My theory on profanity

The words people use when they are swearing are the things the collective unconsciousness of the society is repressing. The words would not be bad if this were not the case.  Therefore, if a society place a premium on cleanliness then cuss words might be connected with the dirt or waste that come out of the body, these are truly dirty words, pun intended. Another example is if a society had no taboos against f__king , then where is the shock value in using it as a curse word?

Similarly in a culture that is not religious, then religious profanity has no purpose, unless it is a matter of tradition. For example, Quebec tradition after the quite revolution and secularization in the 1960s. After this secularization you would think that this type of swearing would go out of style, but it did not. The religious French swear words were so firmly in place people did not stop using them.  I personally find these the most offense.

The words you use when you swear to tell you a lot about who you are.  If you use words that are very rude most likely you have an anger problem.  If you use words to cuss a little more suggested in nature, that is use naughty words then you had something else besides anger on your mind.

French swearing vs English swearing

The French are not particularly reverent people, however, and they are not irreverent.  Since the French are cultured people, I do not hear a lot of profanity in Francais.  I think when the French want to be rude or irreverent, they do it in a more subtle way using indirect insults rather than vulgarity. They will just suggest you are an idiot and make you feel bad rather than use some primitive outburst with a French swear word or phrase.

More then swearing the French make you feel like an idiot

Another reason I hear less profanity in French that in English (other than I am not a French native speaker) is because French culture is more about love than competitiveness.  I think  American and English culture is very competitive, French culture, even in big cities like Paris, is more relaxed about life and low key, more about love.

However Mediterranean culture, even though they are relaxed is hot blooded. The people of France are rather an odd lot to a cross between northern Germanic culture and southern Mediterranean culture, perhaps it could be argued that they take the best from both and swear the least.

French swear words

Here is my list of mild French swear words.  Let me know what you think, and if you think any others should be added to the list of words.

French swear words

If you are offended by the meaning of any of these French phrases write me and I can remove them from the list.