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'''''Fuck''''' is a strong and generally provocative swear word in ]. It is one of the best-known ]s in the English-speaking world, although it is nowadays used more freely.
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{{otheruses|Fuck (disambiguation)}}
'''''Fuck''''' is an ] ] which, when used literally as a ], means "to engage in ]". It is generally considered to be an offensive ].


It is unclear whether the word has always been considered vulgar, and if not, when it first started to be considered vulgar. Some evidence indicates that in some English-speaking locales it was considered acceptable as late as the ] meaning "to strike" or "to penetrate."<ref>http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/f/fword.html</ref> Other evidence indicates that it may have become vulgar as early as the ] in ], although neither set of evidence is inherently contradictory to the other, since many words have multiple connotations. It is unclear whether the word has always been considered ] and, if not, when it was initially considered to be ]. Some evidence indicates that in some English-speaking locales it was considered acceptable as late as the ] meaning "to strike" or "to penetrate" . Other evidence indicates that it may have become ] as early as the ] in England; thus other reputable sources such as the '']'' contend the true ] is still uncertain, but appears to point to an Anglo-Saxon origin that in later times spread to the British colonies and worldwide.


The two seemingly contradictory hypotheses may reflect cultural and/or regional English dialects. See ] for further discussion.
''Fuck'' is used not only as a ] (] and ]), but also as a ], ], and, occasionally, as an ]. The ] of the word is uncertain (see below).


{{TOCright}}
== Etymology == == Etymology ==
The etymology of ''fuck'' has given rise to a great deal of speculation, which should be regarded skeptically. The authoritative ] is quite cautious in providing an etymology for this word. In the quotation below, the dictionary's usual abbreviations are spelled out for clarity:
Reputable sources such as the '']'' contend the true ] of ''fuck'' is still uncertain but appears to point to an ] origin.


:Early modern English ''fuck'', ''fuk'', answering to a ] type *''fuken'' (weak verb) not found; ulterior etymology unknown. Synonymous ] ''ficken'' can be shown to be related.
The first known occurrence, in ], is in a poem composed in a mixture of ] and English sometime before ]. The poem, which satirizes the ] ]s of ], takes its title, "]", from the first words of its opening line, "''Flen, flyys, and freris''"; that is, "Fleas, flies, and friars". The line that contains ''fuck'' reads "''Non sunt in coeli, quia gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk''". Removing the ] on the phrase "''gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk''" yields "''non sunt in coeli, quia fvccant vvivys of heli''", which translated means "they are not in heaven because they fuck the wives of ]" (''fvccant'' is a fake Latin form).<ref></ref> The phrase was coded because of its meaning; it is uncertain to what extent the word itself was considered acceptable.


The first known occurrence, in code because of its unacceptability, is in a poem composed in a mixture of ] and English sometime before ]. The poem, which satirizes the ] ]s of ], takes its title, "]," from the first words of its opening line, "Flen, flyys, and freris"; that is, "Fleas, flies, and friars". The line that contains ''fuck'' reads "Non sunt in coeli, quia gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk." The Latin words "Non sunt in coeli, quia," mean "They are not in heaven, since." The code "gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk" is easily broken by simply substituting the preceding letter in the alphabet, keeping in mind differences in the alphabet and in spelling between then and now: '']'' was then used for both ''i'' and '']''; '']'' was used for both '']'' and ''v''; and two ''v''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s were used for ''w''. This yields "fvccant (a fake Latin form) vvivys of heli." The whole thus reads in translation: "They are not in heaven since they fuck wives of ] (a town near Cambridge)." From .
Other possible connections are to Latin ''futuere'' (hence the ] ''foutre'', the ] ''fotre'', the ] ''fottere'', the ] ''fute'', the vulgar peninsular ] ''follar'' and ''joder'', and the ] ''foder''). However, there is considerable doubt and no clear lineage for these derivations. These roots, even if ], are not the original Indo-European word for ''to copulate''; that root is likely *''h<sup>3</sup>yebh-'', ("''h<sup>3</sup>''" is the H3 ]) which is attested in ] (''yabhati'') and the ] (] ''ебать'' (''yebat'''), ] ''jebać'', ] ''јебати'' (''jebati'')), among others: compare Greek "oiphô", and Greek "zephyros" (noun, ref. a Greek belief that the west wind caused pregnancy). However, ] (who agrees that these words are related) argues that they derive from the Indo-European *''bhu-'' or *''bhug-'', believed to be the root of "to be", "to grow", and "to build".


As the ''OED'' notes, some have attempted to draw a connection to the ] word ''ficken'' (to fuck, in dialects: to rub, to scratch, and historically to strike).
Spanish ''follar'' has a different root; according to Spanish etymologists, the Spanish verb ''follar"''(attested in the ]) derives from ''fuelle'' ("bellows") from Latin ''folle(m)'' < Indo-European *''bhel-''; ancient Spanish verb folgar (attested in the ]) derived from Latin ''follicare'', also ultimately from ''follem/follis''.


Other possible connections are to Latin ''futuere'' (hence the ] ''foutre'', the ] ''fottere'', the ] ''fute'', the vulgar peninsular ] ''follar'' and ''joder'', and the ] ''foder''). However, there is considerable doubt and no clear lineage for these derivations. These roots, even if ], are not the original Indo-European word for ''to fuck''; that root is likely *''h<sup>3</sup>yebh-'', ("''h<sup>3</sup>''" is the H3 ]) which is attested in ] (''yabhati'') and the ] (] ''yebat`''), among others: compare Greek "oiphô" (verb), and Greek "zephyros" (noun, ref. a Greek belief that the west wind caused pregnancy). However, ] (who agrees that these words are related) argues that they derive from the Indo-European *''bhu-'' or *''bhug-'', believed to be the root of "to be", "to grow", and "to build".
A possible etymology is suggested by the fact that the Common Germanic ''fuk-'', by an application of ], would have as its most likely ] ancestor *''pug-'', which appears in Latin and ] words meaning "fight" and "fist". In early Common Germanic the word was likely used at first as a slang or euphemistic replacement for an older word for ''intercourse'', and then became the usual word for ''intercourse''. Then, ''fuck'' has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as ] ''fokken'' (to thrust, copulate, or to breed), dialectical Norwegian ''fukka'' (to copulate), and dialectical ] ''focka'' (to strike, copulate) and ''fock'' (''penis'').


Spanish ''follar'' has a different root; according to Spanish etymologists, the Spanish verb "follar" (attested in the ]) derives from "fuelle" (bellows) from Latin "folle(m)" < Indo-European "bhel-"; ancient Spanish verb folgar (attested in the ]) derived from Latin "follicare", ultimately from follem/follis too.
There is perhaps even an original ] derivation; ''futuere'' being related to ''battuere'' (to strike, to copulate); which may be related to ] ''bot'' and Manx ''bwoid'' (]). The argument is that ''battuere'' and ''futuere'' (like the Irish and Manx words) comes from the Celtic ''*bactuere'' (to pierce), from the root ''buc-'' (a point). Or perhaps Latin ''futuere'' came from the root ''fu'', Common Indo-European ''bhu'', meaning "be, become" and originally referred to procreation.


