Ironically, my eldest doesn't swear.* At all. He also corrects my language from time to time. As he should, but that's another story. So I was taken by surprise when my husband returned from picking our eldest and his friends up from the movies. He forlornly announced "Well, I just heard my son swear in front of me for the first time." I was confused. This couldn't be right?! "What do you mean?" I asked, perplexed. "He said 'Well that was friggin' awesome!' to his friends in the back.' Me, confused, stated "That's not a swear word. That's what you say when you aren't saying a swear word." We discussed this for a bit, threw it out to facebook for discussion and searched the web. Results from the world were 50/50. Even google seemed to be hedging it's bets, but it did say it could be considered a curse word.
Who knew? Certainly not the lady who wore this shirt to school! (I still think half-ass is not a swear word, but I don't wear the shirt to school anymore - because whole-ass is borderline.).
I spoke to my son and explained that SOME people, considered friggin' a swear word -and he was genuinely surprised. "I did not know that!" (yes, of course you didn't because your mum probably said it when she thought she needed to be polite). So that too is now edited out of his lexicon.
Which brings us to the latest family argument, one which I'll open to the public for debate, but I am not prepared to back down on without good cause.
Jack (Made up name but as good as any): Shizer!
Eldest, non-swearing child: Mum, Jack just swore!
Pottymouth Mama (Me, not famous blogger of same name): No, he didn't.
Husband: Yes, he did. It's German for shit.
Pottymouth Mama: We don't speak German. It doesn't mean anything to us. It's only a swear word if it's said in front of Germans.
Husband: It doesn't work that way.
Me: It does. It's the word you say to stop saying shit in public.
So, your verdict? Is Shizer a swear word in AUSTRALIA? I need to point out, in German, it's not even spelled that way - it's spelled Scheiße (but who knows what that thing is anyway?).
As with all our dinner party arguments, I'm putting it out to the web experts - give me your view!!
*Not showing off, number 2 & 3 don't seem to be taking after him in the non-swearing department - but on the plus side, they are multi-lingual.
No way... That's not a swear word!! LOL!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a breed of dog.
It does, now that you mention it. You can have your kapoodle but I got us a shizer.
DeleteLOL - I swear when I want to really annoy A because he HATES it - and tells me (just about every time I do) that I am educated enough to come up with a non-swear word !!!
ReplyDeleteI don't think it should be considered a swear word - but then I don't think friggin' is a swear word either so clearly, what do I know ???
Have the best week !
Me
between you and me (and the whole internet), I don't think friggin is a swear word either but had to admit defeat on that one...if google says, it must be right.
DeleteThat is not a swera word. My 4 year old came out the other day and said. "frig it is cold" I couldn't stop myself from laughing! Is Frig a swear word?
ReplyDeleteyes, according to google (and my husband) it is. Who knew it was such a confusing issue!
DeleteNo it's not a swear word. i think it is great you are discussing words that kids can use when hurt or frustrated-my boys have let a couple of words slip I am not too happy about!!
ReplyDeleteYes, I find #2 & #3 are going to be a lot harder to manage in this dept - I go with the "I don't really care but you may find if your friends tell their mums you say that, they may not let you come over anymore..." (pass the buck parenting...)
DeleteDoesn't the rest of the world consider bloody and bugger swear words?
ReplyDeleteThere is no swearing in friggin, frig or Schizer spelt correctly or not. Neither do I find kaka, estupido upsetting, they are just cute ways of saying things.
Anyway, anyone saying a swear word with an accent makes it funny and in no way a swear word. Have you heard a Swede say shit - too cute to be a swear word. Therefore it must work the other way around when an Aussie says a German word - right?
Becc @ Take Charge Now
Ooo, I like that. I will go with the argument that I asked the internet and they told me it was a cute way of saying things, unless I was in Germany.
DeleteI have an eldest who doesn't swear too... I mean seriously? Where did he come from? *sigh*
ReplyDeletex
Must be a responsible first born thing. I myself am a pottymouthed 2nd born...maybe I ought to go easy on the others...
DeleteI don't think it matters - we say it too only it's pronounced more shy-sser in our house (no idea what correct pronunciation is).
ReplyDeleteI have long used "flip", "bloomin'", "crap" instead of the ruder counterparts, but have some straight laced friends who have even pulled me up on these! Get a life will ya!!!!!!
flip? Flip? you've been pulled up on flip???????? I can't even compute that one...
DeleteForgot to say, Visiting from Team #IBOT xxx
ReplyDeleteMerde. This is a fecking great post. Fork me! For what its worth Shizer is NOT a swear word, nor is shizen hausen (a personal favorite of mine) and neither is shite.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to weighing in on more of these family arguments.
Love
Mumabulous
I say shizer Hausen too! Ha!
DeleteFriggin' is probably considered a swear word by the same people that think Damn is one as well and say Heck instead of Hell.
