156-456: Shit is an English-language profanity . As a noun, it refers to fecal matter, and as a verb it means to defecate ; in the plural ("the shits"), it means diarrhea . Shite is a common variant in British and Irish English . As a slang term, shit has many meanings, including: nonsense, foolishness, something of little value or quality, trivial and usually boastful or inaccurate talk or
312-408: A shit-eating grin means the person wearing it may be displaying self-satisfaction, smugness, embarrassment, or mischief. It may also be a playful evasion, as a response to the query "I'll bet you drank the whole bottle of booze yourself, didn't you?" The expression no shit? (a contraction of no bullshit? ) is used in response to a statement that is extraordinary or hard to believe. Alternatively
468-510: A pejorative for a menial worker or other low class person. `within the world of (ii) a performer or fan of country-and-western music. The term shitkicker may be substituted with the less vulgar "chipkicker", as in Lyle Lovett 's song "Give back my heart" on Pontiac , where a girl in a "cowboy-looking bar" is described as a "chipkicker-redneck woman". The word shithead is a commonly heard insult. A shithead may also be referred to as
624-469: A sewage treatment facility, or to be composted elsewhere. There are numerous licensed waste hauling companies providing such service in areas where it is needed in developed countries, although in developing countries such services are not well regulated and are often carried out by untrained, unskilled and unprotected informal workers. When managed and treated correctly to achieve a high degree of pathogen kill, fecal sludge from pit latrines could be used as
780-420: A shit-for-brains . Another word for a spectacularly stupid (or contemptible) person is dipshit . Shithead is also the name of a card game. In North American slang, prefixing the article the to shit gives it a completely opposite definition, meaning the best , as in, for example " Altered Beast is the shit". Other slang words of the same meaning, such as crap , are not used in such locutions. To wear
936-582: A sin . Profanity includes slurs , but most profanities are not slurs, and there are many insults that do not use swear words. Swear words can be discussed or even sometimes used for the same purpose without causing offense or being considered impolite if they are obscured (e.g. "fuck" becomes "f***" or "the f-word") or substituted with a minced oath like "flip". Profanity may be described as offensive language, dirty words, or taboo words, among other descriptors. The term profane originates from classical Latin profanus , literally ' before (outside)
1092-402: A toilet seat . On top of the drop hole there can either be nothing (this is the simplest form of a pit latrine) or there can be a squatting pan, seat (pedestal) or bench which can be made of concrete, ceramic, plastic or wood. A shelter, shed, small building or "super-structure" houses the squatting pan or toilet seat and provides privacy and protection from the weather for the user. Ideally,
1248-469: A bloody miracle , or as an adverb, such as in they drove damn fast . One type of adverbial profanity is to use it as a modal adverb , such as in no you fucking can't . Compound words can be created to create a new modifier, such as pisspoor . Many European languages use profanity to add emphasis to question words in the form of who the hell are you? or with a preposition in the form of what in God's name
1404-467: A brick shithouse is used in the United States to compliment a curvaceous woman, but in other English-speaking countries to compliment men with athletic physiques. This meaning originates from the observation that most shithouses are rather ramshackle affairs constructed of plywood or scrap sheets of steel. The shitter is a slang term for a toilet, and can be used like the phrase ... down
1560-462: A case of using the name of one group to demean another, Hun came to be associated with a brutish caricature of Germans, first during the Renaissance and again during World War I . Some terms for people of low class or status can become generically profane or derogatory. English examples include villain , lewd , and scum . Profanity is used to indicate the speaker's emotional state, and
1716-435: A comedic effect. Profanity often presents as formulaic language , in which specific words can only be used in specific phrases, often developed through grammaticalization . Many of these phrases allow words to be swapped, presenting variations on a phrase like what in the bloody heck , why in the flamin' hell , and how in the fuckin' hell . Profane phrases can be used as anaphoric pronouns , such as replacing him with
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#17327810626031872-484: A contemptible person. It could also be used to refer to any other noun in general or as an expression of annoyance, surprise or anger. The word is likely derived from Old English , having the nouns scite (dung, attested only in place names) and scitte (diarrhoea) and the verb scītan (to defecate, attested only in bescītan , to cover with excrement); eventually it morphed into Middle English schītte (excrement), schyt (diarrhoea) and shiten (to defecate), and it
2028-541: A feeling of being favorably impressed or disgusted. Similar utterances might be damn! , wow! or yuck! . Piece of shit may also be used figuratively to describe a particularly loathsome individual, or an object that is of poor quality ("this car is a piece of shit ", often abbreviated to "P.O.S."). One study published in 2017 argued that "shit studies" is a cross-disciplinary meta-field of rhetorical inquiry about human communication and reasoning. The authors explained, "rhetorical studies has theorized 'shit' in terms of
2184-464: A fertilizer due to its high nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter content. However, it is hard to ensure that this is done in a safe manner. The number of viable helminth eggs is commonly used as an indicator organism to make a statement about the pathogen load in a fecal sludge sample. Helminth eggs are very persistent to most treatment methods and are therefore a good indicator. A range of commercial products are available which claim to help reduce
2340-405: A generic mass noun similar to stuff ; for instance, This show is funny (as) shit or This test is hard (as) shit , or That was stupid shit . These three usages (with funny , hard , and stupid or another synonym of stupid ) are heard most commonly in the United States. Using "as" denotes a subtle change in the meaning of the expression; however, the overall intent is basically the same. In
2496-502: A given context. Those still learning a language, such as children and non-native speakers, are more likely to use profane language without realizing that it is profane. Acceptable environments for profanity are learned in childhood as children find themselves chastised for swearing in some places more than others. Swearing is often milder among young children, and they place more stigma on terms that are not seen as profane by adults, like fart or dork . Young children are more likely to use
2652-403: A limited size and therefore pit latrines are often built much closer to groundwater wells than what can be regarded as safe. This results in groundwater pollution and household members falling sick when using this groundwater as a source of drinking water. As a very general guideline it is recommended that the bottom of the pit should be at least 2 metres (6 feet) above groundwater level, and
2808-473: A local or magistrates court. Police also have the power to issue fixed penalty notices to alleged offenders. It is a defence in some Australian jurisdictions to have "a reasonable excuse" to conduct oneself in the manner alleged. In Brazil, the Penal Code does not contain any penalties for profanity in public immediately. However, direct offenses against one can be considered a crime against honor , with
2964-473: A low-cost method of separating feces from people. A pit latrine generally consists of three major parts: a hole in the ground, a concrete slab or floor with a small hole, and a shelter. The shelter is also called an outhouse . The pit is typically at least three meters (10 ft) deep and one meter (3 ft) across. The hole in the slab should not be larger than 25 cm (10 in) to prevent children falling in. Light should be prevented from entering
3120-462: A metaphor suggesting that trouble for a manager may be transferred to the subordinates. There are a number of anecdotes and jokes about such situations, as the imagery of these situations is considered to be funny. This is generally tied-in with the concept that disgusting and messy substances spilled onto someone else are humorous. For someone to be described as shitfaced means that person is essentially incapacitated by alcoholic intoxication (i.e. in
