What the Heck!

September 06, 2023 – Tennessee

I have a potty mouth, and I have quickly learned that some of the phrases I commonly use at home are highly offensive in the South.

The “F” word doesn’t seem to bother anyone as much as phrases with the word “God” in it.

Americans of the Deep South stub their toes, get exasperated, and like to put emphasis on a thing just like the rest of us, but their take on the Second Commandment prohibits them from swearing. Taking the Lord Thy God’s Name in Vain, is frowned upon in the Bible Belt. Southerners have adopted colourful substitutes to avoid blasphemy.

Dang, Gosh, and Jeepers are all pretty straight forward alternatives to forbidden words. Dagnabbit and Dadgum avoid the profane use of “Damn” and “God”, and Tarnation is an acceptable substitute for Damnation.

Sam Hill was an actual person. A surveyor, born in 1819, Sam had a reputation of being blasphemous and obscene. So much so, people began using his full name as a substitute for the word “Hell”.

I am sure The Big Guy in the Sky understands when He is being duped, but if it makes Southerners feel better, …

… What the Heck!

https://cupandquill.com/southern-culture/cussing-in-the-south/

Linda Tucker, a professor from the University of Alberta, working in Arkansas, wrote this interesting article about the etiquette of swearing in the South.