Appropriate Swear Words? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Appropriate Swear Words? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ClipMyWings
08-18-03, 10:53 AM Greetings all,
Ok, so here is my dilemma of sorts. Basically, in my gaming group (both irl and online, yet moreso irl), people find themselves for a lack of phrases and often times resort to using modern day swear words instead of keeping with the mood and setting of FR. This is not only frustrating b/c it totally brings us OOC and breaks any type of fantasy mood/atmosphere at all, but its just one more place that the people around me can't be creative. (:gasp: she's so rude! shhh)

Has anyone else encountered this and if so, how have they gotten around it? Or has anyone else possibly found a listing of common swear words/phrases of common use in the FR settings? If anyone has any info on this, please let me know.

Thanks much...

Me :turkey:
Willie the Duck
08-18-03, 11:50 AM mild variations of modern ones certainly work. Saying "flark" instead of the f word sounds world-specific. Of course there's always 'smeg' (or there was on on battlestar galactica too...). Check out Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales for archaic swearing. A lot of "God's arm" and "God's eye" and other things like that. Chage out god for torm or bale and you have FR swears.
Domni Dalrose
08-18-03, 12:07 PM I'd say it depends on the character and setting. My current favorite character is a swashbuckler..so she uses 'swear' words like 'By Umberlee's cold breast' or 'By the b$tch queen's garters'. I like to have her swear but still be a bit funny. :)

In a book I'm reading a rogue halfling says "dark." Very simple but effective.

Or has anyone else possibly found a listing of common swear words/phrases of common use in the FR settings?
If I have time, I may go through a couple FR novels to see what I can find. A good collection of swear words would be rather handy. :D
Alrunic Silverfyre
08-18-03, 02:19 PM Our group's favorite: Sweet Sune's Stockings!
Leap
08-18-03, 03:16 PM Now aint that strange; my own faves are:

"By Sune's Ar$e" or "By Auril's cold eyes"

Why is it goddesses seem to suit this best (or is that just a male perspective)?

:)
Savras
08-18-03, 06:22 PM I once had quite a bit, but alas it is gone.

Mostly they were expressions.

For swearwords, just invent.
Some unopious ones include by Mystra's moustache, by Tyr's eyes!, and, an official one (mostly used as a battle cry, but can be used as anyhing) by the great, stinking balls of Tempus! (oddly enough, it is used by Tempusians).

Savras
TinySilverChalice
08-18-03, 07:49 PM I have a character that called Fzoul "a Sune-headed, pig-faced lackey". :fight!:

Another apropriate one for D&D: "Damage!"

Or this classic: "You son of a motherless goat!"
Alrunic Silverfyre
08-18-03, 08:01 PM Another few of my personal favorites include:

"By the Balls of Bane!"

"Tempus's Taint!"

"By Lliira's Long Legs!"

"By Beshaba's Bosoms and Tymora's Thighs, I shall strick you down!"

Just a few...
Impeesa
08-18-03, 11:05 PM By Hextor's Hairy Bunghole!

By Pelor's Shiny Face!

--Impeesa--
Lord of the Ninth
08-19-03, 12:10 AM If you want some good fantasy slang try the Cant dictionary at Mimir.net granted the Cant is from Planescape, but FR stole enough of PS for that work out alright for most things... It's really big on insults.

Also, Fewmets (I think that's how you spell it) is the word for dragon's droppings (used in the Once and Future king [questing beast]) as well as Jane Yolen's Dragon's Blood. Also, instead of the less than serious references to deity's genitalia or undergarments, you could also try just saying their names. Like in Tortal (Tamora Pierce), character's will frequently say things like "Mythros, Minos and Shakith", or "Horse Lords" when frustrated (those are some of the gods of tortal). Find some deities that sound good when muttered, shouted or spoken after you have hurt your foot (most of the gods' names are good for this).

And then if your campaign has some unique cultural feature that seems like a good swear (ask your DM), that's great too. Like in The Wheel of Time a lot of people say "dark", whereas in Discworld more folks say things like ---ing (not censoring, for those of you who don't read it, he just puts ---ing).

Also, if your character speaks orc, goblin, or giant I recomend making up a word or stealing one from German, Russian or some scandanavian language (it doesn't have to be a swear, just something incomprehensible and gutteral). Swearing in elvish or celestial is general not as fun, but Dwarven is probably alright, as of course are infernal and abyssal.

Hope that helps :cool:
ClipMyWings
08-19-03, 10:06 AM Thank you all so much, your responses were great. Now i just need to get my players to start using them. Its so hard when you have half-interested players at times. Anyone wanna come to Ny and play with me?

