Nov 4th, 2008 · The Supreme Court hears arguments on whether the Federal Communications Commission should ban "fleeting expletives" — celebrities' one-time uses of profanity on live TV when children are likely to be watching.
Sep 22nd, 2008 · Crime novelist James Crumley's detective tales were filled with sex, drugs, violence and profanity, and inspired comparisons to Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, among others. Crumley died Sept. 17 in Missoula, Mont. He was 68.
Jun 20th, 2008 · Gordon Ramsay's cooking show has prompted Australia's parliament to consider new rules against profanity. He's known for swearing at restaurant staff. And some viewers thought it was a little excessive when he used a four-letter word 80 times in 40 minutes.
Jun 16th, 2008 · Somebody might pay tens of thousands of dollars at this week's auction of an 1878 phone book from New Haven, Conn. Recipients of the directory got the following instructions on how to use the phone: Begin calls by saying, "Hulloa!" Keep conversations to three minutes. Report anyone using profanity. And end the conversation by declaring, "That is All."
Oct 25th, 2007 · TV shows have been bleeping profanity for years when people speak extemporaneously. In recent years, however, scripted shows have been writing profanity in. The actors say the forbidden words and then the words are bleeped out for comedic effect.
Oct 19th, 2007 · A new study in a British journal says profanity in the workplace is a good thing. It can boost team spirit -- at least, in all-male settings such as locker rooms. But women cussing is another story. The study says females who swear are often perceived to be of "low moral standing."
Oct 17th, 2007 · In his new book, The Stuff of Thought, psychologist Steven Pinker sorts through some of the paradoxes of profanity. He points out that in a society that prides itself on free speech, certain words pertaining to sex and excretion remain off-limits.
Jun 18th, 2007 · Profanity such as the N-word and the B-word are common in today's popular culture. Is there a role for them, or have they encouraged a disrespectful environment?