ReplyDeleteHopefully we'll get more creative with the swearing as time goes on, I'm sick of using the usual F*** word now that my teen thinks its ok to use.
Heck. For some reason that makes me laugh ??
Deleteit is not a swear word, neither is friggin -
ReplyDeleteyes, they may be slang words - but that is a whole different thing
ten points for raising your eldest to not swear - that is awesome xx
I had nothing to do with it. (tho maybe I should pretend it was me!)
DeleteI agree with you!
ReplyDeleteMy 3-year-old said bugger the other day - sounded awful coming out of her mouth but she must have heard it from me - oops.
yes, there is that momentary wince when they're little...worse hearing a 3 year old sing Flo Rida's Whistle. Just nasty...
DeleteSo funny, I hate to admit it but I heard a for fugs sake the other day - and then damn! Only the fug was from me! I told her people won't think she's a lovely polite girl if she says such words - I'm sure there's more to come for both of us Lydia :)
ReplyDeletefug sounds affectionate....almost like a furry toy.
Deletelol, sounds familiar, definitely swearing.
ReplyDeleteLydia, I missed this post when you first wrote it, but would you believe that I blogged the word scheiße last week - to avoid using shit? Totally not a swear word!:)
ReplyDeleteI'll have to track down your post! I've been offline...and right, it's not!
DeleteI agree with you, Lydia, it's not swearing unless there're German speakers around to understand it. A bit like the 'if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest-and-there's-nobody-around-to-hear-it' thing...maybe, or perhaps I'm just weird.
ReplyDeleteZen swearing...I like that!!
ReplyDeleteCan I just say that it is very cool your son doesn't swear... love it! hehe :)
ReplyDeleteOoh! Tricksy question. Yes, it's still a swear word in my book. But I've been known to sneak a few merdes into my language, so who am I to say that? (The kids are 3 and 6months - I'm confident I'll stop the habit before they copy me. Surely?)
ReplyDeleteIn my 7 year old's handball circle, the swear word of choice is "fudgecake" because it conceals a naughty word.
ReplyDeleteThe other favourite thing is to say "the f word". Literally. This can lead to confusion, as in:
"Jack got in trouble for saying the f word in class"
"Well, he shouldn't swear."
"He didn't say that word. He just said 'the f word'."
Aren't kids clever?
I'm commenting again - I really love that t-shirt!
ReplyDeleteI'm back to comment, no not a swear word, BUT it's very funny, I still think fug it is the best non-swear word out there :) I had the same problem, couldn't find a funny post, so went for a clever/creepy search engine term one! xx Em
ReplyDeleteThis post IS funny! The best non-swear word I use is Frak. Nerd. Thanks for linking. Robo X
ReplyDeleteI remember at school we used to say Sugar Honey Ice Tea..and still got in trouble for it! I don't think frigging is a swear word though! Although I do have a bit of a gutter mouth so maybe I'm not the best person to ask lol.
ReplyDeleteSwearing is all about context, but I think our general standards are relaxing by the minute. I remember having my mouth washed out with soap for saying things my kids casually throw around these days! And I'm not THAT old :)
ReplyDeleteNo way. Schizer isn't swearing, whatever the spelling. But then I am the daughter of a Wharfie and to me swearing is like breathing so my judgement is probably somewhat flawed. :-)
ReplyDeleteExcellent post
ReplyDeleteand friggin shizer isn't swearing.
I thought it was something you put on a pizza .... Nope, definitely not swearing in my book if it's not in your own language and you cant spell it.
ReplyDeleteI am totally a swear-bear. Scheisse is one I use and yes it's a swear. But who cares?!
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh the first time I read it! And there's NO WAY friggin' in a swear word and shizer, no fugging way!
ReplyDeleteMy Grandma once pulled me up for saying damn and hell. I use friggin all the time. Better than the alternative I say.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a little kid I and my grandmother was visiting, I came running into a room and said "Look, my firetruck is stuffed!"
ReplyDeleteApparently stuffed was a rude word...
The other day my 3yo daughter was at the computer going Fck Fck Fck. We asked her what she was doing and she told us she was 'working'. I think this is a good indicator that I should tone down.
ReplyDeleteFrigging is so not a swear word! I use it as my polite substitute instead of swearing!
ReplyDeleteLOL! This is hilarious! My 9 year old refuses to swear (which is good, he's 9) but he actually charges us, his parents, if we swear. Yep, he's rich already, haha.
ReplyDeleteI love that! Yes, in some ways the younger generation is so much better than us...
DeleteThe debate in our house is if shit is a swear word or not. I say it's not, my husband was raised in a conservative religion so he thinks it is, even though he's not religious!
ReplyDeleteMy youngest thinks every word is a swear word - like even jerk??? I have no idea how we're related.
Delete