A possible etymology is suggested by the fact that the Common Germanic ''fuk-'', by an application of ], would have as its most likely ] ancestor *''pug-'', which appears in Latin and ] words meaning "fight" and "fist". In early Common Germanic the word was likely used at first as a slang or euphemistic replacement for an older word for "intercourse", and then became the usual word for "intercourse". Then, ''fuck'' has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as ] ''fokken'' (to thrust, copulate, or to breed), dialectical Norwegian ''fukka'' (to copulate), and dialectical ] ''focka'' (to strike, copulate) and ''fock'' (penis). A very similar set of Latin words that have not yet been related to these are those for hearth or fire, "focus/focum" (with a short o), fiery, "focilis", Latin and Italian for hearthly/hearthling, "focia/focacia", and fire, "focca", and the Italian for bonfire, "focere". But these words came from ], centuries after Middle Dutch.
=== False etymologies ===


There is perhaps even an original ] derivation; ''futuere'' being related to ''battuere'' (to strike, to copulate); which may be related to ] ''bot'' and Manx ''bwoid'' (penis). The argument is that ''battuere'' and ''futuere'' (like the Irish and Manx words) comes from the Celtic ''*bactuere'' (to pierce), from the root ''buc-'' (a point). An even earlier root may be the ] ''petcha'' (to copulate), which has a highly suggestive ]. Or perhaps Latin "futuere" came from the root "fu", Common Indo-European "bhu", meaning "be, become" and originally referred to procreation.
One reason that the word ''fuck'' is so hard to trace etymologically is that it was used far more extensively in common speech than in easily traceable written forms.


===Fake etymologies ===
There are several ] ] postulating an ]ic origin for the word. None of these acronyms was ever heard before the ], according to the authoritative ] work, ''The F-Word'', and thus are '']s''. In any event, the word ''fuck'' has been in use far too long for some of these supposed origins to be possible.


There are several ] ] postulating an ]ic origin for the word. In the most popular version, it is said that the word "fuck" came from Irish law. If a couple committing ] were "Found Under Carnal Knowledge" they would be penalized, with "FUCK" written on the ] above them to denote the crime. Alternative explanations for "fuck" as an acronym for adultery pin it as "Fornication Under Cardinal/Carnal Knowledge". Another story is that it was written in the log book as "FUCK" when people in the military or navy who had homosexual intercourse were being punished. Variants of this include "]", "Felonious Use of Carnal Knowledge", "Full Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", and "Forced Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", a label supposedly applied to the crime of ]. In another story, a sign reading "Fornication Under Consent of the King" was supposedly placed on signs above houses in medieval England during times of population control and was special permission given to knights, by their king, when a knight wished to have sex with a woman. All these acronyms were never heard before the ], according to the authoritative ] work, ''The F-Word'', and so are ]s.
One such legend holds that the word ''fuck'' came from ] law. If a couple were caught committing ], they would be punished "For Unlawful In the Nude", with "FUCKIN" written on the ] above them to denote the crime.


==Usage history==
Other explanations for ''fuck'' as an acronym for adultery offer alternative wordings, such as "] Under Carnal/Cardinal Knowledge," or "Fornication Under Control/Consent/Command of the King." Variations on this theme include, "Fornication Under the Christian King", "False Use of Carnal Knowledge", "] Use of Carnal Knowledge", "Felonious Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", "Full-On Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", and "Found Under Carnal Knowledge"; and the closely related variant, "Forced Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" — a label supposedly applied to the crime of ].
{{main|History of fuck}}
===Early usage===
Its first known use as a verb meaning to have ] is in "]" (see above) some time before ].


] ] poem "Brash of Wowing" includes the lines: "Yit be his feiris he wald haif fukkit:/ Ye brek my hairt, my bony ane."
In some reports, there are ]s around ] ] that had the word engraved in ]. These referred to those who were put to death for crimes against the state and the church. These reports have yet to be corroborated since no such tombstone has been identified. Another story is that it was written in the log book as ''FUCK'' when people in the military or navy who had ] intercourse were being punished.{{fact}}


Some time around ], before the term acquired its current meaning, "windfucker" was an acceptable name for the bird now known as the ].
== Usage history ==
{{main|History of the word "fuck"}}


While ] never used the term explicitly, he hinted at it in comic scenes in several plays. '']'' (IV.i) contains ''focative case'' (see ]). In '']'' (IV.iv), Pistol threatens to ''firk'' (strike) a soldier, a euphemism for ''fuck''.
=== Early usage ===
Its first known use as a verb meaning to have sexual intercourse is in ], written some time before 1500.


===Rise of modern usage===
] ] poem "Brash of Wowing" includes the lines: "Yit be his feiris he wald haue fukkit: / Ye brek my hairt, my bony ane" (ll. 13–14).
''Fuck'' did not appear in any widely-consulted dictionary of the English language from ] to ]. Its first appearance in the '']'' (along with the word '']'') was in ].


In ], ], ] said, "Fuck it, I've taken a bullet" when he was shot while standing on a ] railway station.
Some time around ], before the term acquired its current meaning, ''windfucker'' was an acceptable name for the bird now known as the ].

While ] never used the term explicitly; he hinted at it in comic scenes in several plays. '']'' (IV.i) contains ''focative case'' (see ]). In '']'' (IV.iv), Pistol threatens to ''firk'' (strike) a soldier, a ] for ''fuck''.

=== Rise of Modern Usage ===

''Fuck'' did not appear in any widely-consulted dictionary of the English language from ] to ]. Its first appearance in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (along with the word '']'') was in ].

In 1928, ]'s novel '']'' gained notoriety for its frequent use of the words ''fuck'', ''fucked'', and ''fucking''.

Perhaps the earliest usage of the word in popular music was the 1938 ] release of the ] song "Ol' Man Mose". The words created a scandal at the time, resulting in sales of 170,000 copies during the ] years when sales of 20,000 were considered blockbuster. The verse reads:
<blockquote>
(We believe) He kicked the bucket,<br />
(We believe) Yeah man, buck-buck-bucket,<br />
(We believe) He kicked the bucket and ol' man mose is dead,<br />
(We believe) Ahh, fuck it!<br />
(We believe) Buck-buck-bucket,<br />
(We believe) He kicked the bucket and ol' man mose is dead.<br />
</blockquote>


The liberal usage of the word (and other vulgarisms) by certain artists (such as ], ], and ]) has led to the banning of their works and criminal charges of ]. The liberal usage of the word (and other vulgarisms) by certain artists (such as ], ], and ]) has led to the banning of their works and criminal charges of ].


After ]'s publishers convinced him to ] ''fuck'' as ''fug'' in his work '']'' ], ] supposedly greeted him with the ], "So you're the young man who can't spell ''fuck''." (In fact, according to Mailer, the quip was devised by Bankhead's ]. He and Bankhead never met until ] and did not discuss the word then.) The rock group ] named themselves after the Mailer ]. After ]'s publishers convinced him to ] ''fuck'' as ''fug'' in his work '']''], ] supposedly greeted him with the ], "So you're the young man who can't spell ''fuck''." (In fact, according to Mailer, the quip was devised by Bankhead's ]. He and Bankhead never met until ] and did not discuss the word then.) The rock group ] named themselves after the Mailer ].


