Swearing

A Social History of Foul Language, Oaths and Profanity in English

Geoffrey Hughes

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Paperback

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English

Penguin Books Ltd
26 March 1998

Dialect, slang & jargon; Psychology

Tracing the history of swearing from ancient Anglo-Saxon traditions and those of the Middle Ages, through Shakespeare, the Enlightenment and the Victorians, to the Lady Chatterley trial and various current trends, Geoffrey Hughes explores a fascinating, little discussed yet irrespressible part of our linguistic heritage.

This second edition contains a Postscript updating various contemporary developments, such as the growth of Political Correctness.

By: Geoffrey Hughes
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 1mm
Weight: 145g
ISBN: 9780140267075
ISBN 10: 0140267077
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 26 March 1998
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Geoffrey Hughes is Professor of History of the English Language at the University of the Witwatersand, Johannesburg.

Reviews for Swearing: A Social History of Foul Language, Oaths and Profanity in English

Hughes presents a history of swearing and foul language, from Anglo-Saxon times to the 1990s, covering an area from England to Australia, Quakers to convicts and from simple vituperation to the endlessly varied, inventive field of sexual vernacular. This is a wonderful tribute to the inventive power of language - deliciously filthy and wonderfully authoritative. (Kirkus UK)