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Forbidden WordsKeith Allan
Nonfiction

Forbidden Words

314 pagesFirst published 20063 editions
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Many words and expressions are viewed as 'taboo', such as those used to describe sex, our bodies and their functions, and those used to insult other people. This book provides a fascinating insight into taboo language and its role in everyday life. It looks at the ways we use language to be polite or impolite, politically correct or offensive, depending on whether we are 'sweet-talking', 'straight-talking' or being deliberately rude. Using a range of colourful examples, it shows how we use language playfully and figuratively in order to swear, to insult, and also to be politically correct,…

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Editions

3 in Spinefolk
FormatPublisherYearPagesISBN
EbookCambridge University Press2007—9780511331923
PaperbackCambridge University Press20063149780521525640
HardcoverCambridge University Press20063149780521819602
EuphemismSwearingPoliteness (Linguistics)CensorshipLinguistic TabooJargon (Terminology)Political correctnessLanguage Arts