The first ] to include ''fuck'' in its title was probably ]'s "The Big Space Fuck", originally published in 1972. Exhibiting Vonnegut's characteristic blend of pessimism and humor, this story tells of a polluted and overpopulated Earth. On midnight, ] ], the United States fires the ''Arthur C. Clarke,'' a missile whose warhead contains eight hundred pounds of freeze-dried ], aiming at the ]. This story, which contains many allusions to earlier Vonnegut works (such as character names and the "]"), was written as a personal favor to ]. First published in Ellison's anthology ''Again, Dangerous Visions,'' it is reprinted in ''].''
In his novel ], ] used a sly spelling ] for ''fuck'' (and ''cunt'' as well) with the ] verse:
<blockquote>
If you see Kay,<br />
Tell him he may.<br />
See you in tea,<br />
Tell him from me.<br />
</blockquote>
'']'' by ] featured an early use of ''fuck you'' in print. First published in the United States in 1951, the novel remains controversial to this day due to its use of the word, and offers a blunt portrayal of the main character's reaction to the existence of the word, and all that it means.


] once commented that the word ''fuck'' ought to be considered more appropriate, because of its implications of love and reproduction, than the violence exhibited in many movies. He humorously suggested replacing the word "kill" with the word "fuck" in his comedy routine, such as in an old movie western: "Okay, Sheriff, we're gonna fuck you, now. But we're gonna fuck you slow..." Or, perhaps at a baseball game: "Fuck the Ump, fuck the Ump, fuck the Ump!"
The first use of the word ''fuck'' on ] television came on ], ] on the satirical show ''BBC-3'' (no relation to the present channel of that name). The theatre critic ] declared, apropos of nothing, that "I doubt if there are any rational people to whom the word 'fuck' would be particularly diabolical, revolting or totally forbidden.". ] was soon-after fired for his free use of the word.


In a widely-publicized ] ] incident, ] ] told ] ] to either "fuck off" or "go fuck" himself during an exchange on the floor of the Senate. '']'', in a show of journalistic prudence, reported that the Vice President "urged Mr. Leahy to perform an anatomical sexual impossibility." The Vice President's words later came back to haunt him in the wake of Hurricane Katrina while touring the disaster area in Gulfport, Ms. when local resident Ben Marble, M.D. said "Go Fuck Yourself Mr. Cheney" live on international television.
One of the earliest mainstream ] movies to use the word ''fuck'' was director ]'s irreverent antiwar film, '']'', released in 1970 at the height of the ]. (The offending word was uttered during a football game sequence.)


===Freedom of expression===
The first ] to include ''fuck'' in its title was probably ]'s "The Big Space Fuck", originally published in 1972. Exhibiting Vonnegut's characteristic blend of pessimism and humor, this story tells of a polluted and overpopulated Earth. At midnight on ] ], the United States launches the ''Arthur C. Clarke,'' a missile whose ] contains eight hundred pounds of ] ], aimed at the ].
In ], the ] decided that the mere public display of ''fuck'' is protected under the ] and ] and cannot be made a criminal offense. In ], Paul Robert Cohen had been convicted of "disturbing the peace" for wearing a jacket with "FUCK THE DRAFT" on it (which was to do with conscription in the ].) The conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeals and overturned by the Supreme Court. '']'', ''403 U.S. 15'' (1971).


Pornographer ], representing himself before the ] in ] in a ] case, shouted, "Fuck this court!" during the proceedings and called the justices "nothing but eight assholes and a token ]." Chief Justice ] had him arrested for ] but the charge was later dismissed.
Former '']'' cast member ] uttered the vulgarity in one of the earliest instances of its use on television, during an episode of Saturday Night Live '80 (1980) — for which he was subsequently fired.


===Popular usage===
The late 1980s saw a rise in adult-oriented ]s (published by ], Dark Horse, Image, and Vertigo), with more and more ] characters using the word ''fuck''.
In the ], the ] fines stations for the broadcast of "indecent language", but in 2003 the agency's enforcement bureau ruled that the airing of the statement "This is really, really fucking brilliant!" by ] member ] after receiving a ] was neither obscene nor indecent. As U.S. broadcast indecency regulation only extends to depictions or descriptions of sexual or excretory functions, Bono's use of the word as a mere ] was not covered. In early 2004, the full Commission reversed the bureau ruling, in an order that stated that "the F-word is one of the most vulgar, graphic and explicit descriptions of sexual activity in the English language"; a fine, however, has yet to result. Notwithstanding widespread usage and linguistic analysis to the contrary, the reversal was premised on the conclusion that the word ''fuck'' has ''always'' referred to sexual activity, a claim that the FCC neither explained nor supported with evidence.


In German, although the word "to fuck" literally translates as "ficken", and the exclamation of "fuck" translates usually as "Scheisse" or "Mist", the exclamation "fuck" itself has been known to have been "borrowed" into the German language as a swear word and is in semi-frequent use. Its use, however, is considered less offensive than the same word in English.
'']'' holds the title of being the first television show to win the Best Drama ] in which characters repeatedly say ''fuck'' and many variations of the word as well. (The show is not on network television in the United States, it is on ].)


===Variations===
The show that holds the record for the most numerous utterances of the word on television is the HBO series '']''. The constant use of the word soon inspired a web site dedicated to keeping track of the , which has recorded about 1.54 ''fucks'' per minute. Many of those expletives, and other colorful phrases, are spoken by the character ], played by ], who won the 2005 ] for best actor in a television drama for his role in ''Deadwood''.


The word "fuck" is highly varied in the English language. Most commonly, anything that is highly disordered, or in a less than desirable state, is referred to as ''fucked up''; moreover, to ''fuck up'' is to fail, e.g. "I fucked up on a test." The interjection "fuck me" is also used to exclaim disappointment with the state of affairs one finds themself in. Fuck is also used as a dysphemism for adverse action, sometimes also expressed as being ''fucked over'', e.g. "he could have helped me out, but he fucked me." To the very minimal degree at which these usages are connected to sex itself, the references are not to an act of lovemaking but are more appropriately understood as a ] and ] allusion to ].
A few films such as ''Totally Fucked Up'' and ''So Fucking What'' (Also called ''SFW'') have used the word in their titles, but these titles have never seen widespread theatrical release. The Swedish film '']'' was released in English-speaking countries under the name ''Show Me Love''.


''Fucker'' is a term for a person that has little, if anything, to do with the action of copulation. Originally, it was a term of contempt similar to "asshole"; however, in recent years it has become an expression of camaraderie and affection among ] males, e.g. "you're one smart fucker."
Comedian ] once commented that the word ''fuck'' ought to be considered more appropriate, because of its implications of love and reproduction, than the violence exhibited in many movies. He humorously suggested replacing the word ''kill'' with the word ''fuck'' in his comedy routine, such as in an old movie western: "Okay, Sheriff, we're gonna fuck you, now. But we're gonna fuck you slow..." Or, perhaps at a baseball game: "Fuck the Ump, fuck the Ump, fuck the Ump!" More popularly published is his famous "Filthy Words" routine, better known as "]".


