Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Very nicely put, Will (of Crescat Sententia):"Foul language is like saffron, vermouth, or sea salt: A light and fearless touch adds flavor and edge that can be gotten in no other way, though a heavy hand is oppressive."Come to think of it, let's do a little experiment in linguistic synesthaesia - what spices do these expletives recall?
- F--k: Cayenne pepper, or asafoetida - pungent, stinging and forceful, even from a cautious distance.
- S--t: I would say asafoetida, but I've associated that seasoning with f--k already, and s--t is so darn common these days. Perhaps chocolate, or valerian root?
- D--n: Is this even an expletive any more? Think perdition and commonality; in which case an appropriate spice would be salt.
- C--k: Black Pepper - achoo.
- C--t: Cumin. 'Nuff said.
- P-ss: Chamomile, if only because of the color of the tea and its occasional aroma.
- H-ll: Anything with blue food coloring, artificial banana flavour or marshmallows.
- M----------r: I don't know...you fill in the blank, folks - I'm drawing one right now. This isn't one of the expletives in my personal canon.
Oh, What Spicy Language [Warning - PG13 Rated, Kids]
