729: Idiomatic Swearing (C.W.4) Dec 6, 2016

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It would be uncommon perhaps for a student to say to his teacher, "what the fuck does that mean?". Almost certainly this would be very rude, even if this is a case of Emphatic Swearing (see post C.W.3). The question from before would be a great deal more acceptable socially if someone were instead to ask it to her friend. Idiomatic Swearing, as it is named, gives the impression that a situation is casual, and allows for both interlocutors to see that some social standards would not have to be enforced in a more relaxed conversation.

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