3276-424: A minimum horizontal distance of 30 metres (98 feet) between a pit and a water source is normally recommended to limit exposure to microbial contamination. However, no general statement should be made regarding the minimum lateral separation distances required to prevent contamination of a well from a pit latrine. For example, even 50 metres (164 feet) of lateral separation distance might not be sufficient in
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#17327810626033432-424: A number of ways. One includes adding a ventilation pipe from the pit to above the structure. This improves airflow and decreases the smell of the toilet. It also can reduce flies when the top of the pipe is covered with mesh (usually made out of fiberglass ). In these types of toilets a lid need not be used to cover the hole in the floor. Other possible improvements include a floor constructed so fluid drains into
3588-475: A penalty of imprisonment of one to three months or a fine. The analysis of the offence is considered "subjective", depending on the context of the discussion and the relationship between the parts. Section 175 of Canada's Criminal Code makes it a criminal offence to "cause a disturbance in or near a public place" by "swearing […] or using insulting or obscene language". Provinces and municipalities may also have their laws against swearing in public. For instance,
3744-946: A person as one who masturbates are often used as terms of abuse, such as the English use of jerk-off and wanker . Terms for sexually promiscuous women can be used as profanity, such English terms like hussy and slut . Reference to prostitution brings its own set of profanities. Many profane words exist to refer to a prostitute, such as whore in English, putain in French, puttana in Italian, kurwa in Polish, блять ( blyat' ) in Russian, and puta in Spanish. Some languages, including German and Swedish, do not see significant use of sexual terms as profanity. Profanities for
3900-419: A person who either overestimates his own worth or ability, or is highly estimated by others ("He thinks he's some hot shit!" or "He's one hot shit!"). In polite company the euphemism hotshot may be substituted when referring to a person. A speaker may show dominance through arrogance using the phrase His shit don't stink . Its grammatical incorrectness highlights the self-importance of the referent relative to
4056-473: A piece of shit would imply irony and would therefore undermine the strength of the statement. The phrase "(I don't) give a shit" can be used when one does not care about something, or has a passive attitude toward said thing, as it denotes indifference . In context, one can say: "You're offended? Well, I don't give a shit!" or "You're telling me? Go find somebody who gives a shit." President Richard Nixon said to aide H.R. Haldeman while being tape recorded in
4212-406: A pit and a water source and 2 metres (6') between the bottom of the pit and the groundwater table is normally recommended to limit exposure to microbial contamination. A further improvement is the use of a second pit which is used in alternation with the first pit. It means that the first pit can rest for the duration of time it takes to fill up the second pit. When the second pit is also full, then
4368-416: A pit latrine is the use of a pit, which infiltrates liquids into the ground and acts as a device for storage and very limited treatment. Pit latrines are sometimes also referred to as " dry toilets ". However, some pit latrines do use water for flushing and are therefore not a "dry toilet". Dry toilets is an overarching term used for several types of toilets, and only refers to the type of user interface, not
4524-404: A pit or septic tank are counted as being " improved sanitation " facilities as they are more likely to hygienically separate human excreta from human contact. The user positions themself over the small drop hole during use. The size of the feces drop hole in the floor or slab should not be larger than 25 cm (10 in) to prevent children falling in. Light should be prevented from entering
4680-592: A plague on others. The names of various diseases are used as profane words in some languages; Pokkers ( transl. pox ) appears in both Danish and Norwegian as an exclamation and an intensifier. Death is another common theme in Asian languages such as Cantonese . Terminology of mental illness has become more prominent as profanity in the Western world, with terms such as idiot and retard challenging one's mental competency. Profane phrases directed at
4836-478: A profane term can vary between dialects within the same language. Publishers of dictionaries must take profanity into consideration when deciding what words to include, especially when they are subject to obscenity laws. They may be wary of appearing to endorse the use of profane language by its inclusion. Slang dictionaries have historically been used to cover profanity in lieu of more formal dictionaries. In some cultures, there are situations where profanity
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4992-548: A result, sanitation coverage in India has increased from just 39% in October 2014 to almost 98% in 2019. It is estimated that 85 million pit latrines have been built due to that campaign as of 2018. Another example from India is the "No Toilet, No Bride" campaign which promotes toilet uptake by encouraging women to refuse to marry men who do not own a toilet. Depending on the region, the term "pit latrine" may be used to denote
5148-503: A sentence's length without changing its meaning. The use of expletive sometimes refers specifically to profanity as an interjection . Epithet is used to describe profanities directed at a specific person. Some languages do not have a general term for the use of profanities, instead describing it with the phrase "using bad language". These include Mandarin ( zang hua ), Portuguese ( palavrao ), Spanish ( decir palabrotas ), and Turkish ( küfur etmek ). Historical profanity
5304-563: A significant expense to the households in the longer term. In India, Japan's LIXIL Group has supplied tens of thousands of twin pit toilet systems that costs $ 10 or less apiece (in 2018). Recurring expenditure costs are between US$ 1.5 and $ 4 per person per year for a traditional pit latrine. This includes operational and minor expenditure, capital maintenance expenditure and expenditure on direct support but does not include pit emptying costs. The total recurrent expenditure for more "upmarket" pit latrines has been estimated to be $ 2.5–8.5 for
5460-552: A similar manner to swearing , especially in the United States. Cursing originally referred specifically to the use of language to cast a curse on someone, and in American English it is still commonly associated with wishing harm on another. Equivalents to cursing are used similarly in Danish ( bande ), Italian ( imprecare ), and Norwegian ( banne ). The terms swearing and cursing have strong associations with
5616-484: A social environment as informal, and mark the speaker as part of an in-group . The way speakers use profanity in social settings allows them to project their identity and personality through communication style, and in some circumstances it can be used as a method used to impress one's peers. Stylistic swearing is used to add emphasis or intensity to speech, which can be used to emphasize an idea in an aggressive or authoritative fashion, make an idea memorable, or produce
5772-469: A specific demographic. These are used to project xenophobia and prejudice , often through the use of stereotypes . They typically develop in times of increased contact of conflict between different races or ethnic groups, including times of war between two or more nations. Terms for minority groups are sometimes used as swears. This can apply to both profane terms such as kike or non-profane terms such as gay . Many of these are culture-specific. In
5928-399: A state of high excitement or unbridled rage.) Are you shitting me?! is a question sometimes given in response to an incredible assertion. An answer that reasserts the veracity of the claim is, I shit you not . Perhaps the only constant connotation that shit reliably carries is that its referent holds some degree of emotional intensity for the speaker. Whether offense is taken at hearing
6084-504: A strongly karstified system with a downgradient supply well or spring, while 10 metres (32 feet) of lateral separation distance is completely sufficient if there is a well developed clay cover layer and the annular space of the groundwater well is well sealed. If the local hydrogeological conditions (which can vary within a space of a few square kilometres; a square mile or two) are ignored, pit latrines can cause significant public health risks via contaminated groundwater. In addition to
6240-404: A swear. The Cockney dialect of English uses rhyming slang to alter terms, including profanity; titty is rhymed as Bristol city , which is then abbreviated as bristols . Speakers and authors may engage in self-censorship under legal or social pressure. In the 21st century, censorship through social pressure is associated with political correctness in Western society. This has led to
