General Discussions

What did they say?

POSTED BY: zzetta13
UPDATED: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 21:24
VIEWED: 7016
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CHRISTHECYNIC

Monday, April 24, 2006 4:19 PM

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Originally posted by zzetta13:
I have to say that Mal dropping the F-bomb now and then could go with the character. But now after 14 shows and a movie, well I just think it wouldn't be the same if he did.

Missed this.

For Mal to hit us with a one word swear would take a lot, he definately seems more like a, "Fucked by the fickle finger of fate," kind of guy than a simple, "Fuck."

And one has to remember that to anyone with a brain sphincter of hell is clearly more profane than most things said now.

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I'm not saying that I dislike the word fuck mind you, after all it's the only infix in all of English. Also in an ever changing world where a French government lasts only an average of 24 years the word fuck is a nice little reminder that some things can remain for centuries no matter how much people look down on them and some people still respect all of our ancestors who saw fit to keep the word alive.

SAB39

Monday, April 24, 2006 4:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by christhecynic:
For Mal to hit us with a one word swear would take a lot, he definately seems more like a, "Fucked by the fickle finger of fate," kind of guy than a simple, "Fuck."

I disagree. His "Tzao gao" on seeing the laser sight in War Stories definitely seemed like the sort of thing which would translate to a heartfelt "Oh, fuck", regardless of what the Chinese actually means.

EMMAZULE

Tuesday, April 25, 2006 3:59 AM

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Originally posted by zoid:

EmmaZule wrote, in pieces:
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Can you imagine, for instance, Kaylee "dropping the f-bomb"?

Damn straight I can. Just like I can imagine her jumping the bones of a slacker mechanic (not vice versa) because "Engines make her hot!". Just like I can imagine her complaining about needing new D-cell batteries on their next visit to a general store (if you catch my meaning). That girl's as salty as chicken soup, and every bit as therapeutic.

Comfortable with her sexuality does not automatically equate "dropping the f-bomb" . Sorry, I just don't see it. Not that I can't see her being semi-crude ("You mean, sex!?" and the vibrator mention in "Serenity" come to mind), but "fuck" is such an ugly word, really, I can't imagine our dear, sweet, sexed-up Kaylee using it.

Put in another way, she's type I would imagine might "boink" or "do the horizontal Tango" or "play Bedsheet Bingo" or "dance the Mattress Mambo"... but is just not the type to "fuck". I especially don't see her, IMO, using it as an expletive. I just don't.

Mind you, I don't mean AT ALL using it. In extreme circumstances, I have no doubt even prim and proper Simon would use it.

By "dropping the f-bomb" I meant throwing it around left and right or in non-extreme circumstances, like I imagine Jayne might just do from time to time.

Again, I don't see Kaylee using it casually... and to me, "dropping" it like a metaphorical "bomb" means it comes out of nowhere, ie, casually.

Sorry if I did not make that clear; I did not realize that people would not take it to mean "casually dropping it into a conversation".

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I say if you're gonna cuss, grow a pair and cuss.

Sorry, I prefer not to use steroids. :P (Sorry, could not resist)

The great part about "grow a pair" is that it applies to either sex, and suggests maturing from a child to a reproductive age adult. Still, good to hear about your aversion to steroids, since they tend to shrink whatever pair you may be equipped with.

Mm, true. I was actually thinking of the effect (anabolic) steroids have on the female genitalia - namely, making it develop into a more penis-like structure. Naturally, the penis and testes are two seperate things, but the association between them is quite intimiate, and that's the reference I was trying (though apparently failing) to make. *shrug*

But of course, you are technically correct. The ovaries themselves would shrink.

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...this occasionally means inventing slang ("shiny", anyone?) or curse words...

"Shiny, Happy People", REM, 1991 (featuring The B-52s' Kate Pierson). From http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1518 : "The title and chorus are based on a Chinese propaganda poster. The slogan "Shiny happy people holding hands" is used ironically - the song was released in 1991, 2 years after the Tiananmen Square uprising when the Chinese government clamped down on student demonstrators, killing hundreds of them. (thanks, Ali - Oxford, England)." So, there's your Chinese connection. I'm guessing that 'shiny' is a commonly used adjective in China, not invented for Firefly.

So... explain to me then why it's not in Chinese, as words and phrases such as go se are? :P

Sometimes the word "nice" is used in the same way "cool" is today. "Shiny" is associated with "nice" things. I always sort of assumed that was the tentative origin, other than Joss simply wanting to create another bit of special lingo for his 'verse.

Of course, it could easily be a combination of all of the above, you never know!

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I try to save the really strong stuff, especially the "f-bomb" and "s-bomb" and "asshole", for when I "really need" it. In other words, for when I REALLY am pissed off. See, if you use them too much, they lose their power, but if you use them only when you REALLY mean it, they have several times the impact - somebody mentio

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DONCOAT

Tuesday, April 25, 2006 9:22 PM

Great thread.

I'd have to say one of my favorite examples of Firefly-verse cussin' is "backbirth".

I'm not even sure exactly what it means -- perhaps a synonym of "afterbirth"? -- but I sure know I wouldn't like to be called one.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear Kaylee use the word 'fuck' when describing the act (or proposing it, as in "do ya wanna?"). I don't think she'd use it in everyday cussin', though, as in "f'n this" or "f'n that" or "f this f'n thing". I think she has too much respect for the word (and the act) to use it so casually.

I think it's odd that Kaylee took Simon to task for not cussin' enough, since she really doesn't do much of it herself. I'm having trouble thinking of even one example. Maybe Kaylee is just used to hearing a lot of swearing from the men in her world, making Simon's clean language stand out.

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I don't disagree on any particular point.

CHRISTHECYNIC

Tuesday, April 25, 2006 9:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by EmmaZule:
By "dropping the f-bomb" I meant throwing it around left and right or in non-extreme circumstances, like I imagine Jayne might just do from time to time.

I dislike it incredibly when people do that. Unless specifically talking about the word fuck, in which case the most sensible course is to use the word, it should be resaved for extreme circumstances otherwise it defeats the whole purpose of even having a set of profane words that people avoid like the plague.

The point of words like fuck is to demonstrate strong emotion in a way no other words can. The exist to be the most powerful words in the English language. They should be used only when appropriate (I side with Simon on that) because to use them more often is to make it so that there are no powerful words.

If you say, "Fuck," on any occasion you have nothing to say when something truly bad happens.

If you say fuck in regard to any form of sex you have nothing to describe the very far from love making type of sex that, with English such as it is today, can only be described as fucking.

To use the words when they are not appropriate is to make hobble your ability to be expressive.

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To me the most offensive word I've ever encountered is, "feck," (when used as a substitute for fuck) because instead of being simply profane it is a word designed to say, "Look at me I just invented a word to point out that I'm going out of my way to offend you instead of simply swearing."

It's an intentional insult to whoever it is said to because the only reason it is ever said is if the speaker either thinks that what the mean is too offensive to say outright (or they want you to believe they think that) and that in spite of that they have chosen not only to say it, but to draw attention to the fact that it is something so bad as to be unspeakable.

God I hate that.

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Anyway I'm more than somewhat annoyed at the degradation of profanity and I find the intent to offend more offensive than any word.