Lalochezia :(n) The emotional relief one gains from using profane or
abusive language
Lately, I have been cruising a curious
FB site called Word Porn. It has obscure, rarely used words and their
definition. Great words like vagary: an unusual idea or action, or numinous: an
experience that makes you fearful but fascinated. I love these words because they describe some
feeling or circumstance with that “just right word”. The exact word writers scour
their brains for when trying to describe an emotion or thought, “just so”.
Today I stumbled across the word, lalochezia. Lalochezia is that profound relief and release that one feels when using a well placed F-bomb in frustrating circumstances, or the b- word when describing someone’s else's most stupid and offensive action. Offensive language is best saved for such moments. If one drops f-bombs everywhere; twice in one sentence (I’m thinking college students here), or describes everything as f#*king awesome, the word loses considerable power. Profane words are best used sparsely, carefully and dropped when relief from an intense, emotionally distressing situation is imperative, like when the dog’s grooming appointment is at 10:00 and you are still chasing the little b&%$*d around the backyard at 10:20. More vigorous wording may be needed if the temperature is below, say 15 degrees and the furry mongrel has a f&#k-you gleam in his eye. Or you’ve purchased the 100 dollar ticket to this amazing concert and while halfway there you realize the ticket is sitting on top of your micro-wave at home. You may need to increase the intensity of your vocabulary when the traffic slows down to a near crawl. It is possible to combine words for more efficient emotional release.
Today I stumbled across the word, lalochezia. Lalochezia is that profound relief and release that one feels when using a well placed F-bomb in frustrating circumstances, or the b- word when describing someone’s else's most stupid and offensive action. Offensive language is best saved for such moments. If one drops f-bombs everywhere; twice in one sentence (I’m thinking college students here), or describes everything as f#*king awesome, the word loses considerable power. Profane words are best used sparsely, carefully and dropped when relief from an intense, emotionally distressing situation is imperative, like when the dog’s grooming appointment is at 10:00 and you are still chasing the little b&%$*d around the backyard at 10:20. More vigorous wording may be needed if the temperature is below, say 15 degrees and the furry mongrel has a f&#k-you gleam in his eye. Or you’ve purchased the 100 dollar ticket to this amazing concert and while halfway there you realize the ticket is sitting on top of your micro-wave at home. You may need to increase the intensity of your vocabulary when the traffic slows down to a near crawl. It is possible to combine words for more efficient emotional release.
Many times offensive language
is an important sanity saving maneuver. If one drops them in regular conversation
while describing Jaylo’s awesome rear end or that annoying office-mate who
blows his nose loudly thirty times a day, obscene words lose power and fail to
do their job in more emotional situations. Judicious use of profanity is a good
thing and that I believe is its true purpose.
I needed a good laugh! And I agree, not that drop any bombs, but I totally agree that a word loses its appeal or shock factor when it is used too much.
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