6396-440: A term of abuse for a dishonest person in a criminal setting. Profanity is often associated with lower class professions like soldiers and carters . Expectancy violations theory holds that expectations about a speaker's behavior come from impressions based not only on the speaker's identity, but how the specific speaker typically communicates and the socially expected way to speak to a given listener. Swearing in formal contexts
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6552-753: A term of abuse with klotzaak . Words for the buttocks are used as a term of disapproval in many languages, including English ( ass or arse ), French ( cul ), Polish ( dupa ), Russian ( жопа , zhopa ), and Spanish ( culo ). Similar words for the anus appear in languages like Danish ( røvhul ), English ( asshole or arsehole ), German ( Arschloch ), Icelandic ( rassgat ), Norwegian ( rasshøl ), and Polish ( dupek ). Excrement and related concepts are commonly invoked in profanity. European examples include shit in English, merde in French, scheiss in German, and stronzo in Italian. Illness has historically been used to swear by wishing
6708-527: A thoroughly drunken state). Shit can comfortably stand in for the terms bad and anything in many instances ( Dinner was good, but the movie was shit. You're all mad at me, but I didn't do shit! ). A comparison can also be used, as in Those pants look like shit , or This stuff tastes like shit . Many usages are idiomatic . I'm shit out of luck usually refers to someone who is at the end of their wits or who has no remaining viable options. In polite company
6864-511: A toilet that has a squatting pan with a water seal or siphon (more accurately termed a pour-flush pit latrine – very common in South East Asia for example) or simply a hole in the ground without a water seal (also called a simple pit latrine) – the common type in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Whilst a dry toilet can be with or without urine diversion , a pit latrine is almost always without urine diversion. The key characteristic of
7020-424: A vulgar word can constitute a swear word. Conversely, words with greater connotative senses are not always used profanely. Bastard and son of a bitch are more readily used as general terms of abuse in English compared to terrorist and rapist , despite the latter two being terms being associated with strongly immoral behavior. Some profane phrases are used metaphorically in a way that still retains elements of
7176-676: Is deep doo-doo ). A shitstorm would be quite a lot of trouble happening all in one place at one time. It's common for someone to refer to an unpleasant thing as hard shit ( You got a speeding ticket? Man, that's some hard shit ), but the phrase tough shit is used as an unsympathetic way of saying too bad to whoever is having problems ( You got arrested? Tough shit, man! ) or as a way of expressing to someone that they need to stop complaining about something and cope with it instead (Billy: I got arrested because of you! Tommy: Tough shit, dude, you knew you might get arrested when you chose to come with me. ) Note that in this case, as in many cases with
7332-419: Is eat shit! (cf coprophagy ) expressing contempt. Some other personal word may be added such as eat my shit implying truly personal connotations. As an aside, the above is actually a contraction of the phrase eat shit and die! . It is often said without commas as a curse; they command the other party to perform exactly those actions in that order. However, the term was originally Eat, Shit, and Die naming
7488-406: Is a greater violation of expectations than swearing in informal conversation. Whether the profanity is spoken in public or private is also a factor in social acceptability. Conversations that involve profanity are correlated with other informal manners of speech, such as slang, humor, and discussion of sexuality. Native speakers of a language can intuitively decide what language is appropriate for
7644-447: Is a one-time-use pit toilet often utilized by campers , hikers and other outdoor recreationalists . Also referred to as the "cat method," it is formed by simply digging a hole in the ground just large enough to hold the feces from one defecation event. After use, the hole is refilled with the soil that was dug out. The requirements for safe pit emptying and fecal sludge management are often forgotten by those building pit latrines, as
7800-459: Is a priority for many developing countries where many new pit latrines have been built in rural areas in recent years, such as in Bangladesh. Fecal sludge that has been removed from pits manually or with vacuum tankers is often dumped into the environment indiscriminately, leading to what has been called "institutionalized open defecation ". The fecal sludge may be transported by road to
7956-402: Is a risk of groundwater pollution when pits are located in areas with a high or variable water table, and/or fissures or cracks in the bedrock. As soil and groundwater properties are often unknown, it is difficult to estimate the distance necessary between a pit and a water source. It is normally recommended to have a minimum horizontal distance of 30 metres (yards) between them to limit exposing
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#17327810626038112-445: Is a shit sandwich. The more bread (money) you got, the less shit you have to eat." Up shit creek or especially Up shit creek without a paddle describes a situation in which one is in severe difficulties with no apparent means of solution (this is simply a profane version of the older saying "up the creek without a paddle", profanity added for emphasis or humor). Shit happens means that bad happenings in life are inevitable. This
8268-498: Is also the disadvantage that pit latrines have to be outdoors which creates security issues at night. In conditions where pit latrines are not suitable, the installations of other types of toilets can be considered, e.g. the urine-diverting dry toilet (UDDT). Pit latrines collect human feces in a hole in the ground. The principle of a pit latrine is that all liquids that enter the pit – in particular urine and water used for anal cleansing – seep into
8424-456: Is another form of euphemism, with English examples including the replacement of fuck with the f-word or effing and the use of " four-letter words " to refer to profanity in general. Chinese and some Southeast Asian languages use puns and sound-alikes to create alternate swear words. The Chinese word for bird, niao , rhymes with the Chinese word for penis and is frequently invoked as
8580-536: Is associated with neurological conditions such as Tourette syndrome , dementia , and epilepsy . The ability to use profanity can remain intact even when neurological trauma causes aphasia . Frequent swearing is more common among people with damage to the brain or other parts of the nervous system . Damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex can negatively affect one's ability to control their use of profanity and other socially inappropriate behaviors. Damage to Broca's area and other language-processing regions of
8736-498: Is associated with the right hemisphere . Swearing is associated with both language-processing parts of the brain, the left frontal and temporal lobes, as well as the emotion-processing parts, the right cerebrum and the amygdala . The association of emotional swearing with the amygdala and other parts of the limbic system suggests that some uses of profanity are related to the fight-or-flight response . Profanity requires more mental processing than other forms of language, and
8892-409: Is believed to be able to prevent nearly 90% of deaths due to infectious diarrhea. Disadvantages of pit latrines may include: In developing countries the construction cost for a simple pit toilet is between about US$ 25 and 60 . This cost figure has a wide range because the costs vary a lot depending on the type of soil, the depth and reinforcement of the pit, the superstructure that
9048-605: Is common in Polish, for example, while swearing in Dutch is more commonly in reference to disease. Words for excrement and for the buttocks have profane variants across most cultures. Though religious swears were historically more severe, modern society across much of the world has come to see sexual and anatomical swears to be more vulgar. Common profane phrases sometimes incorporate more than one category of profanity for increased effect. The Spanish phrase me cago en Dios y en la Puta Virgen ( transl. I shit on God and on
9204-682: Is considered acceptable, including its presence in the home and children's access to broadcasts. Profanity may be avoided when discussing taboo subjects through euphemisms . Euphemisms were historically used to avoid invoking the names of malevolent beings. Euphemisms are commonly expressed as metaphors, such as make love or sleep with as descriptors of sexual intercourse. Euphemisms can be alternate descriptors such as white meat instead of breast meat , or they may be generic terms such as unmentionables . Minced oaths are euphemisms that modify swear words until they are no longer profane, such as darn instead of damn in English. Substitution