''Fucker'' is also sometimes used as a verb, in which case it has connotations similar to those of the phrase "to fuck over", but also involves an act of willing deceit.
===Video games===


The common expressions ''fuck you'', ''go fuck yourself'', and "fuck off" are often used as ''leave me alone'' or ''go away'', just like the ''jack off'' expression, rather than inviting the person to masturbate oneself. These expressions are nonetheless considered vulgar.
], like movies, went through a long period where the word was never or rarely used, but this has changed in recent years. The first use of the word may have been in ]'s '']'', released in 1993, although it was used only once. ]'s '']'', released on ] and ] in 1994, also used the word while describing a scene of underage incestuous sex in addition to scenes of nudity, which saw the game banned in Australia. Usage of the word remained rare during the mid 90s but appeared in a handful of games, such as '']'' and the '']'' series, also from Sierra.


The phrase "fucked up" is often used to indicate some kind of disfunctionality. It can be used to describe the state of one's mind ("You're really fucked up") although in Commonwealth English the phrase "fucked in the head" is used perhaps more frequently. The verb phrase "to fuck up" usually implies the rendering of an appliance or other device non-functional ("You've fucked my computer up").
The PC adventure game '']'', released in ] by ] (now ]) may have been the first game to use the word extensively and frequently. Another game which did so was the ] PC game '']'', released in ] by ] and starring ]. The first popular game to do so may have been ]'s '']'', released in 1999. The game was criticized by several groups for its heavy use of profanity and violence and even prompted a debate on the floor of the US senate. Several retailers refused to stock the game, including ] and ].


One common phrase is 'stupid fuck'.
]'s '']'', released as an ] in 1999, and '']'' in ] is notable for containing the obscenity in its soundtrack by ], yet receiving a mild T (for Teen) rating from the ]. The fact that the word was sung in a song (and not spoken in dialogue), as well as the fact that it is not used profusely or frequently in the song, probably contributed to this mild rating.
Sometimes multiple usages of the word fuck can be found in one sentence, e.g. "Fuck the fucking fuckers!", or "I fucked up fucking the fucking fuck."


Another variation is "For fuck(s) sake" found in the Antipodean regions, denoting frustration or disbelief.
In 2002, the ] game '']'' also included the word in its music's lyrics, in the song "]" by ], containing the line "That man could give a fuck about the grin on your face". The game also included the word in print, as there is a room in the game with posters displaying the phrases "Absolutely fucking brilliant" and "It fucking rocks". Because this room is fairly obscure and not a major part of the gameplay, it's quite likely this was intended to be an ], and it may have escaped the attention of the ] (who still gave it an M, for Mature, rating, because of its graphic violence and sexual innuendo). Its sequel, however, '']'', may have definitively broken down the profanity barrier in video games by featuring the word ''fuck'' pervasively and constantly, not only in the game's soundtrack (in several songs by ] artists, as well as one by ]), but also throughout the game's dialogue, which is both audible (recorded by voice actors) and legible (optionally appearing as on-screen subtitles). It is one of the few videogames also to contain the word '']'' in dialogue.


It is becomming more common/acceptable to use "fuck" as a generic word for intensity/emphasis, such as "That's fucking awesome" (That's especially awesome). In extreme cases, the word "fuck" can even be inserted into an already existing adjective or adverb (i.e. "In-fucking-credible", "un-fucking-believable"). This is generally viewed as a more humorous approach.
=== Use in politics ===
''Fuck'' is not widely used in politics, and because of this, any use by notable politicians tends to produce controversy. Some events of this nature include:
* During the ], ] mayor ] became so enraged by a speech from ] that he shouted "Fuck you, you ] motherfucker!" Daley would later claim that he was shouting "you fink, you" and calling Ribicoff a "faker."
* During a ] debate in the House of Commons, ] Prime Minister ] mouthed the words "fuck off" under his breath (perhaps almost silently) at Conservative MP John Lundrigan, while Lundrigan made some comments about unemployment. Afterward, when asked by a television reporter what he said, Mr. Trudeau famously replied "Oh, I don't know... fuddle duddle, or something like that". "Fuddle duddle" consequently became a ] in Canadian media associated with Trudeau.
* The first modern use in the ] came in 1982 when ], MP for ], referred to adverts placed in local newsagents by ] which read "Phone them and fuck them". ], the full record of debates, printed "f*** them", but even this euphemism was deprecated by the ], ].
* Shortly after ] was elected Leader of the ], the then left-wing Labour MP ] told a public meeting "I don't give a fuck what Tony Blair thinks" when questioned about the party's move to the right.
* In March ], President of the United States, ] referred to the U.S. focus on Iraq's leader, ], “fuck Saddam; we're taking his ass out,” at a Senate ] Policy lunch on Capitol Hill.
* In late ], US presidential candidate ] ] used the word ''fuck'' in an interview with '']''. Referring to his vote in favor of the resolution authorizing ] ] to use military force in Iraq, Sen. Kerry stated, "I voted for what I thought was best for the country. Did I expect ] to go off to the left and say, 'I'm against everything'? Sure. Did I expect George Bush to fuck it up as badly as he did? I don't think anybody did."
* In June ], ] ] told Senator ] to either "fuck off" or "go fuck yourself" during an exchange on the floor of the Senate. , to which ] cried foul.
* In February ] (Australia), ] ] ], while awaiting the start of a ] media conference in ], was chatting to ] ] ]. Not realizing cameras were operating he was recorded as saying "Today? This fuckwit who's the new CEO of the ] has ... been saying what controversy? There is no controversy." The exchange referred to the newly appointed CEO of a recently-opened toll road within ].


==Further reference==
===Use in marketing===
In April 1997, clothing retailer ] began branding their clothes "'''fcuk'''" (usually written in lowercase). Though they insisted it was an ] for French Connection United Kingdom, its similarity to the word "fuck" caused controversy. French Connection fully exploited this and produced an extremely popular range of t-shirts with messages such as "fcuk this", "hot as fcuk", "mile high fcuk", "fcuk me", "too busy to fcuk", "fcuk football", "fcuk fashion", "fcuk fear", "fcuk on the beach", etc. The company recently announced that the "fcuk" label is to be phased out.


*Hargrave, Andrea Millwood (]). London: Advertising Standards Authority, British Broadcasting Corporation, Broadcasting Standards Commission, Independent Television Commission.
=== Freedom of expression ===
*], ''The F Word'' (]) ISBN 0375706348. Presents hundreds of uses of ''fuck'' and related words.
In 1971, the ] decided that the mere public display of ''fuck'' is protected under the ] and ] and cannot be made a criminal offense. In 1968, Paul Robert Cohen had been convicted of "disturbing the peace" for wearing a jacket with "FUCK THE DRAFT" on it (in reference to conscription in the ]). The conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeals and overturned by the Supreme Court. '']'', ''403 U.S. 15'' (1971).
*Michael Swan, ''Practical English Usage'', OUP, ], ISBN 019431197X
*Phillip J. Cunningham, ''Zakennayo!: The Real Japanese You Were Never Taught in School'', Plume (1995) ISBN 0452275067
*], ''Eros Denied: Sex in Western Society''. Grove Press/Zebra Books, New York ].
* ]; ].


