Talk:Profanity

  This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 24 August 2020 and 9 December 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): LingClassmate.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignmentbyPrimeBOT (talk) 02:44, 18 January 2022 (UTC)Reply

  This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 17 August 2020 and 23 November 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Kyralewiss.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignmentbyPrimeBOT (talk) 07:15, 17 January 2022 (UTC)Reply

This section seems to conflate slurs with abusive language, but the two are separate. "Go to hell" or "fuck you" are meant to insult, and hurtful, but they're not slurs. Likewise, calling someone a traitor is a slur, but not profane, and calling someone an asshole is a profane slur. Calling someone a "greedy Jew" is bigoted slur, but not profane. 23.17.222.202 (talk) 22:13, 8 April 2021 (UTC)Reply

  A discussion is taking place to address the redirect Ilteme. The discussion will occur at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2021 November 26#Ilteme until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion. Certes (talk) 16:58, 26 November 2021 (UTC)Reply

The opening line claims that profanity is "socially" offensive (socially offensive? what does that mean?), and then gives this as the reference for the claim: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profanity. The problem is that there is nothing in that reference using the term "socially offensive" or even "offensive." I think this is a poor, somewhat unthoughtful introduction. The article should stick closer to the dictionary meaning rather than WP authors' opinions. I'd like to change it. Objections?Chafe66 (talk) 07:29, 17 September 2022 (UTC)Reply

@Chafe66: Yes, it's an unusual and confusing phrase. In this context, "socially offensive" probably means "rude" or "disrespectful" or "contrary to social norms." Jarble (talk) 21:13, 18 August 2023 (UTC)Reply

As that article explains, social norms are also pretty subjective and vary a lot. I and my Australian mates find at times that language we regard as perfectly normal, and not offensive in the slightest, sends us straight to places like Facebook Jail for short stays. "Socially" can mean what the people with power in a certain place at a certain time decree to be correct. HiLo48 (talk) 01:23, 19 August 2023 (UTC)Reply

I agree with all of that, but I was not really perplexed by the phrase, I just think it should be changed because the wording is unclear (as you've both just shown by offering different interpretations). Chafe66 (talk) 20:05, 30 August 2023 (UTC)Reply