9360-634: Is difficult to reconstruct, as written records may not reflect spoken language. Despite being relatively well known compared to other linguistic mechanisms, profanity has historically been understudied because of its taboo nature. Profanity may be studied as an aspect of linguistics and sociology, or it can be a psychological and neurological subject. Besides interpersonal communication, understanding of profanity has legal implications and related to theories of language learning. In modern European languages, swearing developed from early Christianity, primarily through restrictions on taking God's name in vain in
9516-442: Is disagreement as to whether freedom of speech should permit all forms of profane speech, including hate speech, or if such forms of speech can be justifiably restricted. Censorship is used to restrict or penalize profanity, and governments may implement laws that disallow certain acts of profanity, including legal limitations on the broadcast of profanity over radio or television. Broadcasting has unique considerations as to what
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#17327810626039672-407: Is done involuntarily as an emotional response to excitement or displeasure. Frequent swearing can become a habit, even if the speaker does not have a specific intention of being profane. Profanity is often used as a slot filler, which functions as a modifier , and modifying a noun with a swear is commonly used to indicate dislike. A profane word can modify words as an adjective, such as in it's
9828-553: Is especially common in Arabic. Self-immolating oaths, such as I'll be damned , involve speakers casting harm upon themselves. These are often invoked as conditional statements based on whether something is true— I'll be damned if... Profanity directed at an individual can take the form of an unfriendly suggestion. English examples include go to hell and kiss my ass . Some profanities, such as your mother ! , imply taboos or swear words without using them explicitly. Whether speech
9984-422: Is generally shit or some shit ; a single deposit of feces is sometimes a shit or a piece of shit ; and to defecate is to shit or to take a shit . While it is common to speak of shit as existing in a pile , a load , a hunk , and other quantities and configurations, such expressions flourish most strongly in the figurative. When uttered as an exclamation or interjection , shit may convey astonishment or
10140-407: Is good etiquette. A tradition exists in some parts of China that a bride was expected to speak profanely to her groom's family in the days before the wedding, and one Aboriginal Australian culture uses profanity to denote class. The idea of censoring taboo ideas exists in all cultures. Swearing inappropriately can be punished socially, and public swearing can bring about legal consequences. There
10296-438: Is likely unrelated. The word shit (also shite in British and Hiberno-English ) is considered profanity and is usually avoided in formal speech. Minced oath substitutes for the word shit in English include shoot , shucks , sugar , and the euphemistic backronym , Sugar, Honey, Ice(d) Tea . In the word's literal sense, it has a rather small range of common usages. An unspecified or collective occurrence of feces
10452-508: Is most common in Russian. Though profanity exists in nearly all cultures, there is variation in when it is used and how it affects the meaning of speech. Each language has unique profane phrases influenced by culture. Japanese is sometimes described as having no swear words, though it has a concept of warui kotoba ( transl. bad words ) that are not based on taboos but are otherwise functionally equivalent to swears. One linguistic theory proposes that sound symbolism influences
10608-448: Is often seen as more socially acceptable when coming from men, and it is commonly associated with machismo . Profanity varies in how it affects a speaker's credibility. It can be seen as unprofessional in some circumstances, but it can make an argument more persuasive in others. Milder words can become more impactful in different circumstances; cheat may be more provocative in schools or gambling clubs, and informer replaces crook as
10764-402: Is often used as an exclamation to charge someone who is believed to be prone to dishonesty, exaggeration or is thought to be "phoney" with an accusation. For example: The word bullshit also denotes false or insincere discourse. ( Horseshit is roughly equivalent, while chickenshit means cowardly , batshit indicates a person is crazy, and going apeshit indicates a person is entering
10920-494: Is profane depends on context, because what is taboo or impolite in one environment might not be in another. Swear words vary in their intensity, and speakers of a language might disagree that weaker swear words are actually profane. Isolated profanities are often seen as more profane than those used in context. The identity of the speaker affects how profanity is seen, as different cultures may hold classes, sexes, age groups, and other identities to different standards. Profanity
11076-417: Is simple enough, as the actual substance striking the rotating blades of a fan would cause a messy and unpleasant situation (much like being in the presence of a manure spreader ). Whether or not this has actually happened, or if the concept is simply feasible enough for most people to imagine the result without needing it to be demonstrated, is unknown. Another example might be the saying shit rolls downhill ,
11232-591: Is sometimes made between religious profanity, which is casual, versus blasphemy, which is intentionally leveled against a religious concept. It was commonly believed among early civilizations that speaking about certain things can invoke them or bring about curses. Many cultures have taboos about speaking the names of evil creatures such as Satan because of these historical fears. Religions commonly develop derogatory words for those who are not among their members. Medieval Christianity developed terms like heathen and infidel to describe outsiders. Secularization in
11388-505: Is sometimes used to describe a person who inspires displeasure or disgust, as in: "You're lower than whale shit at the bottom of the ocean!" “You can’t polish shit” is a popular aphorism roughly equivalent to "putting Lipstick on a pig " (although "a turd" is more commonly used). However, the TV show Mythbusters showed you can, in fact, polish a turd. Shit can also be used to establish social superiority over someone else. The most common gibe
11544-595: Is that? . Modifier profanities are frequently used as an expletive attributive , or intensifiers that put emphasis on specific ideas. These commonly take the form of interjections to express strong emotion, such as the English examples bloody hell and for fuck's sake . Such stand-alone profanities are among the most common in natural speech. Expletive infixation is the use of a profane word as an intensifier inside of another word, such as modifying absolutely to become abso-fucking-lutely . Some languages use swear words that can generically replace nouns and verbs. This
11700-587: Is to dismiss or dispose of casually or unceremoniously, as into a waste basket. Shitcan can also be used as a noun: Don't bother; a report like this is gonna go directly into the shitcan. It can also refer to being fired from a job: "The boss is gonna shitcan you if you keep showing up late." The backronym form "S.H.I.T." often figures into jokes, like Special High Intensity Training (a well-known joke used in job applications), Special Hot Interdiction Team (a mockery on SWAT ), any college name that begins with an S-H (like South Harmon Institute of Technology in
11856-462: Is to incorporate a counter-weighted trap door mechanism that provides an air-tight water seal in the closed position. The addition of a small amount of water (generally less than 500 ml; 1 pint) overcomes the counterweight and allows the fecal matter to enter the pit. The devices are sold under the name of "SaTo pan" for as little as US$ 1.85, and more than 800,000 of them have been installed worldwide since their introduction in 2013. A cat hole
12012-491: Is usually spoken with a sigh or a shrug, but can be spoken derisively to someone who complains too often about his ill fortunes, or in an irritating manner. When the shit hits the fan is usually used to refer to a specific time of confrontation or trouble, which requires decisive action. This is often used in reference to combat situations and the action scenes in movies, but can also be used for everyday instances that one might be apprehensive about. I don't want to be here when
12168-637: Is virtually certain that it was used in some form by preliterate Germanic tribes at the time of the Roman Empire . The word may be further traced to Proto-Germanic * skit -, and ultimately to Proto-Indo-European * skheid - "cut, separate", the same root believed to have become the word shed . The word has several cognates in modern Germanic languages , such as German Scheiße , Dutch schijt , Swedish skit , Icelandic skítur , Norwegian skitt etc. Ancient Greek had 'skōr' (gen. 'skatos' hence 'scato-'), from Proto-Indo-European * sker -, which
