<rant>

I know that trades people swear, and some do quite frequently. I myself have been guilty of this on many occasions. For the most part, hearing a barrage of swears daily doesn't bother me, because you get immune to it after a while.

However, the one thing that does bother me is the taking of the name of the Lord in vain. The most common utterances being "JC" and "GD" among many others.

Yes, I know, there are many people who aren't religious and don't believe in God at all, and saying "JC" is meaningless to them.

It's not meaningless to me.


IMHO, the trades get a bad rap because of the persistent "Strong back, weak mind, foul mouth" sterotype. Anything that can be done to eliminate this bad image is a good thing.

Trying my best to keep it clean,
Peter

I'm with you man.

The railroad business attracts people with a
"longshoresman" type mentality, where they can go for over two minutes without repeating themselves.

The english lanquage has been in a general decline since swearing was declared "free Speech"
TW

I am not immune to swearing but it is very infrequent. From what I see any bad rap the trades get regarding this issue is well deserved. I am amazed when I am in the supply house at the inability of the guys that are in there to get a sentence out without dropping the f bomb. It is embarrassing to be in someones house working with different trades and they can't speak plain clean english. I can only imagine what the homeowners are thinking.

A big hearty Amen to that

On some of the bigger projects that have 80-100 men working. I tried testing some people there to see if they listen to yah. First I tryed proper english, seemed like their minds would wonder, preoccupied, get bored fast and short span of attention. So the next time I was talking to them, I put in all the 4 letter adjectives, funny how all eyes were on me waiting for their chance to reply with all the 4 letter adjectives.

I've noticed a decline in this area for several years. It's all around us everyday, and I sometimes fall into the foul-mouth mode. Look at network TV. I don't like my kids to watch it for the language. The biggest decline I've seen though, is in women. No offense, but ladies used to keep their language clean. Not anymore. The worst language that I've ever (including construction talk) heard came from a female "buyer" from a large department store here in Houston. It was so bad, that I couldn't stand to be around her. When she came around, I would leave. You know it's bad when an ex-Navy, construction-hand can't handle your language.

"Lava" in hand,
Doc

Depending on my mood I can be a heavy swearer....even putting a sailor or longeshoreman to shame.

However I will never swear if I'm in front of a live radio mic. I will talk on and on and on and such words will not even cross my mind. Go figure!

It's really hard when I'm around young kids (like my 5 year old cousin and nephew) and I have to bite my tounge like you wouldn't believe it.

In those situations I'm usually better off just keeping to myself and keeping my trap shut.....

Yeah, that seething, smooth rolling, expletive-laced language can really entrench itself in our lives and as you noted, women can be some of the worst. My three sisters and I (four foul-mouthed femmes who were really not the worst that could be found, especially because I used to have to explain some of the phrases that one of them used to her after she would get some odd looks...lol) decided it was high time to end the filth that we spoke and it cost us a nickel a word, though it was money well-spent because everyone started to watch their mouth. I, too, had the Navy influence and most of the guys would at least curb their language if the women around them didn't seem to be the seedy type but the women wouldn't.

In one of my side jobs as a restaurant shift manager a couple of years ago a customer, a man, approached me because this teenaged girl at the cash register was blasting one of the guys in the kitchen (who she had a crush on but who wanted nothing to do with her) and the customer was embarrassed to be witness to the blast and appalled at the girl's choice of words. I disdained the girl and her work was worthless but I had no power to reprimand much less fire her but the customer's opinion carried some heavy weight so I walked with him back to the counter and called her down on it right then by saying that one more word out of her that was even slightly derogatory, inflammatory, or could be perceived as being foul by anyone in the store and she was done and she could straighten up with some self-respect and respect for others or march out the door. You could've heard a collect 'hurrah' had you been listening to people's thoughts, I'm certain. I mention this to you, Doc, because a well-placed comment like "Man, I wish she would clean up her language and talk like she can complete a sentence without cursing" that lands on ears that aren't intimidated by her (her boss, for example) could work wonders for you, her and the other people she's offending. A comment made in the form & fashion I mention above also only directly attacks her verbal output, not her as a person and would be better received than "She talks trash" which implies something more.

