It is true, as Mark Twain said, that “under certain circumstances, profanity provides relief denied even to prayer.” We all have our favorite cuss words on hand for stubbed toes, moments of ...

Many years ago, a college English and linguistics professor taught my class a compelling lesson. She described the history behind a common phrase in today’s lexicon: “That sucks.” This professor ...

Linguists have noticed that many swear words share the same sharp, punchy sounds—hard consonants like “k,” “t,” and “g” that burst out of the mouth rather than flow. When a study examined those sound ...