Please Stop Saying F***

Almost nine years ago, I wrote an article about the F word that is forbidden in my house. Unfortunately, the masses didn’t get the memo because this word is so commonplace now that it shows up in news articles, social media posts, movies, tv shows, and even commercials that air during common meal times.

So what is this horrible F word?

If you know me in IRL or if you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you know the word isn’t f*ck. F*uck is a phenomenal word. It’s super versatile and really can express a range of emotions. In fact, f*ck is one of my four favorite words. [To learn what the other three are, read that post here.]

Like f*ck, the offending word I’m talking about does have four letters and it is both a noun and a verb (although f*ck can also be an adjective and adverb, too). But the word that makes my skin crawl doesn’t rhyme with truck. It rhymes with art.

I was raised to use the more clinicial and polite ‘pass gas’ when referring to this very normal bodily function, and I taught my boys the same, which saved me from years of potty/fart jokes — at least until their friends came over; then all bets were off. And now, the word is everywhere — from memes to medical journals. WHY?!

For someone who curses as much as I do, it probably seems hypocritical that I’m making such a fuss over a word like fart. I know it’s juvenile and even ridiculous, but for whatever reason, it grosses me out. No amount of exposure therapy is going to change that.

Admittedly, it’s not the only word I dislike. For someone who’s far from a word prude, there is a decent-sized list of words that I find cringe-worthy, for one reason or another: moist, nipple, panties, cock, and lover all immediately come to mind, to name just a few. But thankfully, most people I know don’t use these words in their everyday vernacular, so I’m safe from hearing them on the regular. Unfortunately, the same isn’t true for fart. I seem to be in the minority on this one, and I cannot escape it, no matter how much I try — and trust me, I try.

So here’s my plea: If you care about me at all, I beg you to please stop saying fart. At least in my presence. But feel free to continue dropping the other F bomb as much as you’d like. After all, it’s the f*cking best!