==See also==
Pornographer ], representing himself before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1983 in a ] case, shouted, "Fuck this court!" during the proceedings and called the justices "nothing but eight assholes and a token ]." Chief Justice ] had him arrested for ] but the charge was later dismissed on a technicality.
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==External links==
=== Popular usage ===
{{wiktionarypar|fuck}}
In the ], the ] fines stations for the broadcast of "indecent language", but in 2003 the agency's enforcement bureau ruled that the airing of the statement "This is really, really fucking brilliant!" by ] member ] after receiving a ] was neither obscene nor indecent. As U.S. broadcast indecency regulation only extends to depictions or descriptions of sexual or excretory functions, Bono's use of the word as a mere ] was not covered.
* All relevant cases are cited.
*, see "Word History" for an enciphered(!) usage of the word in the ribald sixteenth-century poem, ''Flen flyys.''
* discusses how newspapers decide whether or not to print "fuck."
* Some Etymology Research
* ]'s Famous Radio ] with some Flash ] (Animation is not official Monty Python)


]
In early 2004, the full Commission reversed the bureau ruling, in an order that stated that "the F-word is one of the most vulgar, graphic and explicit descriptions of sexual activity in the English language"; a fine, however, has yet to result. Notwithstanding widespread usage and linguistic analysis to the contrary, the reversal was premised on the conclusion that the word ''fuck'' has ''always'' referred to sexual activity, a claim that the FCC neither explained nor supported with evidence. Even on cable television, which is not regulated by the FCC, few channels in the ] will broadcast the word ''fuck'' due to fear of backlash from advertisers or the ].

The British television show '']'' officially stood for "Thank Four It's Friday" (the reference to Four being ] on which the show was broadcast). However, it was widely understood in fact to stand for "Thank Fuck It's Friday"; it has been suggested that it would have been broadcast with that title had it not been decided to broadcast it before the ]. The show also holds the record for the most frequent use of the word ''fuck'' to a pre-watershed audience, owing to guest ] using the word 9 times whilst impersonating the frontman of the band ], despite the best efforts of Channel 4. Ryder is now the only person to appear by name in the Channel 4 policy document.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.channel4.com/corporate/4producers/resources/documents/ComplianceManual.pdf | title=Compliance Manual | work=Channel 4 | pages=108}}</ref> The show inspired another show named '']'', or "Oh Fuck It's Sunday". By 2006 there appear to be few limitations on the use of the word after the 9pm watershed on British television, and it is commonly used.

==== Contextual usage ====
As language progresses and the modern generation ages, usage of words such as ''fuck'' will most likely become more acceptable due to more liberal approaches to speech. Due to this, the methods in which the word can be employed change regularly to reflect creative uses of language. A primary example of this is on the 2005 Channel 4 ] '']'' where, as a celebration, the lead character shouts "Michael fucking Jackson".
Other usages of the word ''fuck'' include:
* Fuck off — Offensive, meaning "Go away".
* Fuck up — To damage something. If used as "He is such a fuck-up", someone who is a derelict or not ambitious.
* Fucked up — When an object or situation is abnormal, broken, or unacceptable, such as "The movie is canceled because the projector is fucked up."
* Fuckwit — A person who is particularly slow or unintelligent.
* For fuck's sake — Expression of disgust. ''Fuck'' is used as a substitute for ''God'', ''Christ'', or another word.
* Fuckhead — Derogatory remark suggesting someone is acting without thinking, is incompetent, or is just plain stupid.
* Fucktard — Directed, offensive. A combination of ''fuck'' and the word ''retard''. Widely used in online gaming environments.
* Fuck it — Expression meaning "Forget about it". Can substitute ''it'' with ''him'' or ''her'' to convey a similar meaning.
* Fuckshitdamn — A combination of the expletives '']'' and '']'' with ''fuck'', usually to condemn a very unfortunate situation.
* Fuckin' A — Offensive way of expressing agreement. Can also be written as "fuckin eh" or "fucken eh".

== Acronyms ==
* ] — Situation Normal, All Fucked Up. Initially used in WWI in the US military, but then migrated into common usage in the US.
* ] — Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. Initially used in WWII in the US military, but then migrated into common usage in the US. This acronym ] into "]" which entered into computer jargon. The word ] was also popularized in the films '']'' (1989) and '']'' (1998).
* LMFAO — Laugh My Fucking Ass Off. Used as a txt.
* PTFO — Passed (or Peace) The Fuck Out. Used as a txt.
* OMFG — Oh My Fucking God. Used in internet forums.
* GTFO — Get The Fuck Out. Used in internet forums.
* Charlie Foxtrot (CF) — Play on the NATO phonetic alphabet meaning "Cluster Fuck".
* STFU — Shut The Fuck Up. Used in Internet forums.
* WTF — What The Fuck. Used on Internet forums.
* FFS — For Fuck's Sake or For Fucking Sake. Used in Internet forums and online video games, e.g. "FFS ] get outta my tank"
* BFD — Big Fucking Deal.
* BFE — Butt Fucking Egypt, Bum Fuck Egypt, or Butt Fucked Egypt. Used as "middle of nowhere."
* FO(A)D — Fuck Off and Die. Most notably the name of a song by ].
* RTFM — Read The Fucking Manual.
* BUFF — Big Ugly Fat Fucker. Military slang for the ] aircraft.
* BFG — Big Fucking Gun. The term originated with the ], a weapon in the popular video game, ].

== Common alternatives ==
{{main|Minced oath}}

In conversation or writing, reference to or use of the word ''fuck'' may be replaced by any of a large list of alternative words or phrases, including "the F-word" or "the F-Bomb" (a play on ] and ]), or simply, ''"eff"'' (as in "What the ''eff!''" or "You ''eff-ing'' fool!"). In addition, there are many commonly used substitutes, such as ''flipping'', ''frigging'', ''fricking'', ''freaking'', or any of a number of similar sounding nonsense words. It may also be called "F-sharp" (as in the music note).{{citation needed}}. The overuse of swear words is often called "F-ing and blinding".

In print, there are alternatives such as, "F***", "F - - k", etc.; or the use of a string of non-] characters, for example, "@$#*%!" (especially favored in comic books). In the ] universe, ]'s character, '']'', a parody of the filthy-mouthed ] model, would casually say ''frag'' in place of ''fuck''.

In the popular 1983 film, '']'', Ralph, the main character, says the offensive word, but written into the script is its own censorship, for the audience only hears the boy say ''fudge''. The highly popular comedy, '']'', spawned a 2004 sequel with the cleverly ] title, '']''. On the NBC comedy, '']'', Elliot Reid sometimes uses ''frick'' to show frustration (also displaying her ] background).

In some television ] shows, altered versions of the word have been created to allow characters to express themselves without getting into trouble with the censors. For example, in '']'' the word is '']'', and in '']'' the word is ''frak'', while '']'' uses '']'' in a similar context. In the series '']'', the characters will often switch to ] to swear, again avoiding any accusations of indecency. A similar ploy was used in the Irish ] '']'', where the characters regularly say '']'' (although the term was not invented by the show's creators).

==Other languages==
=== Interlingual homophony ===
==== Afrikaans ====
In ], the slang word ''fok'' has been adopted as an Afrikaans equivalent of fuck, due to the influence of English media and language in ]. Coincidently, the Afrikaans word ''neuk'', which resembles ''neuken'', a Dutch equivalent of ''fuck'', is used in the context of ''to strike'' (someone or something).

