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Mind your language!
Let me start with a warning. The foul language in
this booklet could seriously damage your career. To
better understand the dangers of swearing, make
sure you read our overview of the negative effects
of cursing at work (“What does it mean?”, pp. 4–5).
That said, swearing can also be a fantastic way
to express our emotions. In this booklet, we high-
light workplace situations when native speakers might use swear
words. Throughout, in our “Did you know?” boxes, we also present
research into swearing. As you will discover, swearing can help gain
trust, create a rapport and build a team (“What a team!”, pp. 16–17).
In the end, however, it can be extremely difficult for learners of
a language to understand just how strong some expressions are,
especially when they contain the “f-word” (“WTF!”, pp. 14–15). For
this reason, we advise against using four-letter words anywhere near
people you don’t know very well. We hope you find this booklet a
useful guide to why and how people swear at work — and when and
why it might be best not to swear at all.
Author:
Deborah Capras
Contents
What does it mean? ....................................................................................................................................... 4
What language! .................................................................................................................................................. 6
What a pain! .......................................................................................................................................................... 8
What the hell! .................................................................................................................................................... 10
What bullshit! ..................................................................................................................................................... 12
WTF! ............................................................................................................................................................................. 14
What a team! ...................................................................................................................................................... 16
What a wally! ...................................................................................................................................................... 18
What a mess! ..................................................................................................................................................... 20
Key expressions ............................................................................................................................................. 22