Southern Substitute Cursing Terms
Oh, my goodness gracious! That’s a southern term which is an exclamation of excitement, surprise or frustration. The phrase was mentioned awhile back in my Wordsmiths critique session with my fellow writers. Wow! This brought back some memories for me.
The Urban Dictionary (UD) states: “It is a Southern term used primarily as a substitute for cursing, and as such, it is a minced oath. Sweet little old ladies use this term a lot.”
When I read UD’s definition of the phrase, I thought “OOPS!” My daddy was an old-time preacher who did not, in any way, state, form, or fashion, allow his kids to use slang (He was an awesome, inspiring preacher, and father. I miss him and my mother like crazy!).
Once my brother and I got in serious trouble because we had used the slang word “shoot”- oh my! I haven’t ever forgotten it. But I grew up saying: “My goodness gracious” and never thought I was using a substitute for cursing. Interesting.
This brings me to my next question:
Profanity in Books: Is it necessary?
Is it really necessary to use profanity in books for them to sell? NO! I like what Mark Henshaw, author of The Fall of Moscow Station, suggests:
Pick up a thriller you know is full of profanity, go through it with a marker, and black out all of the curse words. Then re-read the book critically and see whether the story really loses anything.
Henshaw doesn’t use profanity in his books, so if you’re looking for clean reading and you like espionage thrillers, check out his books.
Visit the following websites that list clean fiction:
- https://www.pinterest.com/amycamano/books-clean-fiction-for-adults-teens/
- https://www.goodreads.com/user/sign_in?returnurl=%2Fshelf%2Fshow%2Fsqueaky-clean-fiction
- http://ratedreads.com/about-rated-reads-book-reviews/
What books have you read lately that fit into the clean fiction/nonfiction categories? Share them in the comment section, or consider writing a review to submit to this blog.
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