Irish Examiner View: Healing power of cursing not to be underestimated

Studies have shown that while religious profanity has dwindled in some nations, it retains currency in countries such as Spain, Italy, and Ireland.

Swearing is as natural to humankind as going to the toilet. Indeed, the two are closely connected by the description of someone who swears a lot as having a “potty mouth”. 

There is a word in the English language, “lalochezia”, which is defined as “the use of swearing to alleviate stress and frustration” and it is fair to say the Irish, as a great cursing nation, would be in Olympic class were there to be a competitive element introduced to the practice.

But, it appears, a new fringe therapy emanating from the west coast of America is pioneering the virtues of cursing aloud and in company in order to improve intimate relationships or simply let off steam.

This time of the year especially, experts say, could be ideal to explore the theory. Venting aloud after a festive overload of wearisome relatives or typically challenging Christmas office parties is particularly unburdening, apparently.

We know that vulgarisms form a large part of the vocabulary of most nations and that many are of the sexual or body-part variety. Studies have shown that while religious profanity has dwindled in some nations, it retains currency in countries such as Spain, Italy, and Ireland.

The English language is said to boast a handsome 348 curse words (compared to just 29 in Mandarin and 94 in Norwegian) and in Ireland it has been estimated we issue some 14 expletives daily, though local etymologists, on a county-by-county basis, may consider this a gross underestimation.

While older people swear less in public than they did 20 years ago, Gen Z and millennials swear more, and expletive usage is rising too on social media. 

It is thought by psychoanalysts that swearing offers a range of benefits from stress and pain relief to social levelling.

We Irish could have told them that years ago.