Other common usage:

''Fokkof'' (pronounced "Fawkoff") meaning "]".

==== Bangladesh ====
In ], the word for ''fuck'' is ''Gud Mara''. In the ] dialect, the word ''fakhi'' means ''bird''.

==== Telugu ====
In ], the word "Dhengu" is used in the same way as ''fuck'' in English.

==== French ====
In ], the word for ] (the animal) is ''phoque''; the word for ] is ''foc''. Their pronunciation in French resembles that of the word ''fuck'' in English. In ] French, ''phoque'' or ''foc'' sounds like the British pronunciation of ''fuck'' while in ], it sounds like the ] pronunciation, due to ] (although this actually is coincidental, and has no relation to the English word). As well, the English term has been adopted as the adjective ''fucké'', a slang term commonly used in ] to describe something that is broken or off-kilter, or someone who is not in their right mind. It is not considered particularly offensive.

The Quebec French word ''tabernacle'', meaning the clerical ], is often used in the same way as ''fuck'' in English, except in sexual-related usage. It is only used as interjection, noun or adverb. Other Quebecois-french swear words (which are pretty much all of clergical origin) such as ''Christ'' or ''Calice'' are much more versatile.

Note that in Quebec French, English swearwords such as ''Shit'' and ''Fuck'' are considered to be much less vulgar than if used in the same context for an English speaking person. This is also the origin of the ] of French people swearing a lot that many English Canadians have. However, the word ''Tabernacle'' (pronounced "tabarnak") is considered to be very vulgar, but not more so than ''fuck'' is in English.

An abbreviation of the French word for university (''faculté'') is ''fac''; in the movie '']'', it is mistaken for ''fuck'' by one of the British characters.

==== German ====
The word ''to fuck'' literally translates as ''ficken'', and the exclamation ''fuck'' usually translates as ''Scheiße'' (literally, ]) or ''Mist'' (literally, ]). Nonetheless the exclamation ''fuck'' itself has been known to have been "borrowed" into the German language as a swear word and is in occasional to frequent use among some (especially younger) Germans. It is to be noted that ''ficken'' and all its derivatives, notably the adverbial ''verfickt'' or ''gefickt'' (for ''fucked'') is being more frequently used by a number of German speakers, mostly among young people. Especially in youth slang, those words are used much in the same way ''fuck'' is being used in vulgar English. The words have nonetheless a pronounced vulgar meaning for other (especially older) speakers.

Overall, German usuage of the word and its derivatives should be seen in the context of general usage of swear words in German: German speakers commonly do not perceive (any) swear words to be as profane as swear words are perceived especially by many US-Americans. Accordingly, official censorship for language or voluntary "self-censorship" as in using alternative expressions like "the F word" is far less common in German (exceptions exist mostly for ''Scheiße'' as in "''Sch...''"). Using vulgar words is -- to some extent -- considered more an issue of bad conduct rather than of "offensive" profanity. In addition, it should be pointed out that geographical regions differ with respect to usage and perceived profanity of swear words.

In the German language there are ] forms of the word, like the pseudo-anglicism ''abgefuckt''. German as a language, especially in colloquial and often young slang, borrows deeply from English, including a limited number of English swear words; the two most common examples are ''fuck'' and ''shit'' (although the latter should not be confounded with North German ''Schiete'', which has the same meaning, but is not burrowed from English). Interestingly, in a similar way, ''Scheiße'' is becoming fairly popular and certainly well understood as an expletive among English speakers, although often mis-pronounced with medial not .

The verb ''ficken'' is historically used also in a non-sexual context, but still is related to friction. Examples include:
* ''Schuhe ficken'': the process of polishing shoes
* ''ein Schwert ficken'': the process of cleaning Slag, Tinder and Ash off a ]'s blade after blacksmithing it; this is done by hanging a Sandbag from the ceiling, lancing the blade through it and then quickly moving the sword back and forth until the blade is clean
* the medieval process of forcefully opening a door with the use of a ].
*] popularized the German word among English speakers in his '']'' through his repeated use of the phrase "''Fick nicht mit der Raketemann!''"

The German word ''Fock'' means "foresail". Its pronunciation is somewhat similar to the British pronunciation of ''fuck''. More recently, the abbreviation FAQ (''frequently asked questions'') has been used also in German; it is often pronounced in one syllable, similarly to the US American pronunciation of ''fuck''.

==== Japanese ====
In ], the slang word ファック ''fakku'' was adopted from the English word ''fuck'', also due to the influence of English media and language. It basically has the usage as its English correlate, primarily being used to mean sexual intercourse. It is also not too rare to see an item of clothing that says 'FUCK'. One reason it has found popularity is that the letters written in English have a serene form of balance seeing as the 'f' and 'k' both consist of one long vertical stroke and two horizontal strokes, and the 'u' and 'c' are both basic semicircles.

==== Latin ====
In ], the verb ''facere'' translates both as "to make" and "to do". The stem ''fac'' is pronounced with a hard 'c' and a short, flat 'a' sound ("fak"). The second person singular ''facit'' (meaning "he/she/it does") is pronounced "fak-it". The singular imperative ''fac'' (meaning "Make!" or "Do!") is pronounced "fak". Because of the similarity of the pronunciation and meaning of the Latin word to the English word "fuck," various humorous phrasings containing the verb are prevalent in the community of Latin students.

The Latin word for ''fuck'' is ''futuo, futuere, futui, fututus'' (the four ] are listed). As noted earlier, whether this verb is etymologically related to the English word remains unclear.

==== Norwegian ====
In ], the word ''fokk'' means either ] or something that gets blown in strong ]; drifting snow (snøfokk) or streaks of foam and spray at sea. The pronunciation is similar to how the ] would say ''fuck''. A Norwegian expletive which is somewhat analogous to the English ''fuck'' is the the word ''faen''. This is short for ''fanden'', a Norwegian word for devil. ''Knulle'' or ''pule'' is the most vulgar Norwegian colloquialism describing sexual intercourse. It is also common to use ''fuck'' in Norwegian conversations, like "fuck dette, jeg vil gjøre noe annet", meaning "fuck this, I want to do something else".

==== Swedish ====
In ], the ] ''fack'' is pronounced almost identically to the English ''fuck'', and has several meanings. The word ''fack'', means either a box or compartment, for example a letterbox for internal mail. As a prefix, the morpheme ''fack'' refers to something pertaining to a certain trade or profession, for example in the words ''facklitteratur'' (literature pertaining to a certain profession) and ''fackförening'' (trade union, colloquially referred to as ''facket''). These words can sometimes be unfortunate for people who have a tendency to ] between Swedish and English.

''Fuck'' can also be used in colloquial Swedish as an English loan word, with basically the same meanings as in English.

