Swearing in other cultures(was: On nerds and dreamers)

> "Roger Mills" <rfmilly@...> wrote:
>
>> Someone commented that what's obscene (or just merely insulting)
>> would depend on the conculture. And I suspect many of of have
>> overlooked that--
> I
>> know I have, in many cases, and ought to devote more thought to
>> getting
> away
>> from the defecatory/sexual obscenities that _we_ consider so
>> horrible. I wonder if it's a Judaeo-Christian (+Islamic) thing...:-))
>>
>> Any comments about other cultures/traditions? nat- as well as con-?
<snip>

>Behalf Of # 1
>In Quebec, "geek" isn't used and "nerd", borrowed from north american
>english, is used negatively
>
>Here, a nerd is someone who has for only passions things that are
usually
>done only in school by most of the people and who has no friends
>
>These school's passions may be Mathematics, Hystory, Geography,
Science,
>and, unfortunately, Languages
>
>Someone whose hobby is to learn things when he doesn't ought to is a
nerd..
>
>
>Having a reputation of "nerd" here isn't a good thing and nobody will
show
>themself saying "I'm a nerd and I'm proud to be" because it is very
>negative.
>
>-Max
Hey, an insult having nothing to do with sex, any other bodily function
or religion!
On a related note, among my former circle of friends, to be a "person
who studies" was considered laughingly low, as in "Pah, she's nothing,
she studies". Not taken (completely) seriously, of course, being a
"studier" was still a good fraction of how a person's worth was
measured.
Oh, one was supposed to make stellar grades withought the study.
Now these kiddies are on their way to the mythical ivy covered walls of
academia...

--Cristina