Swearing in the street - is it an age thing or a class thing?

I dashed into town yesterday and was struck by how many people were swearing at each other. Even those not having arguments. OK so Southend is diving rapidly into becoming chav city, but I can`t remember this happening when I was younger.
I just wondered if anyone else had noticed it increasing?

Re: Swearing in the street - is it an age thing or a class thing?

clairandaisy

I fully agree with you swearing is just plain rude.

Another pet hate of mine is spitting, I blame footballers for this.

Re: Swearing in the street - is it an age thing or a class thing?

I found it was worse in the 70s and 80s.

Thought it was a lot better now, I put this down to the fact that these chaves dont want to be thought as a Gordon Ramsey

Re: Swearing in the street - is it an age thing or a class thing?

When I was a young Man the 'F' word was used very little on our Street, but when it was it had a shock effect, maybe the user was angry or stressed and had a reason to swear. Today every second word used is 'F' and it has no effect whatsoever, the word is rendered useless and pointless, just look at some of the films out now to see what I mean. It sounds even worse when a Woman joins in.

Re: Swearing in the street - is it an age thing or a class thing?

It's the coarsening of society: things said and depicted on TV/movies/online that would have been utterly unthinkable two generations ago. And the F word ... yes, used to be shockingly powerful; now it's almost meaningess. O tempora, o mores!! Yes, I sound like an old fogy...

Re: Swearing in the street - is it an age thing or a class thing?

I blame the media and parents. The media because they seem to think that swearing makes a point stronger and Parents for not chastising their children when they swear. Mind you kids only imitate their parents so the parents are the cause as well.

I think someone who can not carry out a conversation without swearing shows a disrespect of their language and the people who they are in converstion with.

Using bad language is bad enough at the best of times but in public is the lowest a person can crawl to.

Re: Swearing in the street - is it an age thing or a class thing?

I find there's a lot of kids who dont even acknowledge these words as swear words. They get slipped into their everyday mutterings and aren't always used as an insult or to be offensive.. they just use them alongside other words. Sad isn't it as well as horrible to hear.

Re: Swearing in the street - is it an age thing or a class thing?

It certainly is offensive - I used to finish work at the same time as a local high school ended. Standing in that bus station each day with those swearing, screaming school kids, then being cooped up on the bus with them for half an hour was sheer hell. Why do they have to shout? The girls were the worst, just terrible. Thank goodness I don't have to listen to that anymore. I don't care if I am called an old fogey DM. I am proud of it.

Re: Swearing in the street - is it an age thing or a class thing?

Agreed - they just use swearing as part of everyday language. So maybe that gives them nowhere to go when they`re angry - apart from getting physical. I mean I swear if I`m really cross or hurt (to myself as a rule ) and get a sort of release from that.

Re: Swearing in the street - is it an age thing or a class thing?

Same up here! Everyone seems to think it is the "in" thing to f & c!! Even 2 year olds! I heard one wee 2 year old call another 2 year old (I know they are two as I know their parents) a wee fat cow and she should go and "f" yourself!! I told him to go wash his mouth out and I would be telling his parents - his response was go and "f" yourself!!

Dreadful! It seems to be the norm now for the "f" word to be used in every sentence, all I can say is that there is a total lack of vocabulary nowadays!