12324-596: The Gospel of Matthew implies condemnation of all swearing, though only the Quakers have imposed such a ban. Islam , Judaism , and Brahmanism forbid mention of God's name entirely. In some countries, profanity words often have pagan roots that after Christian influence were turned from names of deities and spirits to profanity and used as such, like perkele in Finnish, which was believed to be an original name of
12480-492: The Old Testament . Invocations of God were seen as attempts to call upon his power, willing something to be true or leveling a curse. Other mentions of God were seen as placing oneself over him, with the person uttering a name implying power over the name's owner. Modern study of profanity as its own subject of inquiry had started by 1901. Sigmund Freud influenced study of the topic by positing that swearing reflects
12636-705: The Oval Office , "I don't give a shit about the lira." He meant he was too busy managing the Watergate affair to consider a crisis in the Italian monetary system. The shit list is a category of people who are in ill favor with some individual or group of people, perhaps as the managers of a company, and likely to be the targets of special treatment. The phrase "take shit" means to receive bad or frivolous treatment from someone. Such an abused person might say "I'm not taking any more of your shit!" to indicate that they will no longer tolerate such treatment. Whale shit
12792-662: The Western world has seen exclamations such as God! divorced from their religious connotations. Religious profanity is not inherent to all languages, being absent from Japanese, indigenous languages of the Americas , and most Polynesian languages . European languages historically used the crucifixion of Jesus as a focal point for profane interjections. Phrases meaning "death of God" were used in languages like English (' Sdeath ), French ( Mort de Dieu ), and Swedish ( Guds död ) Christian profanity encompasses both appeals to
12948-406: The Italian porco dio ( transl. pig of a God ). Animal-related profanity is distinct from other forms in that it is used similarly across different languages. Terms for dogs are among the most common animal swears across languages, alongside those for cows, donkeys, and pigs. Swear words related to monkeys are common in Arabic and East Asian cultures. Slurs are words that target
13104-524: The Municipal Code of Toronto bars "profane or abusive language" in public parks. In June 2016, a man in Halifax, Nova Scotia , was arrested for using profane language at a protest against Bill C-51 . Pit toilet A pit latrine , also known as pit toilet , is a type of toilet that collects human waste in a hole in the ground. Urine and feces enter the pit through a drop hole in
13260-426: The acronym SOL is commonly substituted for this. That little shit shot me in the ass , suggests a mischievous or contemptuous person. Euphemisms such as crap are not usually used in this context. The exclamations oh shit! and aw shit! are used to express displeasure or embarrassment (sometimes facetiously) with oneself when one makes a mistake, especially a stupid or avoidable mistake. When used to comment on
13416-624: The actions of someone else, they can take on a more humorous quality if the mistake does not result in serious consequences. Oh shit! is also a reflexive expression of horror or terror, as when witnessing or being involved in a life-threatening situation (for example, a vehicle accident). The term piece of shit is generally used to classify a product or service as being sufficiently below the writer's understanding of generally accepted quality standards to be of negligible and perhaps even negative value. The term piece of shit has greater precision than shit or shitty in that piece of shit identifies
13572-431: The attraction for flies. To ensure that there is a flow of air through the latrine, there must be adequate ventilation of the superstructure. This is usually achieved by leaving openings above and below the door, or by constructing a spiral wall without a door. Covering the feces with an absorbent decreases smell and discourages flies. These may include soil, sawdust, ash, or lime, among others. In developing countries,
13728-480: The bastard in tell the bastard to mind his own business . They can similarly be used to support a noun instead of replacing it, such as in John is a boring son of a bitch . Though profanity is usually associated with taboo words, obscene non-verbal acts such as hand gestures may be considered profane. Spitting in someone's direction has historically been seen as a strong insult. Exposure of certain body parts, often
13884-401: The brain can similarly make people prone to outbursts. Damage to the right hemisphere limits the ability to understand and regulate the emotional content of one's speech. In every Australian state and territory it is a crime to use offensive, indecent or insulting language in or near a public place. These offences are classed as summary offences . This means that they are usually tried before
14040-480: The chimney effect and flies are prevented from leaving the pit and spreading disease. Despite their simplicity, well-designed single VIPs can be completely smell free, and more pleasant to use than some other water-based technologies. Flies that hatch in the pit are attracted to the light at the top of the ventilation pipe. When they fly towards the light and try to escape, they are trapped by the flyscreen and die. The ventilation also allows odours to escape and minimizes
14196-399: The communication of transformation, style, and textual relations," particularly in relation to claims of expertise to topics such as "anti-semitism" and "wine-tasting." They conclude that bullshit speech is one-sided discourse that is difficult to penetrate because it contains "ideological barriers to the expectation of mutuality," working to deflect critical responses. Shit can be used as
14352-1127: The divine, such as God or heaven, and to the diabolic, such as the Devil or hell. While the impact of religious swearing has declined in the Christian world, diabolic swearing remains profane in Germany and the Nordic countries . Islamic profanity lacks a diabolic element, referring only to divine concepts like Muhammad or holy places. Words related to Catholicism, known as sacres , are used in Quebec French profanity , and are considered to be stronger than other profane words in French. Examples of sacres considered profane in Quebec are tabarnak ( tabernacle ), hostie ( host ), and sacrament ( sacrament ). When used as profanities, sacres are often interchangeable. The Book of Leviticus indicates that blasphemous language warrants death, while
14508-441: The end of the 20th century. Another increase in the study of profanity took place with the onset of the 21st century. Profanities have literal meanings, but they are invoked to indicate a state of mind, making them dependent almost entirely on connotation and emotional associations with the word, as opposed to literal denotation . The connotative function of profanity allows the denotative meaning to shift more easily, causing
14664-414: The expression Get your shit together! , the word shit can refer either to one's wits or composure or to one's things, gear, etc. He doesn't have his shit together means that his affairs are disordered, reflecting not bad luck or forces beyond his control, but his personal shortcomings. To shoot the shit is to have a friendly but pointless conversation, as in "Come by my place some time and we'll shoot
14820-422: The feces to decrease the smell in the case of pit latrines without a water seal. This is however not common practice for users in developing countries. Users often do not expect a pit latrine to be odour free, and endure the smell. Advantages of pit latrines may include: Measures to improve access to safe water , sanitation and better hygiene, which includes the use of pit latrines instead of open defecation ,
14976-596: The film Accepted (2006), and Ship High In Transit (or the variant Store High In Transit in the film Kenny (2006)). South Hudson Institute of Technology has sometimes been used to describe the United States Military Academy at West Point. In polite company, sometimes backronyms such as Sugar Honey in Tea or Sugar Honey Ice(d) Tea are used. Profanity Profanity , also known as swearing , cursing , or cussing , involves
15132-407: The first pit is emptied. The fecal sludge collected in that first pit has in the meantime undergone some degree of pathogen reduction although this is unlikely to be complete. This is a common design for so-called twin-pit pour flush toilets and increases the safety for those having to enter the pit. Also VIP latrines are sometimes built with two pits, although for VIP toilets one problem can be that
