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06-19-2011, 12:38 AM | #1 |
Petitioner: Word of IN Filk
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Longmont, CO
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Seraphim and Profanity
Assume for a moment that a Seraph, unlikely as it sounds, has a Role as a gang member, a wiseguy, or some other occupation where profanity is a near-mandatory first language. How close can the Most Holy fly to the wind without being caught in the literal meaning of the expression?
Can he call someone the classic MF title, even if he knows the person has never comitted incest with the appropriate parent? Can he shout at someone to "Open the F'ing door," even though it is impossible that the object has ever been used for copulation? Can he shoot down a lie by saying "That's (bull excrement)," even though the words bear no actual resemblance to pastoral manure? For that matter, can he call someone an S.O.B (unabbreviated), despite the fact that there are no canines anywhere in the individual's ancestry? In short, where do you draw the dissonance line? It's an odd subject, but as strange as my group gets, it may come in handy someday ....
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“It's not railroading if you offer the PCs tickets and they stampede to the box office, waving their money. Metaphorically speaking” --Elizabeth McCoy, In Nomine Line Editor Author: "What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Stronger" |
06-19-2011, 05:17 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Upper Peninsula of Michigan
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Re: Seraphim and Profanity
His instinct would be to avoid doing so, I would think. If he must, it would probably take deliberate efforts to compose the proper sentence rather than reflexive cursing.
To some extent, this should match with his stance on metaphor. If he is comfortable calling a liar a two-faced scoundrel (the second face is a metaphoric mask), he could be equally comfortable calling someone a b*st*rd even if they're not, because listeners understand that he's referring to personality rather than ancestry. This is a subtle point for Seraphim without Earth experience. Btw: a man who has fathered a child is a mofo. Instead of saying "that's bullsh*t," he could simply utter the word, "bullsh*t." The same applies to other non-sentences, such as "You *ss." He could have a quirk of "Be nice to mommas. I never call someone a son of a b*tch unless I happen to know their mom really is that nasty." |
06-19-2011, 06:10 PM | #3 | |
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Boston
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Re: Seraphim and Profanity
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06-20-2011, 12:03 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Madison, WI
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Re: Seraphim and Profanity
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Ingeborg S. Nordén |
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06-20-2011, 06:00 AM | #5 | |
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Seattle
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Re: Seraphim and Profanity
I think Seraphim (and angels serving more proper Archangels like Dominic) would avoid using profanity that refers to damnation, Hell, or such--that's simply not a laughing matter, and even though an experienced Seraph would know that shouting "damn it!" at a wall after stubbing one's toe isn't in English an actual condemnation of the object to Gehenna, the word probably has uncomfortable Symphonic undertones.
Since almost no one uses certain cursewords in their literal sense (I don't think I've ever actually meant to imply someone had no father), they're fair game. Others are more likely to be used literally ("why did you f'bomb my wife, Tim?"), and in that usage a Seraph is bound as by any other verb. I imagine any Servitor of Destiny avoids heavy profanity usage, as it cheapens the meaning of real words and often inflicts long-term self-esteem issues, which might lead someone to his Fate. On the flip side, I'm sure the Groves see their fair share of Malakim jerking into being next to their Hearts with a 100% truthful, honest frustration manifesting in the divine language: Quote:
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“The world is going to Hell in a hand-basket, but I’ve got Good News: I saved my soul by switching to Heaven.” —Baruel, former Djinn of the Media, now Cherub of Destiny and the Angel of Good News Last edited by Acolyte; 06-20-2011 at 06:03 AM. |
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06-20-2011, 09:39 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Birthplace of the Worst Pizza on the Planet
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Re: Seraphim and Profanity
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06-21-2011, 11:34 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Madison, WI
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Re: Seraphim and Profanity
Quote:
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Ingeborg S. Nordén |
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06-20-2011, 06:43 PM | #8 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Seraphim and Profanity
Isn't the original verb "ficken" Anglo Saxon for "strike together"? In that case I think it might be a fairly literal description of how a door relates to it's frame.
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06-20-2011, 08:05 PM | #9 |
Petitioner: Word of IN Filk
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Longmont, CO
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Re: Seraphim and Profanity
Depends on which etymology you follow. One route traces it back to Scandinavia, rooted in the Norwegian or Swedish word for "to copulate" (and possibly a Swedish dialect term for the male genitalia). Another possibility goes through Germany, where the root word meant to move about restlessly, fidget, or make quick movements back and forth. (It could also refer to scratching an itch, which became a euphamism of its own!) Either way, I think it would be a little difficult to apply a literal usage to the door, though not necessarily impossible.
__________________
“It's not railroading if you offer the PCs tickets and they stampede to the box office, waving their money. Metaphorically speaking” --Elizabeth McCoy, In Nomine Line Editor Author: "What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Stronger" |
06-21-2011, 12:33 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Boston
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Re: Seraphim and Profanity
Well, etymology isn't semantics, which is the point, no? A Seraph isn't going to have any more of a problem with "open the ****ing door" than "I don't know nothing!"
Last edited by Andrew Hackard; 06-22-2011 at 07:34 AM. |
Tags |
dissonance, in nomine, profanity, seraphim |
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