Watch your language

Today


Terrific evening last night. Paul & I went to see the comedian Bill Bailey at the Bristol Hippodrome. We laughed and laughed. One of things we've noticed about BB is the complete lack of gratuitous swearing; in fact any swearing at all. He actually mentioned it during the show, saying that the use of swearing to enhance comedy provides diminishing returns so he prefers not to do it.

We talked about this with our nephew and he told a very funny tale of another comedian/musician who does swear in his act who received a comment from a fan to the effect that a man who plays the piano has no need to swear. We're not sure what was meant by this: is it that all your aggression can be vented via the musical instrument, or is the implication that pianists are rather higher up emotionally and mentally in the scheme of things so don't need this rather unimaginative way of expressing themselves?

In My Day

Daddy thought that swearing should be an act involving the imagination and he came out with his own phrases such as "mahogany kippers" when stubbing a toe or dropping the hammer. Occasionally he would change them with a little flourish - "donner und blitzen" was probably a more predictable phrase, among many.

He was quite aware of the phases normally reserved for swearing and he took one of two approaches. Some, such as the "F" and "C" words he used regularly in everyday speech in their proper context, arguing that if we heard these words often enough the novelty would wear off and we wouldn't be tempted to use them in anger ourselves. I don't think mamma approved much of this, but she said little, knowing when resistance would be useless. She never herself swore.

With some others he showed an old-fashioned superstition that sat uncomfortably with his modern and avowedly atheist views. Words such as "bloody" - meaning "by our lady" were quite unacceptable. The strangest and worst was to say "blimey" as this really means "God blind me" and who knew when God (who didn't exist, according to Daddy) might decide to do what you asked? I guess this was a hangover from the teachings of his mother, and I suppose we all have a little superstition in us somewhere.

At college I had a friend who thought that the best way to express anger and frustation was to say "bunny rabbits". Awesome, really.