Sven, it's sometimes really difficult to not blurt something out when kids are around but it'll pay you back in the worst way if you don't...visions of my own 5 yr old niece waking up as I mutter a descriptive comment to another driver (who, obviously, cannot hear me) and then a week or so later repeating it for Grandma and Grandpa and the crowd on the sidewalk when someone takes 'their' parking place at the yard sale they're about to approach. Bugg was in some hot water for that one...my bad. Just picture those kids as little microphones and know that they'll broadcast anything and everything they get from you because I'm sure you're their cool uncle and they'll copy you.

When I hear little kids swear it's like watching them spit on each other or something... not good at all and they're becoming more like the adults who cuss every 3rd or 4th word - they never even hear it anymore.

If we are a profession,then all must follow suit, walk the walk talk the talk.
Save the expletive deletives for the right moments if you must......

Our image sells because face value, however superficial, is what the majority of opinion will be based on.

I grew up in a fundamentalist home, where we said "wet" instead of "pee", and never, ever, ever said the Lord's name in vain.

I honestly believed I would be struck dead immediately!

Then I went to college...

Among the things I learned, were how to "...curse for five minutes straight without repeating myself..." (quote from Dick Starks of the Kansas City Dawn Patrol )!

I tend to use expletives to emphasize a point. But yeah, you really gotta watch the kids!

Every now and then I'll let one slip at Mom's... I'll be embarrassed and shamed for days! Let the F-word slip at Thanksgiving a year ago at my Mother's when Mr. Hixson said something totally off-the-wall and I was still in denial of his mental condition...

I'll never forget the look on my Mom's face...



<shudder>

My Granny however, could "curse the wall paper off the walls" (quote from Mike Warnke, I think...)

She was my hero!



My argument in my earlier years was "how can the mere oscillation of air molecules be offensive?" but, I know better now!

[This message has been edited by sparky66wv (edited 12-04-2002).]

you guys ever get a staple under the fingernail when the public's within earshot?

sssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhugar

Steve, how about missing the staple completely and the hammer blow intended for the staple lands on you thumb?!

I almost wanted to cry when this happened!

A local supply house (national chain) has a sign behind the counter that say's, "God's last name is not damn". I like it.

Using the lord's name in vain is probably the only profanity I don't use, not that I can say the others are acceptable.

Twice, I have had a part (full time in conviction) time ministers work for me, and this has led to some interesting situations with some unknowing people on the jobs.

I think the unknowing parties learned good lessons in the end.

Roger

Foul language is not just limited to tradesmen. I know plenty of non trades people that have "cornered the market" on bad language.

CTwireman,

I find that while most of us in the construction field swear like longshoremen, it might also depend on our religious belief's. As a catholic, I might not use those two swear words in vain. However, everything else is fair play. The swearing doesn't bother me at all no matter who says what, but those two words, I just can't bring myself to use. If a friend of mind uses it, I don't have anything to say to them, even if I don't approve.

Harold

Peter,
I'm with you on this one. Sure, I'll use an occasional d***, but I can honestly say that I don't use the stronger four-letter words that are all far too common nowadays.

The GC I work with regularly is pretty bad, and when he gets together with some of the other regular brick-layers, plumbers, etc. there have been times when it seems like every other word is a profanity.

I grew up in a family where swearing was mild and kept to a minimum, and I'm thankful that that influenced me to be the same way.

I sometimes cringe at the language parents use today not only in front of, but sometimes directly to their own kids.

Yes, I'm certain that Hollywood and TV must take a fair share of the blame (and that includes British TV/films which are just as bad, if not worse). I know I'm just one of many who will now refuse to watch late-night TV for this very reason.