[Boards: 3 / a / aco / adv / an / asp / b / biz / c / cgl / ck / cm / co / d / diy / e / fa / fit / g / gd / gif / h / hc / his / hm / hr / i / ic / int / jp / k / lgbt / lit / m / mlp / mu / n / news / o / out / p / po / pol / qa / r / r9k / s / s4s / sci / soc / sp / t / tg / toy / trash / trv / tv / u / v / vg / vp / vr / w / wg / wsg / wsr / x / y ] [Home]
4chanarchives logo
Is there another word in the English language as versatile as
Images are sometimes not shown due to bandwidth/network limitations. Refreshing the page usually helps.

You are currently reading a thread in /lit/ - Literature

Thread replies: 50
Thread images: 6
File: Samuel-L-Jackson.jpg (85 KB, 720x480) Image search: [Google]
Samuel-L-Jackson.jpg
85 KB, 720x480
Is there another word in the English language as versatile as 'fuck'?

I'm asking seriously. 'Fuck' can be a noun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb, and in the right circumstances even a pronoun. Are there any other words like that?
>>
File: vb.jpg (27 KB, 800x780) Image search: [Google]
vb.jpg
27 KB, 800x780
>swearing in /r/books
>>
OP, you can do better. Don't pepper your writing with expletives.
>>
Cunt is both harsher & more versatile.

Just try & sat cunt at your workplace. People will look & get mad.
>>
'meme'
>>
>>7517832
Well maybe not more versatile, but it's weight is awe inspiring.
>>
>>7517834
"meme"
>>
Run
>>
>>7517832
Yeah, but 'cunt' can't be used as a verb, which is the point of the thread.
>>
>>7517812
Shit, of course.
>>
It is versatile. Overused, though. It takes a talented author to pull it off in literature.
>>
>>7517812
maybe shit?
>>
>>7517875
Who says it cannot?
>>
File: CXQEhbsW8AA9bNg.png (183 KB, 600x1066) Image search: [Google]
CXQEhbsW8AA9bNg.png
183 KB, 600x1066
>>7517832
Dawkins says it to his wife during "The Act"
>>
>>7517832
>tfw cunt is literally a magic word that can alter the feelings of people who hear it.
>tfw all words are but most are subtle.
>>
'You' has more than 7 billion potential uses right off the bat, not including the general form.

'It' has infinite.

In fact, pretty much any pronoun has unlimited uses.

Could be wrong though, what do y'all think?
>>
>>7518037
>Dawkins says it to his wife during "The Act"
>>
>>7518089
who's this horsechoker
>>
>>7517812
Set.

I'm not even a native speaker.
>>
>>7517812
Buffalo
>>
I believe that the word "fuck" has dumbed down the population.
>>
"set"
>>
>>7517875
''cunted'' is a verb.
>>
>>7518095
Dawkins' sweet little cunt.
>>
>>7517812
cuck
>>
>>7518426
This anon is right.
>>7518454
So is this one.

Any other words like these? I love these things. It shows you how wacky English can be.
>>
>>7519816
Fuck's flexibility, like "thing," is a nondescript catch-all for more accurate and evocative phrasing. So, when you get white trash or a hood nig talking about the police, they're going to say, "Them fuckin' shithead fuckers gonna get fucked," rather than, "I'm going to garrote those two-faced, twice-baked shitpies."

It's a gradual "closing" of the language when you use words like "fuck."
>>
ctrl+f: set
2 results

Good work, Anons.
>>
File: 1441539806807.png (401 KB, 807x593) Image search: [Google]
1441539806807.png
401 KB, 807x593
>>7519816
The Queen's English is more Norman than Anglo-Saxon
>>
>>7518061
I think this could well be the dumbest thing anybody's ever said.
>>
>>7518454
underrated post
>>
>>7519854
As a non-Caucasian English major, I would submit 'run' for consideration instead.
>>
>>7518037
So does calling someone a dick make you a misandrist?
>>
>>7517812

