Honouring the F-word

It's not exactly something you'd expect to read about in the Sunday edition of a major US newspaper, nevertheless, the Washington Post's Joel Achenbach takes up some newsprint to remind everybody about the scaredness of the 'F-bomb' and delves into the history of the much loved and loathed word.

It's quite poetic.

From hip-hop artists to bloggers to the vice president of the United States, everyone's dropping the F-bomb. Young people in particular may not grasp how special this word has been in the past. They may not realize how, like an old sourdough starter, the word has been lovingly preserved over the centuries and passed from generation to generation. For the good of human communication we must come together, as a people, to protect this word, and ensure that, years from now, it remains obscene.
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I'd even argue that it has therapeutic properties. Ponder, if you will, how critically important this word can be when you stub a toe. It serves as an instant palliative. It's like verbal morphine. You can't hop around the dining room, holding your foot, shouting "Drat!" or "Dagnabbit!" or "Heavens to Betsy!" Those words don't work.

So true. Or right f-ing on, depending on your view.