Swearing

I try not to swear.  Honestly.  I have a fairly substantial vocabulary and can usually convey displeasure or frustration by using any number of alternative words that are more socially acceptable.  Sometimes ONLY a swear word will do; my favorite being a compound word, comprised of a synonym for donkey and a small depression in the ground.  I was with a co-worker the other day and she used a much different compound word to indicate her opinion of the moron in the luxury car who nearly ran us down.  It got me to thinking, are our choices of swear words a generational thing?  My mother used the term for a child born out of wedlock almost exclusively to indicate her displeasure. with someone.  When did that term become a swear word?  I suppose if you cast aspersions on someone's parents marital status at the time of their conception, it is meant to be hurtful and insulting.  I pondered once with a long ago friend if calling someone my favorite term indicated that they were a chamber for conducting excrement.  hmmmm. I wonder about the term my co-worker used, since many people whose female partner HAS children ARE this, by default.  How is THAT a swear word?  Well, the second word, which may or may not be an archaic legal term, is universally identified as impolite.

Still sometimes only the boldest of swear words will help to alleviate the frustration and anger.  I use them sparingly in public settings to diffuse the situation going on in MY head and am more able to deal with people whose behavior has me wanting to go WWF smackdown on them.