I lost track of this thread after I posted. What a shame.
To clarify, I was alluding to the way we classify certain words as social taboo: Poop is acceptable, *expletive deleted* is not, for no particular reason. I've been fairly profane in my speech for the past decade or so, and recently read an interesting law journal article, eloquently titled "*expletive deleted*" on the social and legal history of that word. Interesting read, and it convinced me to care even less (if possible) about "bad" words and attempts to socially censure people who use them.
In any case, it gave me an opportunity to recite some choice phrases in a law school classroom with impunity, days after the instructor, who happens to be a dean and who conducts hearings on honor code violations, was lecturing on the importance of avoiding taboo language. It was a fun day.
ETA: Well, this did make sense, but I guess what's acceptable for the Cardozo Law Journal ain't acceptable for APS. I guess if anyone wants a citation or link you'll have to PM me, since the title of the article in question and the URL to it are so dangerous to humanity it can't be published. We don't understand people who are afraid of guns, but we're terrified of a word.
