SUCK a taboo words in the NYT?

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

On Oct 18, 2004, at 5:50 AM, RonButters at AOL.COM wrote:

> In a message dated 9/22/04 12:55:42 PM, zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU
> writes:
>
>> the NYT Book Review of 9/19/04 (p. 18) had to cope with the title of
>> Nick Flynn's Another Bullshit Night in Suck City: A Memoir, and opted
>> for two kinds of ellipsis:
>>    Another Bull _ _ _ _ Night . . .
>>
>> [i didn't understand the second ellipsis, taking the ellipsis dots to
>> be part of the title.  but a google search showed me my error.]
>>
> Is Arnold suggesting that SUCK is (or is not) a "taboo word"?

i'm suggesting neither thing; i'm reporting on the fact that the *NYT*
seems to consider it to be a taboo word, not suitable for printing in
their august pages.  as far as i can tell, they're unique in this.
other newspapers, public library websites, magazines, etc.  seem to
reproduce the title  as nick flynn wrote it, with both SHIT
(indubitably a taboo word) and SUCK (not, so far as i can see, a taboo
item except in COCKSUCKER and the like).

arnold