h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://uk.geocities.com/agirlcalledben/words.html

I wonder if I can say 't**t'...

Looks like you can say it, Lucinda...

Spike said "I still don't get why fenceblossomboy signed as Ben. Or are you...is he..."

Answer to why: it was a joke played by someone other than me on the posters in this thread, and the community as a whole, including me.

Answer to am I FBB: no, neither is my computer, nor my fingers, nor my toes, nor is the fence in my garden, nor the fence in my ex's garden, and nor the flowers in the jug in my kitchen...

Answer to a question that has not been asked - do I mind: not much - I found it quite funny, actually. But it only goes to show how spooked we are as a community, and how much we have started to jump at shadows. And that is not funny: so I think it was probably a joke with a point. Though the posts are both pointless and funny.

I remain - here and elsewhere - the one and so far only
girl called Ben

Hi agcB,

I just spent a pleasant quarter of an hour perusing your short guide,

I'd seen this a few months ago though there was stuff here I didn't remember.

One or two possible additions: Bulls**t (and just 'bull') and, in the 'c**' section, some mention of the 'quaynte' origin of this rudest of words. Particularly liked the 'so to speak' gag in that section.

Good luck with this, anyway

Seeya
Spiff

Does anyone else find it sexist that we can say 'dick' and 'cock', but we can't say 'cxxt' or 'txxt'?

It might be because dick and cock have other meanings, Richard and rooster, respectively, whilst cxxt and txxt are pretty inequivocable.

agcB, did you read my proposal? Post 40, I believe. What do you think?

Oh I don't believe that - you can get away with talking about the length of your cock, and nobody would believe that you're talking about how long you can stretch your chicken (till it chokes, presumably).

Besides, bxxxxxd has a pleasant meaning, and that still gets censored by default. Nope - I reckon the people who decide these things have an inbuilt horror of the female anatomy - they're (almost) all old men, after all...

I'm with Lucinda on this one. By making the mention of female genitalia unmentionable and taboo, it is hidden and under wraps. On the other hand, it is perfectly acceptable for a man to use most kinds of slang for penis. The penis is a symbol of manhood, and, it could be argued, therefore a symbol of patriarchy.

Hi Theanthrope

I saw your proposal, but have not had time to mosey on over.

I am rather fond of the Short Guide as it stands. I wrote much of it at 3.00 am last April as a direct reaction to Rupert, (sometime around the 24th, I think). It was intended to stretch, test and define the moderation system, and in fact in its small way, it did.

It had a good airing at the time both in Peer Review and in the British English thread, and was added to and strengthened a lot by contributers to both those forums.

When I spoke to Peta about it at the meet about 10 days ago, she said: put it up for Peer Review, which I have.

In my opinion it is close to being ready to be picked. And, since there is still so much of my humour, and indeed my knowledge and research in it, I am reluctant to hand it over to a more colaborative approach than it has already been through.

I have checked with each of the people who added definitiions and derivations, to find out if they want a co-credit, and at the weekend I will add the co-credits to the list.

However, I will check out your project at the weekend, and see what I think.

Thanks for inviting me, it is always nice to be asked.

Ben

LUCINDA
"Besides, bxxxxxd has a pleasant meaning, and that still gets censored by default. Nope - I reckon the people who decide these things have an inbuilt horror of the female anatomy - they're (almost) all old men, after all..."

Are there people who decide these things? Where have you seen these old men who debate what can be said in company without blushes or offence?

Just asking. I find the idea rather amusing. The Council of old C***s

As an aside, I'd love to review the entry, but it's gone again.

As a double aside, whilst walking in the park a few weeks ago, I passed a young couple and their 2/3 year old child. He was running around them shouting 'C***, c***, c***, c***'. I was mildyly shocked until his mum said, 'Alright. Go and hide. Now, 1..2..3..4..5'.

> "Are there people who decide these things?"

Oh, there's the film classification people. And there's judges in cases of 'outraging public decency' or 'pornography' or 'corruption' or whatever. And there's the BBC's Editorial Policy. And more, no doubt.

Good point.

Also: Newspaper editors, book publishers, Tipper Gore's parent resource centre in the US. And probably lots more.

Alright, alright.
But isn't it actually down to thee and me? If the GP began to use these words as a matter of course, would the boundaries of what is acceptable start to shift?

Not that I would be overly comfortable with it. I'm no prude, but habitually slotting these words into a conversation seems a little unneccesary. I used to work with some guys who swore constantly, and did so in front of those who didn't. I found the whole thing rather dull after a while.

Frogbit,

There is a link in my home page to a version of the entry on Geocities. U148580

Ben

Sure, every other word beginning with F gets a bit old hat pretty rapidly, but I think a well chosen oath or expletive every now and then (pretty often, though, in my case ) enriches conversations enormously.

Words of power; magic words that can change elicit hails of laughter instantaneously or transform a friendly discussion into a furious slanging match at a breath. Words, words, words.

What a load of b******s, I hear you cry.

Seeya
Spiff

Agreed. I wasn't for a moment suggesting I didn't swear...but if you choose your moment then, as you say Spiff, a carefully selected expletive can work wonders. You ****.

Tipper Gore is an old man with a horror of female anatomy now?

Hmm, that might explain a few things. Though not a 'President Bush', of course.

Gif

Hiya,

Are relatively long 'short words' permissible/of interest? Coz I think a brief description of Motherf***er could provide some rather good grist to your mill, here. Just a thought.

Are you still looking to add more, or would you rather leave it as is (which I think is very good already, honest!)? Would you like it to be a comprehensive list of oaths and swear-words or is 'shortness' paramount? After all, bo***cks is quite long... Maybe you could have a sub-category of 'long short words'.

Seeya
Spiff

PS Your sister, Frogbit! (in French this is a mortal insult among the young and wild; it is a close relative () of 'ya muddah' in US-Italian gangster movies. Nice and short, in French, too! )

You are right about m**********r, and HVL suggested it too. M**********s should certainly be represented in the Short Guide.

Not being an American I don't really know my way around the usage, origin, etc. I mean, it is delightfully Oedipan, and very self explanitory, but as I said, I don't have an instinct for the usage.

Other words? Make some suggestions, with definitions and comments if you like, and I'll add them if it seems like a good idea.

I don't really want to include long phrases, but on the other hand, I will include anything which is informative, amusing, and entertaining.

All the best

Ben