== Notes ==
<references/>

== Further reference ==
* Hargrave, Andrea Millwood (]). London: Advertising Standards Authority, British Broadcasting Corporation, Broadcasting Standards Commission, Independent Television Commission.
* ], ''The F Word'' (]) ISBN 0-375-70634-8. Presents hundreds of uses of ''fuck'' and related words.
* Michael Swan, ''Practical English Usage'', OUP, ], ISBN 0-19-431197-X
* Phillip J. Cunningham, ''Zakennayo!: The Real Japanese You Were Never Taught in School'', Plume (1995) ISBN 0-452-27506-7
* Wayland Young, ''Eros Denied: Sex in Western Society''. Grove Press/Zebra Books, New York ].

== See also ==
* ]
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===Derivative words===
* ]
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== External links ==
{{Spoken Misplaced Pages|Fuck wiki audio.ogg |2006-08-04}}
* discusses how newspapers decide whether or not to print ''fuck''.
* Some Etymology Research
* (sound file), a famous (though factually incorrect) piece of Internet humor, variously and incorrectly attributed to ] and ]. Recorded anonymously with a ] soundtrack, it is believed to be the voice of ].
* of the above sound file.
* , academic paper exploring the legal implications of the word, by ], ] - Michael E. Moritz College of Law March 2006. Ohio State Public Law Working Paper No. 59

{{SevenDirtyWords}}

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Revision as of 19:05, 11 December 2006

Fuck is a strong and generally provocative swear word in Modern English. It is one of the best-known vulgarisms in the English-speaking world, although it is nowadays used more freely.

It is unclear whether the word has always been considered impolite and, if not, when it was initially considered to be profane. Some evidence indicates that in some English-speaking locales it was considered acceptable as late as the 17th century meaning "to strike" or "to penetrate" . Other evidence indicates that it may have become vulgar as early as the 16th century in England; thus other reputable sources such as the Oxford English Dictionary contend the true etymology is still uncertain, but appears to point to an Anglo-Saxon origin that in later times spread to the British colonies and worldwide.

The two seemingly contradictory hypotheses may reflect cultural and/or regional English dialects. See the etymology for further discussion.

Etymology

The etymology of fuck has given rise to a great deal of speculation, which should be regarded skeptically. The authoritative Oxford English Dictionary is quite cautious in providing an etymology for this word. In the quotation below, the dictionary's usual abbreviations are spelled out for clarity:

Early modern English fuck, fuk, answering to a Middle English type *fuken (weak verb) not found; ulterior etymology unknown. Synonymous German ficken can be shown to be related.

The first known occurrence, in code because of its unacceptability, is in a poem composed in a mixture of Latin and English sometime before 1500. The poem, which satirizes the Carmelite friars of Cambridge, England, takes its title, "Flen flyys," from the first words of its opening line, "Flen, flyys, and freris"; that is, "Fleas, flies, and friars". The line that contains fuck reads "Non sunt in coeli, quia gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk." The Latin words "Non sunt in coeli, quia," mean "They are not in heaven, since." The code "gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk" is easily broken by simply substituting the preceding letter in the alphabet, keeping in mind differences in the alphabet and in spelling between then and now: i was then used for both i and j; v was used for both u and v; and two v's were used for w. This yields "fvccant (a fake Latin form) vvivys of heli." The whole thus reads in translation: "They are not in heaven since they fuck wives of Ely (a town near Cambridge)." From The American Heritage Dictionary, 4th Edition.

As the OED notes, some have attempted to draw a connection to the German word ficken (to fuck, in dialects: to rub, to scratch, and historically to strike).

Other possible connections are to Latin futuere (hence the French foutre, the Italian fottere, the Romanian fute, the vulgar peninsular Spanish follar and joder, and the Portuguese foder). However, there is considerable doubt and no clear lineage for these derivations. These roots, even if cognate, are not the original Indo-European word for to fuck; that root is likely *hyebh-, ("h" is the H3 laryngeal) which is attested in Sanskrit (yabhati) and the Slavic languages (Russian yebat`), among others: compare Greek "oiphô" (verb), and Greek "zephyros" (noun, ref. a Greek belief that the west wind caused pregnancy). However, Wayland Young (who agrees that these words are related) argues that they derive from the Indo-European *bhu- or *bhug-, believed to be the root of "to be", "to grow", and "to build".

Spanish follar has a different root; according to Spanish etymologists, the Spanish verb "follar" (attested in the 19th century) derives from "fuelle" (bellows) from Latin "folle(m)" < Indo-European "bhel-"; ancient Spanish verb folgar (attested in the 15th century) derived from Latin "follicare", ultimately from follem/follis too.

A possible etymology is suggested by the fact that the Common Germanic fuk-, by an application of Grimm's law, would have as its most likely Indo-European ancestor *pug-, which appears in Latin and Greek words meaning "fight" and "fist". In early Common Germanic the word was likely used at first as a slang or euphemistic replacement for an older word for "intercourse", and then became the usual word for "intercourse". Then, fuck has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as Middle Dutch fokken (to thrust, copulate, or to breed), dialectical Norwegian fukka (to copulate), and dialectical Swedish focka (to strike, copulate) and fock (penis). A very similar set of Latin words that have not yet been related to these are those for hearth or fire, "focus/focum" (with a short o), fiery, "focilis", Latin and Italian for hearthly/hearthling, "focia/focacia", and fire, "focca", and the Italian for bonfire, "focere". But these words came from New Latin, centuries after Middle Dutch.

There is perhaps even an original Celtic derivation; futuere being related to battuere (to strike, to copulate); which may be related to Irish bot and Manx bwoid (penis). The argument is that battuere and futuere (like the Irish and Manx words) comes from the Celtic *bactuere (to pierce), from the root buc- (a point). An even earlier root may be the Egyptian petcha (to copulate), which has a highly suggestive hieroglyph. Or perhaps Latin "futuere" came from the root "fu", Common Indo-European "bhu", meaning "be, become" and originally referred to procreation.

Fake etymologies

There are several urban-legend fake etymologies postulating an acronymic origin for the word. In the most popular version, it is said that the word "fuck" came from Irish law. If a couple committing adultery were "Found Under Carnal Knowledge" they would be penalized, with "FUCK" written on the stocks above them to denote the crime. Alternative explanations for "fuck" as an acronym for adultery pin it as "Fornication Under Cardinal/Carnal Knowledge". Another story is that it was written in the log book as "FUCK" when people in the military or navy who had homosexual intercourse were being punished. Variants of this include "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", "Felonious Use of Carnal Knowledge", "Full Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", and "Forced Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", a label supposedly applied to the crime of rape. In another story, a sign reading "Fornication Under Consent of the King" was supposedly placed on signs above houses in medieval England during times of population control and was special permission given to knights, by their king, when a knight wished to have sex with a woman. All these acronyms were never heard before the 1960s, according to the authoritative lexicographical work, The F-Word, and so are backronyms.

Usage history

Main article: History of fuck

Early usage

Its first known use as a verb meaning to have sexual intercourse is in "Flen flyys" (see above) some time before 1500.

William Dunbar's 1503 poem "Brash of Wowing" includes the lines: "Yit be his feiris he wald haif fukkit:/ Ye brek my hairt, my bony ane."

Some time around 1600, before the term acquired its current meaning, "windfucker" was an acceptable name for the bird now known as the kestrel.

While Shakespeare never used the term explicitly, he hinted at it in comic scenes in several plays. The Merry Wives of Windsor (IV.i) contains focative case (see vocative case). In Henry V (IV.iv), Pistol threatens to firk (strike) a soldier, a euphemism for fuck.

