Dropping a bomb is an act of violence aimed at destruction or disruption. On the media we have been exposed to smart bombs, cluster bombs, dumb bombs, the A-bomb, the H-bomb, the "Nuke", but what is the f-bomb?
The f-bomb is an allusion to the usage of the English word 'fuck' in a situation where it is considered vulgar and offensive.
Is the f-word so offensive today? Who considers the f-word vulgar and offensive? Most parents would shudder and disapprove strongly if their children used the f-word in front of them. People in most cultures find the f-word offensive, though it has become commonplace. Scientific studies among large sections of the public also support this. The Hargrave study in the UK found that
- 92% of respondents didn't want strong language with the f-word in advertisements
- The f-word was considered the third most offensive as a word and the worst as an offensive expression after racial abuse words like "Paki" or "Nigger" and abuse of minorities with words like "Poof".
However, the usage of the f-word has spread among people and also in the media. In Canada, the word is now considered to be commonplace and the Canadian Press Caps and Spelling guide gives advice on proper usage.
Where does the f-word come from then? The f-word is of Anglo-Saxon origin and was first used as a verb meaning to have sexual intercourse in "Flen flyys", written around 1475. After a single appearance in John Ash's 1775 A New and Complete Dictionary, listed as "low" and "vulgar", Fuck did not appear in any English language dictionary until it appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1972.
D. H. Lawrence's novel Lady Chatterley's Lover gained notoriety for its frequent use of the words fuck and was published in UK only in 1960. In Australia, even a book describing the British trial, The Trial of Lady Chatterley, was banned.
There are many stories about the origin of the f-word as an abbreviation meaning
- "Fornication Under Carnal/Cardinal Knowledge"
- "Fornication Under [the] Control/Consent/Command of the King"
- "Forced Unlawful Carnal Knowledge"
These are all wrong.
How have the law courts and regulating authorities treated the f-word in the past few years?
In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the mere public display of fuck is protected under the First and Fourteenth Amendments and cannot be made a criminal offence.
In 2003, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which fines TV and radio stations for the broadcast of "indecent language", ruled that the airing of the statement "This is really, really fucking brilliant!" by U2 member Bono when he received the Golden Globe Award was neither obscene nor indecent. Bono's use of the word was seen as a mere adverbial phrase and not as a depiction or description of sexual or excretory functions. However, few channels, even on cable TV, which is not regulated by FCC in the United States, broadcast the f-word in fear of the FCC.
People don't always have a sexual or bodily function message when they use the f-word. In common usage nowadays the f-word can mean to mess around, or to deal with unfairly or harshly, it can be the equivalent of "damn". It can be used in the sense of something having little value or also as a meaningless intensive.
There are many public instances where the f-word was used. In 1965, the Greek ambassador Alexandros Matsas objected to American plans in Cyprus. U.S. President "Fuck your parliament and your constitution. America is an elephant. Cyprus is a flea. Greece is a flea. If these two fellows continue itching the elephant they may just get whacked by the elephant's trunk, whacked good.” Lyndon B. Johnson replied angrily,
On the same day that the Defense of Decency Act was passed in the Senate in June 2004, United States Vice President Dick Cheney angrily replied to criticism about Halliburton's role in the reconstruction of Iraq from Democratic senator Patrick Leahy with "fuck yourself".
In April 1997, the UK clothing retailer French Connection began using the brand "fcuk" (written in lowercase). It immediately caused a controversy. French Connection fully exploited this to gain popularity. They claimed that rather than being offensive, it was an acronym for the company name. Their product range of t-shirts with printed text "fcuk this", "mile high fcuk", "fcuk me", "hot as fcuk", "too busy to fcuk", "fcuk fashion", "fcuk on the beach", "the joy of fcuk", have sold well.
It seems that the four-letter f-word is here to stay.
