"language" = "bad language", "L" = "(bad) language", and the OED

[Joel S. Berson]

Yes, I missed that "mild language" would therefore mean "mild
offensive language".

Do we find this sense of "language" as "offensive lang." in the OED?
... Yes, as I see Arnold has written -- 2.e. "= bad language at sense
2a. ..."

(I think this also answers Amy West's question.)

All the OED needs here is a mention of movie ratings and a couple of
quotations for "pervasive language" and "mild language".

And, re Laurence Horn's comment, an addition to the entry for "L,
n.", draft additions 1997, "L n. Linguistics language, esp. in L1,
first language, L2 second language," for its use in movie ratings.

Joel

At 3/17/2012 09:25 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>Clearly in these cases, which I've been noticing for several years,
>"language" means "offensive language" precisely as Neal says.
>
>I've even heard news stories where somebody was accused of using, without
>further elaboration in the *immediate* context, "some language."
>
>
>JL
>
>On Fri, Mar 16, 2012 at 11:13 PM, Neal Whitman <nwhitman at ameritech.net>wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Neal Whitman <nwhitman at AMERITECH.NET>
> > Subject:      Re: More euphemisms:  "pervasive language"
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Yes, agreed, by our old definition of "language". But if "language" now
> > means "offensive language" in this context, then "mild language" means
> > "mild
> > offensive language" as opposed to "strong offensive language", and
> > "pervasive language" means "pervasive offensive language".
> >
> > Neal
> >
> > >
> > > I do get it.  Although if "language" means "offensive or obscene
> > > language", it can't be "mild".
> > >
> > > But -- "Mild" I can understand -- it's a quality.  "Obscene" or
> > > "blasphemous" I can understand.  But "pervasive" I can't place on a
> > > scale.  "Pervasive offensive language" would make sense for an R, as
> > > opposed to "occasional offensive language" meriting a PG, or whatever.
> > >
> > > Joel
> >
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> >
>
>
>
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