FRAK my NANOO NANOO

[Sheep]

"Frak" is part of our culture? Um, no. Not even close.

No one said that "frak" was "part of our culture". However, most of the TV viewing audience in the English speaking word has heard it, or heard of it, or has an inkling of what it means.

Can you think of other 'alien' words like those two that you can hear as part of our 'collective culture'?

The vast majority of the English speaking TV world has never watched a split second of BSG. Ask someone what "frak" means out of context and very few people would have the slightest idea. Don't mistake your sci-fi fandom for some widespread phenomenon that isn't there.

 

[RobertScorpio]

"Frak" is part of our culture? Um, no. Not even close.

No one said that "frak" was "part of our culture". However, most of the TV viewing audience in the English speaking word has heard it, or heard of it, or has an inkling of what it means.

Can you think of other 'alien' words like those two that you can hear as part of our 'collective culture'?

The vast majority of the English speaking TV world has never watched a split second of BSG. Ask someone what "frak" means out of context and very few people would have the slightest idea. Don't mistake your sci-fi fandom for some widespread phenomenon that isn't there.

Go ahead and replace FRAK with F-UCK, and people are going to 'get' the meaning without having scene BSG. I know, because I have been doing so for, oh, 35+ years maybe...

Yeah, they may not know what the word is, or why you said "FRAK this place", but they will still know. They might think you wanted to say FU-CK, but didn't and used another word so as not to offend...which, if you think about it, was why the word was created for TV...

So...tonight, when you get you're out about town, go up to a cop and tell him he's a Mother Fraker...or...ask him if he FRAKS little girls..see where that gets you...

Rob

 

[Sheep]

Go ahead and replace FRAK with F-UCK, and people are going to 'get' the meaning without having scene BSG. I know, because I have been doing so for, oh, 35+ years maybe...

Yeah, they may not know what the word is, or why you said "FRAK this place", but they will still know. They might think you wanted to say FU-CK, but didn't and used another word so as not to offend...which, if you think about it, was why the word was created for TV...

So...tonight, when you get you're out about town, go up to a cop and tell him he's a Mother Fraker...or...ask him if he FRAKS little girls..see where that gets you...

Using this argument, I could drop in any word that sounds like vaguely like "fuck" and convert it to be a swear word, making the sci-fi connection irrelevant.

"My landlord can be a gooddim motherforker sometimes."
"I'd fick her so hard her head will spin."
"What the fluck is going on here??"

It would just make someone look really strange or socially inept if they actually used the sci-fi pseudo-swears or language like "nanoo nanoo" that you're suggesting in a serious conversation.

 

[Mistral]

Frak isn't stupid-it's shiny! Hezmana, what's the deal here? Utilizing slang in one form or another has a fine tradition in this country-and in others. I don't think the source is important-only whether it catches on or not. In fact, I think it is a part of human nature to alter and twist the language to suit our whims. Any new word that feels fun on the tongue will get used. I think it tips the pleasure receptors in our brain to use such. This dren about Western Civilization being frelled up is just that. It may be messed up but I don't think it's because of language usage. T'Baio takes the negative stance on everything so don't reflect on his words too closely-you'll only get depressed. Whatever the problems with our culture, utilizing fun slang words is hardly the source of the difficulty, and it's silly to think so. Shazbot!

Again...I said culture, not civilization.

Secondly, my point isn't it being retarded that people like BSG and say frak, my point is that it's ridiculous that a network can be fined millions of dollars for broadcasting "fuck" because of how offensive it is, but we just create a new word that everyone knows means the same thing and that's okay. It doesn't make any sense and is pointlessly silly.

It's just as pointless that sex, something the majority of adults in this country indulge in, is not allowed to be shown. Hinted at, referenced, sometimes even simulated but sex, and along with it, nudity, is verbotten while cutting off the finger of an 8 yr old child is allowed. (I'm referring to the Bones re-run I watched at 5pm yesterday.) Hypocrisy is everywhere.

Culture, civilization, without one the other doesn't really matter, now does it?

Sheep-I think you're off a bit. I've heard people I would never pick as BSG fans use frak. It's thrown me a bit when its happened but there you are. I heard it used on Conan and Jimmy Fallon wore a t-shirt that said Frak NBC when he had #6 as a guest. Point is, the words are out there-and some have taken on a life of their own. Like Rob, I've been using that particular word Since 1979 or so-kept me from getting my mouth washed out with soap a couple times when I was younger.

