Tracking the language that’s used at any one period of time is an excellent way of understanding the mind-set of that time. This is one of the reasons that the ‘Word of the Year’ tradition has become so popular – it offers a succinct way of reflecting back on the defining trends and concerns of […]
Tag: linguistics
Political blowjobs, or The power of expletive-filled personalised number plates
Blowjobs have played an occasional but important part in political history. The most notable recent example, of course, involved Bill Clinton. It was his equivocation over the nature of his relations with Monica Lewinsky that led to him being impeached on perjury charges. A century before Clinton, another president had an even more decisive oral […]
Sentimental education, or The serious study of swearing [video]
We made a film about swearing. About cursing, profanity and obscene language. About why we do it and what it can tell us about the culture in which we live. It was made in collaboration with the creatively vulgar people at Tilt, the charmingly foul-mouthed Adam Woollard and Theo Marlow, and expletive-filled insight from Emma Byrne, Jean-Marc […]
Philip Seargeant 