15288-702: The floor, which might be connected to a toilet seat or squatting pan for user comfort. Pit latrines can be built to function without water ( dry toilet ) or they can have a water seal (pour-flush pit latrine). When properly built and maintained, pit latrines can decrease the spread of disease by reducing the amount of human feces in the environment from open defecation . This decreases the transfer of pathogens between feces and food by flies . These pathogens are major causes of infectious diarrhea and intestinal worm infections . Infectious diarrhea resulted in about 700,000 deaths in children under five years old in 2011 and 250 million lost school days. Pit latrines are
15444-495: The genitals or buttocks, is also seen as profane in many parts of the world. Though cursing often refers to the use of profanity in general, it can refer to more specific phrases of harm such as damn you or a pox on you . Historically, people swore by or to the ideas that they were invoking, instead of swearing at something. Oaths in which the speaker swears by something, such as by God , can be used as interjections or intensifiers, typically without religious connotation. This
15600-494: The global population) practiced open defecation in 2016, mostly because they have no toilets. Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa have the lowest access to toilets. The Indian government has been running a campaign called " Swachh Bharat Abhiyan " (Clean India Mission in English) since 2014 in order to eliminate open defecation by convincing people in rural areas to purchase, construct and use toilets, mainly pit latrines. As
15756-408: The ground (the only exception are fully lined pit latrines, see below). The ventilated improved pit latrine (VIP) is a pit latrine with a black pipe (vent pipe) fitted to the pit and a screen (flyscreen) at the top outlet of the pipe. VIP latrines are an improvement to overcome the disadvantages of simple pit latrines, e.g. fly and mosquito nuisance and unpleasant odors. The smell is carried upwards by
15912-558: The hole and a reinforcement of the upper part of the pit with bricks, blocks, or cement rings to improve stability. In developing countries the cost of a simple pit toilet is typically between US$ 25 and $ 60. Recurring expenditure costs are between US$ 1.5 and $ 4 per person per year for a traditional pit latrine, and up to three times higher for a pour flush pit latrine (without the costs of emptying). As of 2013 pit latrines are used by an estimated 1.77 billion people, mostly in developing countries . About 892 million people (12 percent of
16068-401: The infiltration of liquids out of the pit. A fully lined pit latrine has concrete lining also at the base so that no liquids infiltrate into the ground. One could argue that this is no longer a "pit" latrine in the stricter sense. The advantage is that no groundwater contamination can occur. The major disadvantage is that a fully lined pit latrine fills up very fast (as the urine cannot escape
16224-443: The intentional creation of new euphemisms to avoid terms that may be stigmatizing. Some become widely accepted, such as substance abuse for drug addiction , while others are ignored or derided, such as differently abled for disabled . The brain processes profanity differently than it processes other forms of language. Intentional controlled swearing is associated with the brain's left hemisphere , while reflexive swearing
16380-557: The issue of pathogens, there is also the issue of nitrate pollution in groundwater from pit latrines. Elevated nitrate levels in drinking water from private wells is thought to have caused cases of blue baby syndrome in children in rural areas of Romania and Bulgaria in Eastern Europe. A "partially lined" pit latrine is one where the upper part of the hole in the ground is lined. Pit lining materials can include brick, rot-resistant timber, concrete, stones, or mortar plastered onto
16536-406: The karate match! The term to shit-talk connotes bragging or exaggeration (whereas to talk shit primarily means to gossip [about someone in a damaging way] or to talk in a boastful way about things which are erroneous in nature), but in such constructions as the above, the word shit often functions as an interjection . The exclamation holy shit derives its force from the juxtaposition of
16692-587: The listener's female relatives, either by describing sexual activity involving them or suggesting that the listener engage in activities with them. Aboriginal Australian languages sometimes invoke one's deceased ancestors in profanity. The names of political ideologies are sometimes invoked as swear words by their opponents. Fascist is commonly used as an epithet in the modern era, replacing historical use of radical . Far-left groups have historically used words like capitalist and imperialist as terms of abuse, while Western speakers use communist in
16848-455: The listener's mother exist across numerous major languages, though it is absent from Germanic languages with the exception of English. These phrases often include terms of abuse that implicate the subject's mother, such as son of a bitch in English or wáng bā dàn ( transl. child of a cuckolded man ) in Mandarin. Russian profanity places heavy emphasis on the sexual conduct of
17004-434: The low quality of a specific component or output of a process without applying a derogatory slant to the entire process. For example, if one said "The youth orchestra has been a remarkably successful initiative. The fact that the orchestra's recent rendition of Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony in B minor was pretty much a piece of shit should not in any way detract from this." The substitution of shit or shitty for pretty much
17160-444: The maker of the hard-to-believe statement may add no shit to reinforce the sincerity or truthfulness of their statement, particularly in response to someone expressing disbelief at their statement. No shit is also used sarcastically in response to a statement of the obvious, as in no shit, Sherlock . In this form the word can also be used in phrases such as don't give me that shit or you're full of shit . The term full of shit
17316-409: The maturing pit and the one in use. Also pits are constructed over 1 metre (3') from any structural foundation as leachate can negatively impact structural supports. Water within the pit can impact its stability. Therefore, the full depth of the pit walls are lined to prevent collapse and the top 30 cm (12") are fully mortared to prevent direct infiltration and to support the superstructure. There
17472-617: The mildest terms as swear words, such as pooh-pooh . Adolescents develop an understanding of double meanings in terms like balls . The severity of a swear word may decline over time as it is repeated. In some cases, slurs can be reclaimed by the targeted group when they are used ironically or in a positive context, such as queer to refer to the LGBTQ community . People who speak multiple languages often have stronger emotional associations with profanity in their native languages over that of languages that they acquire later. The severity of
17628-420: The negative associations of swear words mean they are often emotionally charged. Expressions of anger and frustration are the most common reason for swearing. Such expressions are associated with abusive profanity, which is the most negatively charged and is specifically chosen to insult or offend the subject. This may take the form of a direct insult, such as calling the subject an asshole , or by addressing
17784-414: The original meaning, such as the English phrases all hell broke loose or shit happens , which carry the negative associations of hell and shit as undesirable places and things. Others are nonsensical when interpreted literally, like take a flying fuck in English as well as putain de merde ( whore of shit ) in French and porca Madonna ( the sow of Madonna ) in Italian. A distinction
17940-439: The other ("twin pit pour flush pit latrine"). For this reason they are subsumed under the term "pit latrine". The fecal sludge that is removed from the full pits of twin-pit pour-flush pit latrines is somewhat safer to handle and reuse than the fecal sludge from single pit pour-flush latrines. However, significant health risks for the workers who are emptying the pits remain in either case. An alternative to U-trap or siphon designs
18096-663: The penis and vulva are often used as interjections. Penile interjections are often used in Italian ( cazzo ), Russian ( хуй , khuy ), and Spanish ( carajo ). Vulvar interjections are often used in Dutch ( kut ), Hungarian ( pisca ), Russian ( пизда , pizda ), Spanish ( coño ), and Swedish ( fitta ). Such terms, especially those relating to the vulva, may also be used as terms of abuse. Profanities related to testicles are less common and their function varies across languages. They may be used as interjections, such as in English ( balls or bollocks ), Italian ( coglione ), and Spanish ( cojones ). Danish uses testicles as
