The most (in)famous word in English?

“Fuck you, you fucking fuck!”

- Dialogue from the movie ‘Blue Velvet’ (1986)

“There is a little bit of ‘fuck you’ in every ‘whatever.’

- Anonymous

”’You should go clone yourself.’ ‘Why?’ ‘So that you can go fuck yourself!’”

- Dialogue from the movie ‘The 6^th Day’ (2000)

Some three years back, when I was picking my little boy from his crèche, he asked me, “Pa, what does ‘fuck you’ mean?” Startled, but betraying any signs of shock, I turned towards him and asked him, “Who told you that?” Then it proceeded to me ‘advising’ him that it is not a ‘good’ word and not to be used, just as any other parent would do in that situation. If I were to say that to him today, he would just tell me, “What? Fuck off!” The reason? Day in and day out, all  sport that he watches has ever other sporting icon mouthing the ‘sacred’ word. So much so that it is an accepted part of lingo, unfortunately, even among kids who do not know its meaning!

Today, if there were a competition to name the most (in)famous word in English, ‘fuck’ would arguably win hands down! What is so much about this word that it has grown to take the most exalted place in all English?

(image source: www.quickmeme.com)

How did this holy word originate?

The internet says that the word ‘fuck’ is of 16^th Century Germanic origin and comes from the Swedish word ‘focka’ and the Dutch ‘fokkelen’, meaning, “to strike”. It is used as a word to exhibit annoyance and contempt.

The first recorded usage of the word in a poem is by George Tucker in 1790 where he says - “I’d not give a fuck for all you’ve read”. However, it is since the 1960s that this word has taken its place in the pantheon of English words. I suppose it should be Hollywood (which has indeed taught us so many ‘culturally important’ things) and various music albums, particularly rap, who can be called as the ‘Godfathers’ for the increased usage of this word.

There is an attempt to explain this word as an acronym (Fornication Under the Consent of the King) but c'mon, let's be serious about this! You mean, I need to take permission from the King? For this? Doesn't he have any other work other than granting permission for this? Just imagine a king signing decrees granting such permissions! Ugh! But, nice try! Very close, actually!

What the meaning of this word?

Though the common meaning of the word is copulation, it has come to be used in all situations - there is no other word in modern English that is used so much with any feeling - anger, disappointment, happiness, exclamation - all rolled into one. Sample these -

“What the fuck!” or its acronym "WTF?"

“Fuck you!”

“Shut the fuck up!”

“Mind your fucking business!”

“‘Fuck off!”

“I don’t give a fuck!”

“I am fucking happy!”

These are really commonly used sentences with the word. Notice the exclamation mark that accompanies every fucking sentence. Sorry, every sentence with ‘fuck’ in it!

Why has this word become so important?

Well, for starters, just try saying the word. F……U…….C…….K! Isn’t there a release? Do you feel it? No? Try saying it again. Again.

Yes, most of us would feel that there is a release – of anger, disappointment etc. Even when one is happy, one exclaims, “Fucking goodness!” The reason that this word is popular is not just because of the hype attached to it but it arguably actually does something to the person saying it and the person to whom it is said to. Is there is something about this word which no other word can replace, which is why its use has assumed importance? Perhaps, it is kind of therapeutic that way!

But no, its usage is not encouraged.

“Fuck” is considered an expletive of the highest order and its usage is frowned upon in public places. As I said before, it is the greatest in the pantheon of English words (well, expletives, perhaps, but, I think in all English) today. It is used in private conversations and among familiar groups. It is nowadays getting used in office frequently when there is a lot of ‘bitching’ about work, bosses, colleagues etc. Generally, it is used in man-man and woman-woman conversations and unless the parties are comfortable with each other, it is not used in man-woman conversations. In movies, the word is either beeped out or muted. However, it is more commonly used in social media (non-verbal communication rather than verbal communication). It is very commonly used in sport and is not considered offensive on the field. Even players who do not know English use it commonly to exhibit one-upmanship, frustration, exultation and the like.

The word fuck is also used with the middle finger indicating, ahem…….. well……… you know what. It gives more ‘impetus’ to the usage!

Do you know when I got initiated into this word (not its import) first?

I first came across this word when I was studying in an Anglo-Indian Boys School in Parrys, Madras in the early 80s. Now, Anglo Indian schools were actually very “Anglo” then and hence bullying and the expletive ridden classroom usage were prevalent. I was with kids who had their parents or relatives in England and for them, the usage of the word, back even then, was like eating bread. For them, if you used the word, you had ‘matured’. Oh, right! I studied there from Class 1 to the middle of Class 4. The reason why I had to be shifted out of that school, so much during the middle of an academic year, was the cultural shift these boys brought to student life!

The word ‘fuck’, as I see it, may not go out of fashion in the years to come, like ‘Damn’, for example. ‘Damn’ is more accepted today but has become outdated. Remember the line from Casablanca (1942), “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn”? The more acceptable it is, it goes out of fashion, I think. I don’t see ‘fuck’ being welcomed anytime into the long future by the society as an acceptable part of lingo.

Who cares? It is like prohibition in Gujarat! It is accepted by the society that it is so bad that it is good!

The accepted alternatives to this word are ‘screw’ (bland!), ‘frig’ (blander!), ‘frick’ (blandest!) or the short form, slightly resembling “eff” (Usages – eff off, effing boss etc.).

But, if you wanted to use THE WORD, you wouldn’t give a fuck about its substitutes, would you?