"fuck" in WashPost

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

On Jun 25, 2004, at 6:45 AM, Dave Wilton wrote:

> ...A similar editorial policy regarding "fuck" is Daily Variety's.
> They use
> "F-word" except in direct quotes when they print the unexpurgated word.
>
> "The bureau decided that U2 front man Bono's use of the F-word on the
> Golden
> Globes last year was not indecent, so NBC stations that aired it were
> not
> forced to pay any fines.
>
> "'This is really, really fucking brilliant,' Bono exclaimed after
> receiving
> an award."
>
> (Daily Variety, 15 January 2004, p. 8.)

has anyone actually listened to this?  if bono said "fucking" rather
than "fuckin'", that would suggest that the expletive wasn't really
spontaneous.

the other possibility is that Daily Variety can bring itself to quote
the word "fuck" but not to quote casual-speech "-in'" -- i.e., that the
staff thinks that the *correct* spelling of "fuckin'" is "fucking".
that would be entertaining.

arnold (zwicky at csli.stanford.edu)