27.4388, Books: Holy Sh*t: Mohr

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LINGUIST List: Vol-27-4388. Fri Oct 28 2016. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 27.4388, Books: Holy Sh*t: Mohr

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Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 13:59:09
From: Carolyn Napolitano [Carolyn.Napolitano at oup.com]
Subject: Holy Sh*t: Mohr

 


Title: Holy Sh*t 
Subtitle: A Brief History of Swearing 
Publication Year: 2016 
Publisher: Oxford University Press
	   http://www.oup.com/us
	

Book URL: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/holy-sht-9780190491680 


Author: Melissa Mohr

Paperback: ISBN:  9780190491680 Pages: 336 Price: U.S. $ 15.95


Abstract:

Almost everyone swears, or worries about not swearing, from the two year-old
who has just discovered the power of potty mouth to the grandma who wonders
why every other word she hears is obscene. Whether they express anger or
exhilaration, are meant to insult or to commend, swear words perform a crucial
role in language. But swearing is also a uniquely well-suited lens through
which to look at history, offering a fascinating record of what people care
about on the deepest levels of a culture--what's divine, what's terrifying,
and what's taboo. 

Holy Sh*t tells the story of two kinds of swearing--obscenities and
oaths--from ancient Rome and the Bible to today. With humor and insight,
Melissa Mohr takes readers on a journey to discover how "swearing" has come to
include both testifying with your hand on the Bible and calling someone a
*#$&!* when they cut you off on the highway. She explores obscenities in
ancient Rome--which were remarkably similar to our own--and unearths the
history of religious oaths in the Middle Ages, when swearing (or not swearing)
an oath was often a matter of life and death. Holy Sh*t also explains the
advancement of civility and corresponding censorship of language in the 18th
century, considers the rise of racial slurs after World War II, examines the
physiological effects of swearing (increased heart rate and greater pain
tolerance), and answers a question that preoccupies the FCC, the US Senate,
and anyone who has recently overheard little kids at a playground: are we
swearing more now than people did in the past? 

A gem of lexicography and cultural history, Holy Sh*t is a serious exploration
of obscenity--and it also just might expand your repertoire of words to choose
from the next time you shut your finger in the car door.
 



Linguistic Field(s): Historical Linguistics
                     Lexicography
                     Sociolinguistics


Written In: English  (eng)

See this book announcement on our website: 
http://linguistlist.org/pubs/books/get-book.cfm?BookID=107013

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