Rise of modern usage

Fuck did not appear in any widely-consulted dictionary of the English language from 1795 to 1965. Its first appearance in the Oxford English Dictionary (along with the word cunt) was in 1972.

In 1900, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales said, "Fuck it, I've taken a bullet" when he was shot while standing on a Brussels railway station.

The liberal usage of the word (and other vulgarisms) by certain artists (such as James Joyce, Henry Miller, and Lenny Bruce) has led to the banning of their works and criminal charges of obscenity.

After Norman Mailer's publishers convinced him to bowdlerize fuck as fug in his work The Naked and the Dead (1948), Tallulah Bankhead supposedly greeted him with the quip, "So you're the young man who can't spell fuck." (In fact, according to Mailer, the quip was devised by Bankhead's PR man. He and Bankhead never met until 1966 and did not discuss the word then.) The rock group The Fugs named themselves after the Mailer euphemism.

The first short story to include fuck in its title was probably Kurt Vonnegut's "The Big Space Fuck", originally published in 1972. Exhibiting Vonnegut's characteristic blend of pessimism and humor, this story tells of a polluted and overpopulated Earth. On midnight, 4 July 1989, the United States fires the Arthur C. Clarke, a missile whose warhead contains eight hundred pounds of freeze-dried semen, aiming at the Andromeda Galaxy. This story, which contains many allusions to earlier Vonnegut works (such as character names and the "chrono-synclastic infundibula"), was written as a personal favor to Harlan Ellison. First published in Ellison's anthology Again, Dangerous Visions, it is reprinted in Palm Sunday.

George Carlin once commented that the word fuck ought to be considered more appropriate, because of its implications of love and reproduction, than the violence exhibited in many movies. He humorously suggested replacing the word "kill" with the word "fuck" in his comedy routine, such as in an old movie western: "Okay, Sheriff, we're gonna fuck you, now. But we're gonna fuck you slow..." Or, perhaps at a baseball game: "Fuck the Ump, fuck the Ump, fuck the Ump!"

In a widely-publicized June 2004 incident, US Vice President Dick Cheney told Senator Patrick Leahy to either "fuck off" or "go fuck" himself during an exchange on the floor of the Senate. The Washington Times, in a show of journalistic prudence, reported that the Vice President "urged Mr. Leahy to perform an anatomical sexual impossibility." The Vice President's words later came back to haunt him in the wake of Hurricane Katrina while touring the disaster area in Gulfport, Ms. when local resident Ben Marble, M.D. said "Go Fuck Yourself Mr. Cheney" live on international television.

Freedom of expression

In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the mere public display of fuck is protected under the First and Fourteenth Amendments and cannot be made a criminal offense. In 1968, Paul Robert Cohen had been convicted of "disturbing the peace" for wearing a jacket with "FUCK THE DRAFT" on it (which was to do with conscription in the Vietnam War.) The conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeals and overturned by the Supreme Court. Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15 (1971).

Pornographer Larry Flynt, representing himself before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1983 in a libel case, shouted, "Fuck this court!" during the proceedings and called the justices "nothing but eight assholes and a token cunt." Chief Justice Warren E. Burger had him arrested for contempt of court but the charge was later dismissed.

Popular usage

In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission fines stations for the broadcast of "indecent language", but in 2003 the agency's enforcement bureau ruled that the airing of the statement "This is really, really fucking brilliant!" by U2 member Bono after receiving a Golden Globe Award was neither obscene nor indecent. As U.S. broadcast indecency regulation only extends to depictions or descriptions of sexual or excretory functions, Bono's use of the word as a mere intensifier was not covered. In early 2004, the full Commission reversed the bureau ruling, in an order that stated that "the F-word is one of the most vulgar, graphic and explicit descriptions of sexual activity in the English language"; a fine, however, has yet to result. Notwithstanding widespread usage and linguistic analysis to the contrary, the reversal was premised on the conclusion that the word fuck has always referred to sexual activity, a claim that the FCC neither explained nor supported with evidence.

In German, although the word "to fuck" literally translates as "ficken", and the exclamation of "fuck" translates usually as "Scheisse" or "Mist", the exclamation "fuck" itself has been known to have been "borrowed" into the German language as a swear word and is in semi-frequent use. Its use, however, is considered less offensive than the same word in English.

Variations

The word "fuck" is highly varied in the English language. Most commonly, anything that is highly disordered, or in a less than desirable state, is referred to as fucked up; moreover, to fuck up is to fail, e.g. "I fucked up on a test." The interjection "fuck me" is also used to exclaim disappointment with the state of affairs one finds themself in. Fuck is also used as a dysphemism for adverse action, sometimes also expressed as being fucked over, e.g. "he could have helped me out, but he fucked me." To the very minimal degree at which these usages are connected to sex itself, the references are not to an act of lovemaking but are more appropriately understood as a hyperbolic and dysphemistic allusion to rape.

Fucker is a term for a person that has little, if anything, to do with the action of copulation. Originally, it was a term of contempt similar to "asshole"; however, in recent years it has become an expression of camaraderie and affection among American males, e.g. "you're one smart fucker."

Fucker is also sometimes used as a verb, in which case it has connotations similar to those of the phrase "to fuck over", but also involves an act of willing deceit.

The common expressions fuck you, go fuck yourself, and "fuck off" are often used as leave me alone or go away, just like the jack off expression, rather than inviting the person to masturbate oneself. These expressions are nonetheless considered vulgar.

The phrase "fucked up" is often used to indicate some kind of disfunctionality. It can be used to describe the state of one's mind ("You're really fucked up") although in Commonwealth English the phrase "fucked in the head" is used perhaps more frequently. The verb phrase "to fuck up" usually implies the rendering of an appliance or other device non-functional ("You've fucked my computer up").

One common phrase is 'stupid fuck'. Sometimes multiple usages of the word fuck can be found in one sentence, e.g. "Fuck the fucking fuckers!", or "I fucked up fucking the fucking fuck."

Another variation is "For fuck(s) sake" found in the Antipodean regions, denoting frustration or disbelief.

It is becomming more common/acceptable to use "fuck" as a generic word for intensity/emphasis, such as "That's fucking awesome" (That's especially awesome). In extreme cases, the word "fuck" can even be inserted into an already existing adjective or adverb (i.e. "In-fucking-credible", "un-fucking-believable"). This is generally viewed as a more humorous approach.

Further reference

  • Hargrave, Andrea Millwood (2000). Delete Expletives? London: Advertising Standards Authority, British Broadcasting Corporation, Broadcasting Standards Commission, Independent Television Commission.
  • Jesse Sheidlower, The F Word (1999) ISBN 0375706348. Presents hundreds of uses of fuck and related words.
  • Michael Swan, Practical English Usage, OUP, 1995, ISBN 019431197X
  • Phillip J. Cunningham, Zakennayo!: The Real Japanese You Were Never Taught in School, Plume (1995) ISBN 0452275067
  • Wayland Young, Eros Denied: Sex in Western Society. Grove Press/Zebra Books, New York 1964.
  • Monty Python; The History of the word fuck.

See also

External links

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