the yoof of 2day
By Elizabeth
@Poppylicious (11133)
March 21, 2018 2:25am CST
Long-time Readers & Lurkers will be aware that I work with post-16 year olds in Further Education. And I do enjoy my role, for the most part, particularly as it allows me to people-watch, one of my favourite things.
The popular pretty girl who comes across as mean and a bully, but whom everyone likes because that way she doesn't pick on you? She is probably the most vulnerable and anxious in the class. The boy who comes across as a tough-nut, egging on his mates and doing very little work? When he's not sofa-surfing he goes home to an abusive, alcoholic dad. The sweetly innocent girl who sits quietly in the corner? She's the nastiest girl in the group.
But I digress. This post isn't about them. This post is about the foul language that finds its way out of their mouths. My day is full of effing this and effing that, for fox sakes, and vulgar words for ladies nether-regions. Rich or poor. Boy, girl or undecided. Intelligent or not so intelligent. Regardless, they all have potty mouths. Sometimes it seems that it's become the norm, that those of us who grumble about it are just out of touch and unable to keep up with the times.
A lot of my work is done in the department ending in care, with students who want to work with the elderly, the physically or mentally challenged, or with children. And it's these students who are some of the worst; they swear like bloody troopers. If they're saying a sentence, the sentence must include an effing or a sh!t. It's like a new law of which I'm just not aware, and breaking often.
As part of their course, these students have to go and work in care homes and nurseries, schools and hospitals. Do you swear like that on placement? we enquire. Of course not! they say, looking hurt that we would even suggest such a thing.
And that's what bugs me. It's a choice. They are choosing to swear. They think it makes them look cool and clever, when it just makes them sound like idiots. And I know that adults swear and that we swore as kids too, but we tended not to do it in the classroom or in inappropriate situations. When we chose to swear, we always chose wisely.
I think I'm just simply getting old. But today I may just count the number of swear words I hear ...
4 people like this
5 responses
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
21 Mar 18
i heard one 5 year old yesterday tell another she was gonna kick him in the nuts..
all of them do it it seems..
2 people like this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
21 Mar 18
@Poppylicious considering her tone of voice,yea,i think she does..
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
21 Mar 18
*gasp* I wonder if she knows where those nuts actually are!
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
21 Mar 18
I absolutely hate hearing those words in everyday speech. It's just a habit that they've got into, a most unattractive one. I can just about take it if they use them when they are angry, or using it for emphasis, though I still don't like it.
2 people like this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
21 Mar 18
It probably won't be long before it becomes acceptable. Sadly.
2 people like this
@xFiacre (12656)
• Ireland
21 Mar 18
@poppylicious A ‘lady’ recently lamented to me that her son was becoming very foul-mouthed and she blamed the f’ing school as the place where he was learning such behaviour. No pennies dropped in spite of the hints I gave her. She went on to berate all the hypocrites she knew. I smiled and passed on.
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
21 Mar 18
Oh, yes. I don't doubt for a second that for many of them it is learnt at home. It's horrifying when walking down the street and hearing the way some parents talk to their little ones.
@WorDazza (15833)
• Manchester, England
23 Mar 18
@Poppylicious I think, for some, it has just become a filler with no actual expletive meaning. A bit like 'like' and 'err' etc.
@YrNemo (20261)
•
22 Mar 18
I have to tell you that I don't normally swear at all 
. BUT, once, someone whom I had respected very much dared effing me, I glared at that person and promptly effing them back. That person looked at me, very surprised. I said, 'I don't swear, but since you think you could insult me using that sort of language, then let me use the same type of language to tell you exactly what I think of you!' He has stopped since. (A nasty person whom I no longer like.)
. BUT, once, someone whom I had respected very much dared effing me, I glared at that person and promptly effing them back. That person looked at me, very surprised. I said, 'I don't swear, but since you think you could insult me using that sort of language, then let me use the same type of language to tell you exactly what I think of you!' He has stopped since. (A nasty person whom I no longer like.)1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
22 Mar 18
I have been known to swear. In the classroom. You're not allowed to do that, they splutter. Oh sorry, I just assumed I was allowed, because you do it all the time!
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20261)
•
22 Mar 18
@Poppylicious Some kids think it is cool to swear. Once they come to a certain age, they suddenly fix their way of thinking. My children now look back at their past, telling me that teenagers swear because they are immature.
1 person likes this
