Kurtzy

Scott Kurtz had some interesting points.

Know your audience, I think, is the most important element of communication. Speak their language. This, of course, means that sometimes cursing is not only accepted, it's necessary.

Another comic, I forget which, demonstrated this with a car mechanic. The main character leans over his engine, looks at the mechanic, and says "I think my main shaft is stripped" (or something.). The mechanic looks at him blankly. The main character then says "My !#%$ main shaft is !@$&!#" and the mechanic says "Well, why didn't you !#%@ say so?"

"Forgot where I was."

It's like that. Oddly, the military wasn't entirely like that. My friends and I got along fine without much cussing, as did most of my supervisors. There were people I interacted with that would just about constantly spew vulgarities unless talking to an officer. But I couldn't talk to them like that without that blank look.

Try speaking Spanish in a room of Francophones and it's the same response.

I'll shut up now.