Joel has a potty mouth and seems incapable of uttering a single sentence without it including the F word at least once.
But his broad application of this word and its many variations is impressive.
Noun, verb, adjective, interjection, sometimes delivered with stammer-like repetition – his use of it is veritable linguistic gymnastics.
The F word is one of the naughtiest of naughty words and, as Joel demonstrated, is also one of the most versatile in the English language.
Unfortunately, Joel has not learnt that there is a time and a place for dropping verbal stink bombs – that a word designed as a shocking profanity loses its impact with liberal use.
I came across Joel recently while travelling in Japan, and his broad Australian accent made his prolific swearing in our shared accommodation stand out.
Aussies abroad with mouths like Joel’s make me wince a little.
Their F word-profanity delivery is harsher than those within earshot in the past week: the Scottish clip, delivered with an Irish lilt or even with a Liverpudlian twist.
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Originally, the F word was quite acceptable.
And while no one is sure, it was believed to have first showed up in written form sometime in the 1400s.
It came from the Latin ‘futuere’ and old German ‘ficken/foocken’, meaning “to strike or penetrate”, which is why it eventually began being used as slang for copulation.
The Oxford English Dictionary records the earliest-known use of the sexual meaning in the 16th century, with roots in the Dutch word ‘fokken’, meaning “to beget children”.
The F word was rarer in print in the 18th century when it came to be regarded as vulgar.
Today, the taboo nature of the F word has given rise to a slew of indirect or vague expression, substituted for one thought to be offensive or too blunt.
Frig, frick, fire truck, fudge and WTF (or Whiskey Tango Foxtrot) are all popular substitutions, especially in speech.
It can also be creatively delivered with the addition of the suffixes: -stick, -tard, -head and -up.
We also have eff and effing, as well as F-bomb.
And while one of our species of bird has no option but to curse as they crow (think about it), perhaps Joel and his ilk need a reminder that variety is the effing spice of life.
Dr Jane Stephens is a UniSC journalism lecturer, media commentator and writer. The views expressed are her own.
