Go To Hell - Is This Swearing?

At 06:30:26 on Sat, 29 Oct 2005, Subba Rao
(Email Removed) wrote in :

I was narrating a business conversation to my girlfriend. I have mentioned that the business dealing lead me to a ... hell" was a swear word/phrase. I am under the impression that the F-word, *** word etc, were considered swear words.

Yes, "hell" is considered a swear-word in the UK, but a very mild one, about the same level as "damn".
These things vary by culture, though - the French "***" is much milder than the literal translation "***", and the Channel Island patois word "bougre" is considered hardly swearing at all, even though it means "bugger".

Molly Mockford
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin (My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.)

I was narrating a business conversation to my girlfriend. I ... that the F-word, *** word etc, were considered swear words.

Yes, "hell" is considered a swear-word in the UK, but a very mild one, about the same level as "damn".

But "hell" and "damn" equally have non-swear-word usage; unlike say the F or C words. The phrase "A go-to-hell attitude" is not swearing. "Go to hell!" is.

Hello everyone, I was narrating a business conversation to my girlfriend. I have mentioned that the business dealing lead me ... Thank you in advance for any clarification. Regards, PS - I live in the US and thus use American English.

It is a mild swear. Use "A devil may care attitude" it means the same and won't offend anyone.

I did not know that "Go to hell" was a swear word/phrase. I am under the impression that the F-word, *** word etc, were considered swear words.

Swear words are relative to unstated general cultural assumptions (taboos) most commonly concerning
sex, religion and politics. Thus words invoking excretion or sexual activity are swear words in some cultures, but not others. By contrast, the swearing lexicon of French Quebec includes many specifically religious words (e.g. ciborium, chalice.) Tightly controlled political communities certify specific words and phrases for abuse, e.g. fascist hyena: but the same words, uttered by someone else, may
carry no such weight. Each of us needs to know the local social environment, i.e. which taboos are recognized and which are not.

Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

At 04:37:10 on Sat, 29 Oct 2005, Troy Steadman
(Email Removed) wrote in

But "hell" and "damn" equally have non-swear-word usage; unlike say the F or C words. The phrase "A go-to-hell attitude" is not swearing. "Go to hell!" is.

I've never heard of "a go-to-hell attitude" - if it doesn't mean (as I had assumed) an attitude which leads one to say "Go to hell" to somebody, then perhaps it's an American thing.
As I mentioned in my last post, these things vary with culture. I assume the OP included ucle in the post because he wanted British opinions.

Molly Mockford
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin (My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.)

Hello everyone, I was narrating a business conversation to my ... that the F-word, *** word etc, were considered swear words.

It is a mild swear. Use "A devil may care attitude" it means the same and won't offend anyone.

I interpret the two as having different meanings. A person who loves to party, or burn the candle at both ends, may have a "devil may care" attitude. But a person who says, "screw you, I'm doing it my way" has a "go to hell" attitude.
I see a "go to hell" attitude to be directed at those around the person in question. A "devil may care" attitude is directed within.

I think the OP implied that his "go to hell" attitude was the result of a bitter experience that soured his outlook. That would not describe a "devil may care" person who is usually thought of as happy and carefree.
Brian Wickham

But "hell" and "damn" equally have non-swear-word usage; unlike say ... "A go-to-hell attitude" is not swearing. "Go to hell!" is.

I've never heard of "a go-to-hell attitude" - if it doesn't mean (as I had assumed) an attitude which leads ... these things vary with culture. I assume the OP included ucle in the post because he wanted British opinions.

Actually, the OP included "PS - I live in the US and thus use American English" because he didn't.
I've never heard of a go-to-hell attitude before either. It is probably as you describe. Hell used to be a swear word, though it's used regularly on cable these days. It's lost some of its power; a fact that should make those who would be offended by it a little happier. "Go to Hell!" is used when "*** you" or "*** off" would be inappropriate due to circumstance, but where the general idea must still be conveyed.

At 10:16:11 on Sat, 29 Oct 2005, TakenEvent
(Email Removed) wrote in

As I mentioned in my last post, these things vary ... included ucle in the post because he wanted British opinions.

Actually, the OP included "PS - I live in the US and thus use American English" because he didn't.

I can see no other possible reason for his including ucle than that he did want responses from both sides of the pond. Whatever, he's got them!

Molly Mockford
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin (My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.)