18252-439: The pit and migrates through the unsaturated soil matrix, pathogenic germs are sorbed to the soil surface. In this way, pathogens can be removed prior to contact with groundwater. The degree of removal varies with soil type, distance travelled, moisture and other environmental factors and, thus, it is difficult to estimate the distance necessary between a pit and a water source. A minimum horizontal distance of 30 metres (100') between
18408-406: The pit and pass the unsaturated soil zone (which is not completely filled with water). Subsequently, these liquids from the pit enter the groundwater where they may lead to groundwater pollution . This is a problem if a nearby water well is used to supply groundwater for drinking water purposes. During the passage in the soil, pathogens can die off or be absorbed significantly, mostly depending on
18564-399: The pit can be covered and abandoned, and a new pit latrine built if space on the property permits this. The new pit latrine may reuse the shelter (superstructure) if the shelter can be moved without collapsing. In peri-urban or urban areas, full pits are not abandoned but rather emptied by sanitation workers or the household members themselves so that the toilets can continue to be used at
18720-442: The pit fills to within 0.5 m ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 ft) of the top, it should be either emptied or a new pit constructed and the shelter moved or re-built at the new location. Fecal sludge management involves emptying pits as well as transporting, treating and using the collected fecal sludge. If this is not carried out properly, water pollution and public health risks can occur. A basic pit latrine can be improved in
18876-400: The pit to reduce access by flies. A lid on the drop hole keeps light out of the pit and helps to stop flies and odors entering the toilet's superstructure. The lid can be made from plastic or wood and is used to cover the hole in the floor when the pit latrine is not in use. In practice, such a lid is not commonly used for squatting type pit latrines but only for sitting type pit latrines with
19032-413: The pit to reduce access by flies. This may require the use of a lid to cover the hole in the floor when not in use. The World Health Organization recommends that pits be built a reasonable distance from the house, ideally balancing easy access against smell. The distance from water wells and surface water should be at least 10 m (30 ft) to decrease the risk of groundwater pollution . When
19188-488: The pit will only fill up in a few years time. However, in many developing countries safe fecal sludge management practices are lacking and causing public health risks as well as environmental pollution. When the pit is full, the toilet is no longer usable. The time it takes to fill the pit depends on its volume, the number of users, the soil permeability and groundwater level. It can typically take between one and ten years or even longer in some exceptional cases. At that point,
19344-524: The pit) which results in high costs to empty and maintain the latrine. Increased odour can also be an issue as the pit content is much wetter and emits more odour. This type of pit latrine is used only in special circumstances, e.g. in denser settlements where groundwater protection is paramount. Pit latrines are often built in developing countries even in situations where they are not recommended. These situations include areas which are prone to flooding, unstable or rocky soil and high groundwater levels. There
19500-481: The pronunciation of profanities. This includes the suggestion that profanities are more likely to include plosives , but this remains unstudied, especially outside of Indo-European languages . The use of profanity is the most common way to express taboo ideas. The dichotomy between its taboo nature and its prevalence in day-to-day life is studied as the "swearing paradox". It is used casually in some social settings, which can facilitate bonding and camaraderie, denote
19656-565: The prostitute Virgin ) invokes scatological, religious, and sexual profanity. Other swear words do not refer to any subject, such as the English word bloody when used in its profane sense. Not all taboo words are used in swearing, with many only being used in a literal sense. Clinical or academic terminology for bodily functions and sexual activity are distinct from profanity. This includes words such as excrement and copulate in English, which are not typically invoked as swears. Academics who study profanity disagree on whether literal use of
19812-465: The rhythm of the sentence. In the prologue of The Canterbury Tales , shitten is used as the past participle; however this form is not used in modern English. In American English shit as a past participle is often correct, while shat is generally acceptable and shitted is uncommon and missing from the Random House and American Heritage dictionaries. To shitcan someone or something
19968-451: The sacred with the profane. Unlike the word fuck , shit is not used emphatically with -ing or as an infix. For example; I lost the shitting karate match would be replaced with ...the fucking karate match . Similarly, while in-fucking-credible is generally acceptable, in-shitting-credible is not. The preterite and past participle of shit are attested as shat , shit , or shitted , depending on dialect and, sometimes,
20124-429: The same location after the emptying has taken place. The emptying can be done manually with shovels and buckets, with manually powered pumps or with motorized pumps mounted on a vacuum truck which carries a tank for storage. For the fecal sludge to be pumpable, water usually needs to be added to the pit and the content stirred up, which is messy and smelly. Procedures for safe emptying of fecal sludge from pit latrines
20280-452: The same manner . The use of political terms in a profane sense often leads to the term becoming less impactful or losing relevance as a political descriptor entirely. Words for animals can be used as terms of abuse despite not being inherently profane, commonly referencing some attribute of the animal. Examples in English include bitch to demean a woman or louse to describe someone unwanted. They may also be used in interjections like
20436-445: The shelter or small building should have handwashing facilities available inside or on the outside (e.g. supplied with water from a rainwater harvesting tank on the roof of the shelter) although this is rarely the case in practice. In the shelter, anal cleansing materials (e.g. toilet paper) and a solid waste bin should also be available. A more substantial structure may also be built, commonly known as an outhouse . Liquids leach from
20592-448: The shit hits the fan! indicates that the speaker is dreading this moment (which can be anything from an enemy attack to confronting an angry parent or friend). In polite society, it is often reduced to "when it hits the fan". He's the one to turn to when the shit hits the fan is an indication that the person being talked about is dependable and will not run from trouble or abandon their allies in tough situations. The concept of this phrase
20748-412: The shit." A shithole is any unpleasant place to be, much like a hellhole. This usage originates from a reference to a pit toilet . A crock of shit is something (a situation, explanation, argument, etc.) that is nonsense or fabricated as a deception or evasion; i.e. bullshit. Often abbreviated simply as crock . Example: "You expect me to believe that ?? What a crock!" The phrase built like
20904-408: The soil. This partial lining is recommended for those pit latrine used by a great number of people – such as a public restroom in rural areas, or in a woodland park or busy lay-by, rest stop or other similarly busy location – or where the soils are unstable in order to increase permanence and allow emptying of the pit without it collapsing easily. The bottom of the pit should remain unlined to allow for
21060-575: The speaker; though His shit does not stink may come across as being more emphatic due to the mixed diction between its grammatical correctness and the vulgarity of shit . This phrase conveys the haughtiness of the referent and that he considers himself beyond reproach. For example: "Those pompous assholes in Finance are the ones who ruined the company – their shit don't even stink!" A variation on this theme might be: "Everything he shits smells just like roses!" The expression shitkicker can be used as
21216-517: The storage or treatment part. A pit latrine may or may not count towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target of increasing access to sanitation for the world's population, depending on the type of pit latrine: A pit latrine without a slab is regarded as unimproved sanitation and does not count towards the target. A pit latrine with a slab, a ventilated improved pit latrine and a pour flush pit latrine connected to
21372-435: The subconscious, including feelings of aggression, antisocial inclinations , and the broaching of taboos. Significant activity began in the 1960s with writings on the subject by Ashley Montagu and Edward Sagarin , followed by increased study the following decade. Specific types of discriminatory profanity, such as ethnophaulism and homophobia, came to be described as part of a broader type of profanity, hate speech , toward