Come to Ireland, we use every curse word like that, take cunt for example, I don't think americans use it in the context of "cunting"
>>
>>7520191
The classic irish thing of thinking you're special. News flash: welsh, english, and scottish say cunting too.
>>
>>7517812
I'd say "meme" and "Reddit" also rank very high in versatility.
>>
>>7518465
Yes, I agree. When I hear people talking casually, and they start spouting the F word, it just seems degenerate.
>>
>>7517812
Drunkedness and sex are the opposite, where any word can be taken as them in any context.
"Dude, I got six kinds of Wednesdayed last night."
>>
File: KFlAOmE.jpg (24 KB, 333x333) Image search: [Google]
KFlAOmE.jpg
24 KB, 333x333
>>7520544
>degenerate
Salutations, /pol/!
>>
>>7517832
I do say cunt at my workplace.

t. Australian
>>
>>7520107
Yep. 'Asshole' is gender neutral though.
>>
>>7517843
>"meme"
>>
>>7517875
Shut the fuck up you cunting retard
>>
>>7518465
If you actually think that you're a stupid cunt
>>
>>7519848
No.

>fuck those fuckin shitheads
Is entirely different from
>what ho! I shall garrote thee, fiend!
Or whatever dumb shit u said.

The first is a powerful, robust emotional outburst. Everyone who hears it will understand on a gut level what you're feeling. The second is an effete construction designed to score "I'm smarter than u" points. Fake faggot shit to be honest famille
>>
>>7519857
How come?

I think it's because we took 'versatile' to mean slightly different things. But in the grander context of humanity, 'you' is as versatile as our whole population (to say noting of pets or other 'nimals).

And 'it' DOES have infinite uses: it can stand for almost anything if you give it the chance it deserves...ask Stephen King, ask: Will It Blend?; ask if it'll ever be okay, end, return; ask how's it going; fuck, just ask yourself what is it?

You're thinking too verbal about it.
>>
>>7518061
Is this b8? Or are you just can't not into grammar
>>
>>7520960
Because "use" doesn't just mean "say" here.

According to you, all words have infinite uses because anyone can just chatter out disconnected words like an idiot forever.

You're trying too hard to be smart and it makes you look stupid. Making you aware cos it's probz a pattern that you should look out for in your day to day behavior.
>>
>>7520976
I wasn't trying, this is just how I think. But I don't mind your insensitivity.

And OP didn't say 'use', he asked about words' versatility, which means how adaptable for flexible it is. From a single person's perspective, you're right; 'you' and 'it' can only be used to refer to a specific something, rather than adapt to different contexts: it's function is pretty respected in that sense.

But if you take it from, like I said earlier, a grander-scale perspective, 'it', for instance, can be used to denote almost anything.

And I didn't say 'all words' just certain pronouns. A bit like X in an algebraic equation: they can never be a function or operation, but they can represent many more things (noun, verbs, adj, etc.) than any of the words mentioned ITT.

Anyway, we're def just arguing semantics over an excessively insignificant issue at this point, but if you want to continue to clear things up, rather than argue to 'win,' then by all means I'd love to continue.

And btw–you might think this sounds delusional–but people often compliment me on being smart, so I'm not exactly worried about sounding like an idiot.
>>
>>7521086
*restricted, not respected
Thread replies: 50
Thread images: 6

banner
banner
[Boards: 3 / a / aco / adv / an / asp / b / biz / c / cgl / ck / cm / co / d / diy / e / fa / fit / g / gd / gif / h / hc / his / hm / hr / i / ic / int / jp / k / lgbt / lit / m / mlp / mu / n / news / o / out / p / po / pol / qa / r / r9k / s / s4s / sci / soc / sp / t / tg / toy / trash / trv / tv / u / v / vg / vp / vr / w / wg / wsg / wsr / x / y] [Home]

All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective parties. Images uploaded are the responsibility of the Poster. Comments are owned by the Poster.
If a post contains personal/copyrighted/illegal content you can contact me at [email protected] with that post and thread number and it will be removed as soon as possible.
DMCA Content Takedown via dmca.com
All images are hosted on imgur.com, send takedown notices to them.
This is a 4chan archive - all of the content originated from them. If you need IP information for a Poster - you need to contact them. This website shows only archived content.