:Grins and scampers off, clutching her list of swear words happily:
Arilou_skiff
08-19-03, 12:02 PM "Gods!" or "By the Gods!" is a good, relatively neutered one.

Some, I think, official ones are:

"Bane's Blood!"

"Beshaba's Bosom"

I also tend to use a lot of curses involving fiends:
"May devils eat your intestines!" or something similar :)

"Berk" is a good insult of course :)
HammerHeart81
08-19-03, 04:41 PM I had a Paladin that often said "Heironious smite it!" in relation to it's real world cousin.
Edymnion
08-19-03, 10:59 PM Lol, go watch Farscape.
Frell, dren, yatz, there's so many good ones. Watch the boards, you'll even see them being used here in place of normal swears. Any fan of Farscape will have picked some of them up in their day to day vocabulary. I know I get a weird look when I'm out in public and go "Oh frell..." :D
hell0
08-20-03, 01:23 AM By Helm's helm and Mask's mask!

Always draws groans from those whom understand.
PhaedrusXY
08-20-03, 01:55 AM Dreck is a word I like that I don't hear nearly enough of. One of my favorite curses in a video game was actually set in FR. In NWN, the big half-orc barbarian henchmen always said "By Uthgar's Blood!" when he couldn't bash open a locked door or chest.
aleshandre
08-20-03, 11:29 AM Light blast it, I only know goat kissing Wheel of Time swears, kiss a goat on Mother's Day if I'm lying, you woolheaded sheep brained light forsaken bloody sheepherder!!
CommanderFuron
08-20-03, 12:26 PM Many of the classic swear words have been around for hundreds of years. So there is really no reason that a characer couldn't use them. Classics like words I can't mention on the boards have even had the same meaning for hundreds of years. Just about any word related to poop or sex has been in use for a long time.
Sorenmaj
08-20-03, 02:47 PM Originally posted by aleshandre
Light blast it, I only know goat kissing Wheel of Time swears, kiss a goat on Mother's Day if I'm lying, you woolheaded sheep brained light forsaken bloody sheepherder!!

you said it before I could respond! but yes, swear words have been around for a loooong time. most 4 letter words are from german barbarians.
Arilou_skiff
08-20-03, 04:47 PM German and/or russian are good languages to swear in. The german swearwords often are pretty tame actually, but they *sound* a lot worse :)
krunchyfrogg
08-20-03, 05:21 PM By my sister's beard!

has always been a favorite of mine when playing dwarves. :D
Domni Dalrose
08-20-03, 07:41 PM I know I get a weird look when I'm out in public and go "Oh frell..."

I am so glad I'm not the only one!! :D

"By Uthgar's Blood!"
I had forgotten that one. I'm gonna see what Dorna says, she was such a funny henchman. :D
Edymnion
08-20-03, 09:45 PM Originally posted by Arilou_skiff
German and/or russian are good languages to swear in. The german swearwords often are pretty tame actually, but they *sound* a lot worse :) Yeah, you'd be surprised how often curses are only actually bad in that culture/language. One of the worst insults you can give to someone in Japan has the literal translation of calling them a "Fuzzy Bunny Rabit". Don't know why, but whoo boy, thats just weird.

So anything can be a swear if you want it to be.
horndgod
08-21-03, 02:04 AM I've always been fond of those swears in the Drow Dictionary. "Oloth plynn dos!": "May darkness take you!" is fairly tame, but you could always go for "vith,", the vulgar term for the sexual act. "Vith'os" and "vith'ir" referring to "you" and "off" respectively.
Tzepish
08-21-03, 02:40 AM I've never found using IRL swear words to be a problem. You're also speaking English (or some other real world language) to convey what the characters are speaking in Common, Elven, etc. anyway. I don't see why swear words should be different. I've played foul mouthed characters, and I've played characters who don't swear at all... and when I swear IRL while playing the character, it is known that the character is swearing in Gnome or what-have-you. The words don't break the fantasy feel any more than other words in my language do.
SpellMaster
08-23-03, 06:18 PM Here are some from myself. These are more taunts than swears, but its the same idea.

-Go grease a pig!
-Go kiss a succubus!
-Your mother is a bull! (best used against minotaurs)
-Go tickle a dragon! (or any other ferocious monster)
-Go touch a rust monster.
-Go lick a lich.
-Go suck an Allip.
-Eat my sword!
-By the hair on my chin! (minotaur swear)
-By Clangeddin's Axe!
-By Mystra's gaze!
-It's people (or creatures) like you that make me think that the gods really do have a sense of humor!
-You think you're the gods' gift to Krynn... well, I hope they kept the receipt!
-Your face could double for a bug bear's hinny
-So sorry I mistook your codpiece for a thimble
--I'd insult you! but I just can't hang around until you get it, I
don't have that long of a lifespan...
-Your parents tried to throw you to the wolves...but the wolves threw you back!

