Swear!ng is g*od f*r you : the amaz!ng sc!ence of bad language / Emma Byrne.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Byrne, Emma, 1978- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Obscene words--Psychological aspects.

Obscene words.

Swearing--Psychological aspects.

Swearing.

Psycholinguistics.

Physical Description:

232 pages ; 22 cm

Edition:

First American edition.

Other Title:

Swearing is good for you : the amazing science of bad language

Amazing science bad language.

Place of Publication:

New York, N.Y. : W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2018.

Summary:

"We're often told that swearing is outrageous or even offensive, that it's a sign of a stunted vocabulary or a limited intellect. Dictionaries have traditionally omitted it and parents forbid it. But the latest research by neuroscientists, psychologists, sociologists, and others has revealed that swear words, curses, and oaths--when used judiciously--can have surprising benefits. In this debut work of popular science, Emma Byrne examines the latest research to show how swearing can be good for you. With humor and colorful language, she explores every angle of swearing--why we do it, how we do it, and what it tells us about ourselves. Not only has some form of swearing existed since the earliest humans began to communicate, but it has been shown to reduce physical pain, to lower anxiety, to prevent physical violence, to help trauma victims recover language, and to promote human cooperation. Taking readers on a whirlwind tour through scientific experiments, historical case studies, and cutting-edge research on language in both humans and other primates, Byrne defends cursing and demonstrates how much it can reveal about different cultures, their taboos and their values. Packed with the results of unlikely and often hilarious scientific studies--from the "ice-bucket test" for coping with pain, to the connection between Tourette's and swearing, to a chimpanzee that curses at her handler in sign language--Swearing Is Good for You presents a lighthearted but convincing case for the foulmouthed." -- Amazon.com.

Contents:

Introduction: what the fuck is swearing?

The bad language brain: neuroscience and swearing

'Fuck! that hurts': pain and swearing

Tourette's syndrome, or why this chapter shouldn't be in this book

Disciplinary offense: swearing in the workplace

'You damn dirty ape': (other) primates that swear

No language for a lady: gender and swearing

Schiesse, merde, cachau: swearing in other languages

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781324000280

1324000287

OCLC:

988276655