I agree that there is a line, but, that is the difficulty, where is it? What might cross it for you might not for others and what if you end up with a zero tolerance approach so that no one can possibly be offended then that can't be right Shirley, maybe it is?

I don’t normally swear at all at a match, but now I know have a free, single-use “C**T” expletive, I’ll save it for the queue at the food kiosk for when they run out of lids for my cup of hot Bovril...

. Just got to remember not to use it repeatedly

Crikey...I better get my Dad moved asap. We sit in that corner and I often have to restrain him. If there are kids around he gets gagged!! Didnt know it was a family zone.

Rugby crowds are far more mild mannered than the football mob, I don’t go to footy games as I don’t follow any team,but the stuff I hear when I bother to watch a game on Sky, well I laugh my head off about someone moaning about someone shouting f***, especially when the footy lot really go OTT.

Anyway we at a sporting event were passions can and will run high, we not at the opera.

It's funny thing swearing. As the words themselves cannot cause offence, only offence can be taken at the words by the listener. The listener is in control.

The answer of course is to introduce our own non-swear swear words, such as:
You stupid Ganson.
You annoying little Tomkins.
Why don't you just Boris off?

Absolute bunkum but beautifully wrapped up as if it actually made sense.

I was actually taken to a Soccer match some months back at Anfield (second match ever ... as I dislike tip tap). I was expecting it to be horrible compared with rugby league. But I was very pleasantly surprised. The behaviour on that day was superb.
TV are always apologising for something ... they will be offering counselling next if we happen to hear something which we may not like.

Think I prefer the C word to be honest! Same same

I only recently discovered that French Canadians have their own set of swear words all based on different parts of the church (building).
To develop silver2’s point how about
“You totally wicked stadium” as an equivalent of “bloody” all the way up to the nuclear option of “you’re just a cheap DW”.

Is it though? The word has no intrinsic insult value, it's what the listener applies to it.

If you heard a swear word in a different language that you did not understand, you would not know. The word remains the same it's all about the intepretation and how the listener wants to react.

In reminds me a little of a Buddhist approach which would be to take this swearing situation as a learning opportunity and instead of "reacting" to it (taking offence) take it as a chance to learn about why this is hurtful to you and if it even actually is hurtful or if perhaps you are carrying around some heavy preconceptions about things that could be shed and hopefully lead to a more fulfilling and happier life.




~

Another thought provoking idea, along the same lines, is expressed in The Story of the Angry Young Man and The Buddha

[iIt is said that one day the Buddha was walking through a village. A very angry and rude young man came up and began insulting him, saying all kind of rude words.

The Buddha was not upset by these insults. Instead he asked the young man, “Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?”

The young man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered, “It would belong to me, because I bought the gift.”

The Buddha smiled and said, “That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself.”[/i

~

Very interesting point of view Wires71 but within a language words have to have a meaning (or meanings) otherwise we would not be able to communicate. “Swear” words are the same. The fact that they usually relate to genitalia, and the more offensive words are based on female genitalia is intriguing. So the meaning of the word isn’t “owned” by the listener.
Why a word is given a specific meaning has always puzzled me. For example if you didn’t know any different “chlamydia “ I’ve always thought is a pleasant word (much like fuchsia) but the fact that it is the biggest killer of koalas ruins it for me.
The Buddhist approach to anger, however, is laudable. I will try to embrace it when reading this forum.

I think the point is young children picking up on the swearing and repeating it.

For example, my little boy might ask me “Daddy, is the Wigan player a c**t, like what that man said?” - to which I would of course answer: “don’t ever use language like that again young man... but technically, yes, he is indeed”...

e

Be careful Captain, if you are thinking of Wires 71 analogy, make sure you give Mrs Hook some fuschias, as I don't think you'll get away with her rejecting your alternative and her saying that you are only hurting yourself

Sorry are we too far off topic??

Too late...

I am surprised Cap'n that the more dodgy tv progs such as Real housewives of wherever or The only way is Widnes haven't introduced Chlamydia as a modern Christian name. However ,as far as swearing at matches goes i'm sure our kids would know more words than us & would know them in a bigger variety of languages than us.

A friend claims to have met a couple whose daughter is called Chlamydia, he is a psychiatrist so I’m never sure whether to believe him.
(Ok Wires71 I know the least believable part of that sentence is that I have a friend ).

[size=200FLANGE [/size

a projecting flat rim, collar, or rib on an object, serving for strengthening or attachment or (on a wheel) for maintaining position on a rail.
"the flanges that held the tailpipe to the aircraft"

Is that what you meant

My old English teacher at Penketh High once spent a class teaching us the origins of various swear words. It was one of the more enjoyable lessons that year!

e.g: 'Bloody Hell' derives from the Elizabethan phrase 'By our dear lady in hell'

In the wilderspool days we had a sponsor callled flange fit or something like that, always made me chuckle.

Wooo dude
I need a splif or I've already had one.

Mr Hughes! I remember this. He said that if you said "by our lady in hell" really fast it became "bloody hell". I always assumed he made this up to see if anyone would believe it, coz it doesn't really does it? That and I've never heard it repeated anywhere since, until now.

The whole Fletcher St end would chuckle childishly, especially because the old announcer would say it as sincerely as possible.