accusative cursing

[Joel S. Berson]

At 4/8/2007 11:59 AM, Jon L. wrote:
>It sounds slightly awkward to a well-read chap like myself but
>hardly unusual.  I recall thirteen-year-old troublemakers around
>1960 saying such things as, "I heard X cursing your mother. And he
>said you were a retard."
>
>   "Cursing your mother" generally meant calling _you_ an M.F. or an
> S.O.B. Involving your mother  meant theoretically you should fight
> the offender, but I never heard of this happening. A few gross
> insults would be traded in a spirit of "gotcha."

And the "gotcha" spirit has continued into the 21st century, with
"Boondocks" (if I'm remembering correctly, since it hasn't been in
the newspapers for several years).  Or in "Curtis".

Joel

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