Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2021 July 11

= July 11 =

F#@k
Is there a simple term for the above practice of writing swear words, or otherwise unacceptable words like ni&%er, with letters replaced by special characters? It's something that's long intrigued me because it never conceals the original word at all, but is apparently seen as somehow less offensive. HiLo48 (talk) 00:03, 11 July 2021 (UTC)
 * There are people who think spelling out taboo words is somehow acceptable where saying them is not. That does my head in. --  Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  00:09, 11 July 2021 (UTC)
 * The general comic-book practice of entirely replacing swear words with punctuation, symbols and such is called "grawlixes" (see en:Commons:Category:Grawlixes etc). Not sure there's a specific term for what you're asking about... AnonMoos (talk) 00:32, 11 July 2021 (UTC)
 * In these cases one problem is if the practice is analoguos to euphemisms or a type of obfuscation (for filters, search results and similar) or, as it seems likely, both (in different times or differrent uses). The term euphemism is used for printed/written words, but mostly when they mimic speech. A search for "eugraphism" gave me this result, but that's not an established term and probably not what you are looking for. Leetspeek is also related, but seems both too specific and too generic. Personuser (talk) 00:49, 11 July 2021 (UTC)
 * I've heard of this referred to as bowdlerization, though that seems to be a much more general term for moral censorship. (Within Wikipedia, this is discussed at MOS:PMC and WP:BOWDLERIZE).  As an aside, the article Inherently funny word notes a 2015 study in the Journal of Memory and Language which found that the funniest nonsense words (generated by a computer) were those which were similar to offensive words, e.g.: "whong", "dongl", "shart" and "focky". The author explained this as the momentary expectation of offence being replaced by relief and release of tension. - Reidgreg (talk) 01:43, 11 July 2021 (UTC)
 * Bleep censor uses "grawlixes" for the use in closed caption subtitling (mentioning also "f**k", more closely resembling the sound effect), couldn't check the source for details or timelines, but this use, as the one in comics, likely predates the internet related ones. Personuser (talk) 01:55, 11 July 2021 (UTC)
 * I suggest the answer is that this is a mild type of bowdlerization. (In a stronger version, you would not be able to tell that someone was using taboo words at all.)  Before modern-day comic cartoonists started using other symbols, it was common to see dashes used in this manner: a character might be recorded as saying "d&mdash; you!" — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.94.31.124 (talk) 07:06, 11 July 2021 (UTC)
 * Here is something about the origin of the term "grawlixes". As I understand the term, "F#@K" does not qualify; a true grawlix is composed solely of non-alphabetic signs. Originally, though, at the time of coining, the term referred to unreadably scribbled text. The present use for bowdlerization mixes the use of solely non-alphabetic signs in comics balloons to indicate cussing with the much older use of just asterisks to mask parts of words. --Lambiam 08:16, 11 July 2021 (UTC)
 * Much earlier, simple lines or hyphens were used to obscure words which seem innocuous now:
 * "If I do I'll be dd," exclaimed the boatswain; "always begging your pardon, sir, for my bluntness." / "Mutiny by h--l!" exclaimed the lieutenant reddening with anger. The Scourge of the Ocean (1837)
 * Alansplodge (talk) 10:35, 11 July 2021 (UTC)
 * In one of Don Rosa's stories, Scrooge McDuck's uncle Angus McDuck frequently swears, apparently in his native English. The swear words are printed out entirely in random punctuation symbols. Goklayeh, who overhears this, compliments Angus on his knowledge of Native American languages. Apparently whenever Angus swears, it accidentally sounds like some Native American word, out of sheer coincidence. J I P  &#124; Talk 10:43, 11 July 2021 (UTC)