 

[Kibbin]

I still use Smeg often and frequently, especially due it's colourfull usage in the show beyond the simple frak, fraks sakes etc as in Smeg head, smeg for brains etc etc

 

[T'Baio]

Frak isn't stupid-it's shiny! Hezmana, what's the deal here? Utilizing slang in one form or another has a fine tradition in this country-and in others. I don't think the source is important-only whether it catches on or not. In fact, I think it is a part of human nature to alter and twist the language to suit our whims. Any new word that feels fun on the tongue will get used. I think it tips the pleasure receptors in our brain to use such. This dren about Western Civilization being frelled up is just that. It may be messed up but I don't think it's because of language usage. T'Baio takes the negative stance on everything so don't reflect on his words too closely-you'll only get depressed. Whatever the problems with our culture, utilizing fun slang words is hardly the source of the difficulty, and it's silly to think so. Shazbot!

Again...I said culture, not civilization.

Secondly, my point isn't it being retarded that people like BSG and say frak, my point is that it's ridiculous that a network can be fined millions of dollars for broadcasting "fuck" because of how offensive it is, but we just create a new word that everyone knows means the same thing and that's okay. It doesn't make any sense and is pointlessly silly.

It's just as pointless that sex, something the majority of adults in this country indulge in, is not allowed to be shown. Hinted at, referenced, sometimes even simulated but sex, and along with it, nudity, is verbotten while cutting off the finger of an 8 yr old child is allowed. (I'm referring to the Bones re-run I watched at 5pm yesterday.) Hypocrisy is everywhere.

Exactly. And it's ridiculous. So what's with the snark?

 

[Klaus]

I thought it was just "mebs"?

After a brief search, I stand corrected. Never saw it written before lol... must be those French accents!

 

[Checkmate]

I hate the word "frak." It's awkward, clumsy, and doesn't come at all naturally as a replacement for "fuck" for me. Farscape had far better replacements for profanity; "frell" flows very naturally off the tongue and "yotz" is just fun to say.

As for replacements being more socially acceptable than the profane term they're replacing, hasn't that always been the case? It's just simple politeness. It's little different than saying "sex" or "making love" instead of "fucking," or telling someone "I should get going, I have to get up early in the morning" instead of "fuck off, asshole, I'm sick of your God damned presence." (Somehow I'm not at all surprised people on the Internet have trouble with this concept.)

Words, and the way they're used, have specific purposes. Using "frak" instead of "fuck" is simply a way of conveying the same concept without having to be as vulgar or crass.

 

[Chris3123]

I actually use the word "frak" quite often. It has become part of my regular vocabulary.

 

[Mistral]

Again...I said culture, not civilization.

Secondly, my point isn't it being retarded that people like BSG and say frak, my point is that it's ridiculous that a network can be fined millions of dollars for broadcasting "fuck" because of how offensive it is, but we just create a new word that everyone knows means the same thing and that's okay. It doesn't make any sense and is pointlessly silly.

It's just as pointless that sex, something the majority of adults in this country indulge in, is not allowed to be shown. Hinted at, referenced, sometimes even simulated but sex, and along with it, nudity, is verbotten while cutting off the finger of an 8 yr old child is allowed. (I'm referring to the Bones re-run I watched at 5pm yesterday.) Hypocrisy is everywhere.

Exactly. And it's ridiculous. So what's with the snark?

That you missed Rob's point. He was inquiring about scifi terms(silly or otherwise) that have crept into common usage. And he asked for examples-not a discourse on the pointlessness of word substitution. Beyond that, see Checkmate's comments above.

 

[T'Baio]

I'm sorry, Mistral, I didn't know there was a rule about going off on tangents or commenting on something that a thread reminded you of. Hard and fast rules, no one ever comments on anything but the exact topic. Right, noted for future reference.

As for Checkmate's comments, they don't even make sense in regards to my point. The one point, someone saying "I should get going, I have to get up early in the morning" instead of "fuck off, asshole, I'm sick of your God damned presence." has nothing to do with anything I said.

But whatever. Mistral, I should get going, I have to get up early in the morning.

 

[Checkmate]

Secondly, my point isn't it being retarded that people like BSG and say frak, my point is that it's ridiculous that a network can be fined millions of dollars for broadcasting "fuck" because of how offensive it is, but we just create a new word that everyone knows means the same thing and that's okay. It doesn't make any sense and is pointlessly silly.

Again, I'm not at all shocked that people on the Internet don't get it.

