologia, socjologia a nawet nauki biologiczne (neurobiologia).

Po lekturze tej książki nie tylko nieco inaczej - czy przychylniej? - spojrzymy na tych, którzy (nad)używają słów wulgarnych i przekleństw, ale dowiemy się więcej o sobie samych i historii języka. I to nie tylko języka angielskiego - choć z dość oczywistych przyczyn obszerna cześć tej książki skupia się na nim - bo dzięki znakomitemu przekładowi, który przejrzyście objaśnia i podaje odpowiedniki omawianych słów i fraz, książka ta zyskuje sporą wartość dla polskiego czytelnika.

Gorąco polecam lekturę wszystkim, których fascynuje lingwistyka i socjologia - jednocześnie przestrzegam. Autor tej książki, ani jej tłumacz nie stosują półśrodków - dawka wulgaryzmów, z jaką będziecie musieli się zmierzyć przekracza wszystko, z czym mogliście mieć dotąd do czynienia w literaturze. A może nawet i życiu.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was really interesting.

My favorite parts were: the consistency of the four letter words, the harmful impact of slurs, etymology of swears, and how swearing is different than normal speech.

I thought the whole book was different and enjoyable and a nice mix of neuroscience, sociology, and linguistics.

I'm not really sure I agree with the author's conclusion to let profanity fly loose. He waved away profanity's connection with violence or a limited vocabulary, but I think that studies were limited (for funding reasons!) and there's much more to be researched.

I recommend this book if you're not too squeamish about the obvious amount of swearing in a book on swearing. It's a good read!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Equal parts interesting and hilarious. I don't think it was mind shattering but some parts were definitely thought-provoking.

However I'm really tired of white men excusing slurs as (at the end of the day) only words and that slurs can only cause harm if YOU let them. Once again putting the onus on the marginalized groups targeted rather than the provokers themselves.
And the fact that Berger even quoted the comedian George Carlin (himself a white, presumably straight, man) to justify his reasoning is just the shitty cherry on top. This comes at the very end of the book so it was a rather disappointing ending to an otherwise great book.

Also, Berger is very good at inserting jokes that are both contemporary and witty while also being not cringey. I was laughing almost every chapter.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

It got a little long winded in certain chapters, which may have been made worse by the fact that I've read a lot of his reference sources (like Steven Pinker's The Stuff of Thought, for instance) but that didn't stop this book from being fascinating. CLEARLY not for those with with low tolerance for profanity or who one who is easily offended. If you can stomach it, though, it provides a decent understanding of the language we speak and WHY these words are/could be considered profane in the first place.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a scientific examination of an aspect of linguistics. I had a course in linguistics once, and it was one of the toughest classes I ever took. The grammar of profanity is quite interesting (to me, anyway), and profanity also throws light on several aspects of sociology. Even though the book made me squirm a few times, I learned several new dirty words. Although parts of the book are quite technical, others are funny and just plain fascinating.