21528-538: The subject profanely, such as telling someone to fuck off . It can also be used to indicate contempt . Cathartic profanity is used as an expression of annoyance, and it is often considered less rude than profanity directed at a specific subject. Profanity can be used as a statement of agreement or disagreement, though disagreement is more common; the hell it is and my ass are examples of English profanities that indicate disagreement. The potent nature of swearing means that it can be used to gain attention, including
21684-570: The temple ' , pro meaning ' outside ' and fanum meaning ' temple, sanctuary ' . This further developed in Middle English with the meaning to desecrate a temple . In English, swearing is a catch-all linguistic term for the use of profanities, even if it does not involve taking an oath . The only other languages that use the same term for both profanities and oaths are French ( jurer ), Canadian French ( sacrer ), and Swedish ( svära ). English uses cursing in
21840-592: The term, tough shit is often said as a way of pointing out someone's fault in his/her own current problem. It's also common to express annoyance by simply saying Shit . A shitload of something is a large quantity, especially something unpleasant or disgusting. The boss dumped a shitload of extra work for me this week. A shit sandwich is something (like a situation or state of affairs) unpleasant made triflingly more palatable by packaging it in things less unpleasant, as rotten meat sandwiched in bread. The term shit sandwich originates from an old joke that goes: "Life
21996-429: The three most basic things humans have to do, and it is common among soldiers . The phrase You ain't shit , expresses an air of intimidation over the addressee, expressing that they mean nothing or are worthless. Hot shit can be a reference to a matter or thing of supreme importance or urgency ("This report is really hot shit!"). It can be used in adjectival form: "This memo's shit-hot!". Hot shit can also refer to
22152-685: The thunder god Ukko , the chief god of the Finnish pagan pantheon. Profanity related to sexual activity, including insults related to genitals, exists across cultures. The specific aspects invoked are sensitive to a given culture, with differences in how much they emphasize ideas like incest or adultery. Certain types of sex acts, such as oral sex, anal sex, or masturbation, may receive particular attention. Verbs describing sexual activity are frequently profane, like fuck in English, foutre in French, fottere in Italian, jodido in Spanish, and ебать ( yebatˈ ) in Russian. Words describing
22308-437: The toilet to suggest that something has been wasted. Example: "This CD player quit working one friggin' week after I bought it, and I lost the receipt! Twenty bucks right down the shitter!" Shit on a shingle is U.S. military slang for creamed chipped beef on toast . In polite company, this can be abbreviated as SOS . Shit can be used to denote trouble, by saying one is in a lot of shit or deep shit (a common euphemism
22464-649: The travel time between the pit and the well. Most, but not all pathogens die within 50 days of travel through the subsurface. The degree of pathogen removal strongly varies with soil type, aquifer type, distance and other environmental factors. For this reason, it is difficult to estimate the safe distance between a pit and a water source – a problem that also applies to septic tanks . Detailed guidelines have been developed to estimate safe distances to protect groundwater sources from pollution from on-site sanitation . However, these are mostly ignored by those building pit latrines. In addition to that, household plots are of
22620-432: The use of absorbents in pit toilets is not commonly practiced. The vent pipe should have an internal diameter of at least 110 mm (4¼") and reach more than 300 mm (12") above the highest point of the toilet superstructure. Typically, the pit is at least 3 metres (10') deep and 1 to 1.5 metres (3' to 5') in diameter, depending on the number of users. Deep pits can last up to 20 or more years. As liquid leaches from
22776-410: The use of notionally offensive words for a variety of purposes, including to demonstrate disrespect or negativity, to relieve pain, to express a strong emotion, as a grammatical intensifier or emphasis, or to express informality or conversational intimacy. In many formal or polite social situations, it is considered impolite (a violation of social norms ), and in some religious groups it is considered
22932-435: The use of profanity in anger. Various efforts have been made to classify different types of profanity, but there is no widely accepted typology and terms are used interchangeably. Blasphemy and obscenity are used similarly to profanity , though blasphemy has retained its religious connotation. Expletive is another English term for the use of profanity, derived from its original meaning of adding words to change
23088-428: The use of profanity is easier to remember when recalling a conversation or other speech. Exposure to profanity leads to higher levels of arousal , and it can cause increases in heart rate and electrodermal activity as part of a fight-or-flight response. Swearing has also been shown to increase pain tolerance , especially among people who do not regularly swear. Compulsive swearing is called coprolalia , and it
23244-419: The use of profanity to cause shock. In some circumstances, swearing can be used as a form of politeness, such as when a speaker gives positive reinforcement by describing something as pretty fucking good . Propositional or controlled swearing is done consciously, and speakers choose their wording and how to express it. This is more common when using descriptive swearing. Non-propositional or reflexive swearing
23400-431: The user is willing to pay for, the type of toilet squatting pan or toilet seat chosen, the cost of labour, construction materials (in particular the cost of cement can differ a lot from one country to the next), the ventilation system and so forth. Rather than looking only at the construction cost, the whole of life cost (or life-cycle cost) should be considered, as the regular emptying or re-building of pit latrines may add
23556-439: The users may not stick to this alternation method and fill up both pits at the same time. The pits are of an adequate size to accommodate a volume of waste generated over one or two years. This allows the contents of the full pit enough time to transform into a partially sanitized, soil -like material that can be manually excavated. Twin pits are constructed 1 metre (3') apart from each other to minimize cross-contamination between
23712-461: The volume of feces in the pit and reduce odor and fly problems. They are collectively described as a pit additive and many of them are based on the concept of effective microorganisms . The intention is to add specific strains of microbes to aid the decomposition process – but their effectiveness is disputed and recent research found no effect in scientific test conditions. Wood ash , leaves, soil, compost , or sawdust can be sprinkled on top of
23868-418: The waste is used as manure to grow crops In a pour-flush pit latrine, a squatting or pedestal toilet with a water seal (U-trap or siphon) is used over one or two offset pits. These types of toilets do require water for flushing but otherwise share many of the same characteristics as simple pit latrines. One to three liters (quarts) of water is used per flush, and they often have two pits that are used one after
24024-464: The water source to microbial contamination. To ensure that only one of the two pits is used at any time, the idle pipe of the junction connecting to the out-of-use pit is closed (e.g. with cement or bricks). Twin pit toilets are commonly used in rural India . the Government's Swachh bharat Mission primarily used twin pit toilets since they were easier and safer to remove and clean. Once removed
24180-403: The word to shift until its meaning is unrelated to its origin or to lose meaning and impact altogether. Literal meanings in modern profanity typically relate to religion, sex, or the human body, which creates a dichotomy between the use of highbrow religious swears and lowbrow anatomical swears. Languages and cultures place different emphasis on the subjects of profanity. Anatomical profanity
24336-464: The word varies greatly according to listener and situation, and is related to age and social class : elderly speakers and those of (or aspiring to) higher socioeconomic strata tend to use it more privately and selectively than younger and more blue-collar speakers. Like the word fuck , shit is often used to add emphasis more than to add meaning, for example, shit! I was so shit-scared of that shithead that I shit-talked him into dropping out of
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