"Frak" and "fuck" don't mean exactly the same thing. The former is used to convey the intent of the latter without being as crude or crass. It's no different than saying something like "man, me and this beautiful woman made love ALL night long, and it was some serious lovemaking, my friend!" It's conveying, and said in exactly the same tone, the same thing as "man, me and this hot bitch fucked ALL night long, and it was some serious fucking, nigger!" The context alone can get the exact same point across, yet the latter is unnecessarily crass. Just like difference between "frak off" and "fuck off."

Masking the vulgarity to convey the exact same message is the entire point of the replacement words, and there's nothing at all silly about doing so. No more than using any other words to replace similar words in a less offensive fashion. Something the English language has in spades.

As a side note, I personally find it cute that you felt you had to censor yourself in your trolling/flaming post above considering your argument here. What's wrong? Afraid of the repercussions for being a crude-mouthed jerk?

 

[Chaos Descending]

Go ahead and replace FRAK with F-UCK, and people are going to 'get' the meaning without having scene BSG. I know, because I have been doing so for, oh, 35+ years maybe...

Yeah, they may not know what the word is, or why you said "FRAK this place", but they will still know. They might think you wanted to say FU-CK, but didn't and used another word so as not to offend...which, if you think about it, was why the word was created for TV...

So...tonight, when you get you're out about town, go up to a cop and tell him he's a Mother Fraker...or...ask him if he FRAKS little girls..see where that gets you...

Using this argument, I could drop in any word that sounds like vaguely like "fuck" and convert it to be a swear word, making the sci-fi connection irrelevant.

Yes. That's kind of the entire point of the tangent that you commented upon.

 

[Skellington]

I still use the occasional 'smeghead', but given what smeg is, it isn't exactly a made up swear. Just an obscure real one popularised by a sci-fi show.

It's still the only sci-fi swear word worth a frak.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I still use the occasional 'smeghead', but given what smeg is, it isn't exactly a made up swear. Just an obscure real one popularised by a sci-fi show.

Actually, Grant/Naylor have consistently denied that 'smeg' was inspired by 'smegma' (if that's what you were getting at).

 

[Sheep]

Go ahead and replace FRAK with F-UCK, and people are going to 'get' the meaning without having scene BSG. I know, because I have been doing so for, oh, 35+ years maybe...

Yeah, they may not know what the word is, or why you said "FRAK this place", but they will still know. They might think you wanted to say FU-CK, but didn't and used another word so as not to offend...which, if you think about it, was why the word was created for TV...

So...tonight, when you get you're out about town, go up to a cop and tell him he's a Mother Fraker...or...ask him if he FRAKS little girls..see where that gets you...

Using this argument, I could drop in any word that sounds like vaguely like "fuck" and convert it to be a swear word, making the sci-fi connection irrelevant.

Yes. That's kind of the entire point of the tangent that you commented upon.

Sorry--didn't finish my thought. Allow me to do so now.

Using this argument, I could drop in any word that sounds like vaguely like "fuck" and convert it to be a swear word, making the sci-fi connection irrelevant. It sounds equally retarded in everyday conversation whether it's a word from BSG or some other made up word I just pulled out of my ass dropped into a sentence instead of an actual swear word.

It's clear the OP was envisioning "frak" and "frell" becoming as common as "d'oh!" which will never, ever happen. We're a bunch of sci-fi geeks who might use it with other sci-fi geeks, but the general public doesn't have a clue about them unless you're willing to argue that BSG or Farscape is as well known by the masses as the Simpsons.

 

[Checkmate]

It's clear the OP was envisioning "frak" and "frell" becoming as common as "d'oh!" which will never, ever happen. We're a bunch of sci-fi geeks who might use it with other sci-fi geeks, but the general public doesn't have a clue about them unless you're willing to argue that BSG or Farscape is as well known by the masses as the Simpsons.

"D'oh" had the advantage of filling a niche that wasn't really filled by anything, too. Just random sound effects like "pof," "ugh," and maybe even "oops" depending on the situation. It wasn't an attempt to substitute for a profanity, though it can depending on the person and the act its being used for.

Which, again, is why it's become so popular. You could almost argue that such a word was actually needed in the language.

 

[T'Baio]

I censored myself?

 

[Gecko of Gorn]

I use bastich.

A lot.

Possibly more than The Main Man himself.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

Non-sci-fi-wise, I do occasionally use feck, followed by drink, girls, and arse!

Knickers! Women's Knickers! And Arsebiscuits!