The F-word

Have you noticed how the f-word is becoming more and more common? What’s going on? In the past, it was used almost exclusively by young males seeking attention. Even then, it was largely limited to certain groups such as personnel, construction workers, cops, and, of course, fiction writers. Seldom did the word cross a woman's lips until recently, but now women seem to be using it right along with the men. It’s almost as if the term has become de rigueur in every kind of discourse.

What got me started on this rant was a Facebook post by an attractive young woman who proposed an intriguing idea but ruined it by dropping a series of completely unnecessary f-bombs. Disappointed and saddened, I moved on to the next post about the reindeer-herding Sámi peoples of northern Finland.

The word is multi-purpose, routinely used as an adjective, an exclamation (WTF), an insult, a dismissive command, and a conversational filler. Its frequency and aggressive tone create an unprofessional and, for many of us older adults, an uncomfortable environment. It may dwindle away when it loses its shock value and fewer people find it acceptable. Remember how the word “like” was used a few years ago?—“He lived on, like, a boat on, like, on a river in, like, Tennessee?" Thankfully, that annoying tic has almost disappeared. Let's reserve the f-word for when it's really needed.