Items related to What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language,...
Synopsis
It may be starred, beeped, and censored -- yet profanity is so appealing that we can't stop using it. In the funniest, clearest study to date, Benjamin Bergen explains why, and what that tells us about our language and brains.
Nearly everyone swears-whether it's over a few too many drinks, in reaction to a stubbed toe, or in flagrante delicto. And yet, we sit idly by as words are banned from television and censored in books. We insist that people excise profanity from their vocabularies and we punish children for yelling the very same dirty words that we'll mutter in relief seconds after they fall asleep. Swearing, it seems, is an intimate part of us that we have decided to selectively deny.
That's a damn shame. Swearing is useful. It can be funny, cathartic, or emotionally arousing. As linguist and cognitive scientist Benjamin K. Bergen shows us, it also opens a new window onto how our brains process language and why languages vary around the world and over time.
In this groundbreaking yet ebullient romp through the linguistic muck, Bergen answers intriguing questions: How can patients left otherwise speechless after a stroke still shout Goddamn! when they get upset? When did a cock grow to be more than merely a rooster? Why is crap vulgar when poo is just childish? Do slurs make you treat people differently? Why is the first word that Samoan children say not mommy but eat shit? And why do we extend a middle finger to flip someone the bird?
Smart as hell and funny as fuck, What the F is mandatory reading for anyone who wants to know how and why we swear.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Benjamin K. Bergen is a Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego, where he directs the Language and Cognition Laboratory. His writing has appeared in Wired, Scientific American, Psychology Today, Salon, Time, the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, and the Huffington Post. He lives in San Diego.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherBasic Books
- Publication date2016
- ISBN 10 0465060919
- ISBN 13 9780465060917
- BindingHardcover
- LanguageEnglish
- Number of pages288
- Rating
Buy New
View this item
US$ 49.47
US$ 13.43 shipping from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Search results for What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language,...
Stock Image
What the F: What Swearing Reve
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00084366758
Quantity: 3 available
Stock Image
What the F: What Swearing Reve
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00079393575
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves
Published by
Basic Books (edition Illustrated), 2016
ISBN 10: 0465060919
ISBN 13: 9780465060917
Used
Hardcover
Seller: BooksRun, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Good. Illustrated. Ship within 24hrs. Satisfaction 100% guaranteed. APO/FPO addresses supported. Seller Inventory # 0465060919-11-1
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves
Seller: Wonder Book, Frederick, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Seller Inventory # S07E-01597
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
What the F : What Swearing Reveals about Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves
Published by
Basic Books, 2016
ISBN 10: 0465060919
ISBN 13: 9780465060917
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. 1st Edition. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 9909332-6
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
What the F : What Swearing Reveals about Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves
Published by
Basic Books, 2016
ISBN 10: 0465060919
ISBN 13: 9780465060917
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. 1st Edition. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 11860929-6
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
What the F : What Swearing Reveals about Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves
Published by
Basic Books, 2016
ISBN 10: 0465060919
ISBN 13: 9780465060917
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. 1st Edition. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 9909332-6
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves
Seller: The Maryland Book Bank, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Illustrated. Used - Very Good. Seller Inventory # 9-R-4-0142
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves
Seller: HPB-Diamond, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_422531303
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
What the F: What Swearing Reveals about Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.12. Seller Inventory # G0465060919I4N00
Quantity: 1 available