Swearing back in the day

Scene I, Act I, The Alchemist by Ben Jonson circa 1612

Face. Believe 't, I will.

Subtle. Thy worst. I fart at thee.


Nowadays in English our swearing is marked by the body, bodily functions, or acts of copulation.

Asshole, Fuck, Motherfucker, Dick, Dickhole etc.

(British) Bugger, Sot, Wanker

Back in the day; however, 'twas not so. If you check out Early Modern English you find that the swearing centers on Religion and the Catholic Church no less, even after the Protestant status quo was pretty much established with the ascension of Elizabeth I. Thus it was similar to how Spaniards and Quebecois French speakers curse nowadays. In the end you curse about what you care about. Or in this case cultural norms and attitudes that you take for granted. And since we are preoccupied and ashamed about our bodies and the sexual act as heirs to the Puritans and the baggage that went along with their version of Reform Christianity which emphasized moralism and matters of sexual morality since the believer was justified solely by his faith before God with no intermediaries. In contrast to the Catholic view of the Communion of Saints, the visible Church and Sacramental mediation of Divine Grace.


Marry= Mary, the Virgin Mary

By the mass= the Holy Eucharist

'Sblood= God's blood

'Slight= God's light

'Slid= God's lid

'ods fish= God's flesh (Incidentally this was Charles I's favorite curse word)

'ods body= God's body

(Both for the Eucharist)

So in Spanish- Hostia- "the host" is a curse word.

Angels and Saints preserve us.

Ministers of grace preserve us.

(The communion of Saints, and intercessory prayer)