A perfect place to find some taunts is on Kencyclopedia.com. Here is the site.

Kencyclopedia Kender's Book of Taunts (http://www.kencyclopedia.com/kender/taunts/index.cfm)
baoban sith
08-25-03, 07:01 PM By Crom!
Fiantha
08-26-03, 10:50 AM My character is fond of "Gods above and below" or, when she's in politer company, "Dragons across the land". Of course, she's not really that foul mouthed, so these are relatively tame. I like to think up different favorite expressions for each character.
--Fiantha
Domni Dalrose
08-26-03, 02:02 PM From Book 1 of the Erevis Cale Triology: Twilight Falling..

Said by Jak..a very funny and interesting character-
Trickster's hairy toes! :D
or the short version, Trickster's toes! ;)
Dark and empty.. or as I posted above, Dark. :P

Highly reccomend Paul S. Kemp's books..amazing stories and superb characters :)
ieattrollsforbreakfast
08-27-03, 03:44 PM When playing a half-orc or other suitably monstrous character, just roar loudly :)
Savras
08-27-03, 04:14 PM Anything suitable for a priest of Tyr?
Or a Paladin, for that matter?

I though about one for bein' surprised (like the pirate shiver me timber: "By the scales of justice!", and of one for the pirate avast (hold, stop, halt...): "Cease and desist!", and of course, "miscreant" and "criminal" as adjectives.

Anything else?

Savras
Lhiannon Sidhe
08-29-03, 01:05 AM Swearing and phrases specific to my homebrew world:

"By the blood of Telak!"
"Sweet mother of all!"
"Son of an Elf!" (Only works for human supremisists)
"Dragon Fire!"

When I'm a player as opposed to a DM, I usually use modern, or semi-modern curses, but say them in gaelic, as more often then not, my character speaks Elven, and I see Elven as being Celtic-like.

"Astar a Ifrinn, Sibh mac-imsidhe mac suirrach" - "Go to hell, you rebrobate son of a *****"

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ClipMyWings 08-18-03, 10:53 AM	Greetings all, Ok, so here is my dilemma of sorts. Basically, in my gaming group (both irl and online, yet moreso irl), people find themselves for a lack of phrases and often times resort to using modern day swear words instead of keeping with the mood and setting of FR. This is not only frustrating b/c it totally brings us OOC and breaks any type of fantasy mood/atmosphere at all, but its just one more place that the people around me can't be creative. (:gasp: she's so rude! shhh) Has anyone else encountered this and if so, how have they gotten around it? Or has anyone else possibly found a listing of common swear words/phrases of common use in the FR settings? If anyone has any info on this, please let me know. Thanks much... Me :turkey:
Willie the Duck 08-18-03, 11:50 AM	mild variations of modern ones certainly work. Saying "flark" instead of the f word sounds world-specific. Of course there's always 'smeg' (or there was on on battlestar galactica too...). Check out Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales for archaic swearing. A lot of "God's arm" and "God's eye" and other things like that. Chage out god for torm or bale and you have FR swears.
Domni Dalrose 08-18-03, 12:07 PM	I'd say it depends on the character and setting. My current favorite character is a swashbuckler..so she uses 'swear' words like 'By Umberlee's cold breast' or 'By the b$tch queen's garters'. I like to have her swear but still be a bit funny. :) In a book I'm reading a rogue halfling says "dark." Very simple but effective. Or has anyone else possibly found a listing of common swear words/phrases of common use in the FR settings? If I have time, I may go through a couple FR novels to see what I can find. A good collection of swear words would be rather handy. :D
Alrunic Silverfyre 08-18-03, 02:19 PM	Our group's favorite: Sweet Sune's Stockings!
Leap 08-18-03, 03:16 PM	Now aint that strange; my own faves are: "By Sune's Ar$e" or "By Auril's cold eyes" Why is it goddesses seem to suit this best (or is that just a male perspective)? :)
Savras 08-18-03, 06:22 PM	I once had quite a bit, but alas it is gone. Mostly they were expressions. For swearwords, just invent. Some unopious ones include by Mystra's moustache, by Tyr's eyes!, and, an official one (mostly used as a battle cry, but can be used as anyhing) by the great, stinking balls of Tempus! (oddly enough, it is used by Tempusians). Savras
TinySilverChalice 08-18-03, 07:49 PM	I have a character that called Fzoul "a Sune-headed, pig-faced lackey". :fight!: Another apropriate one for D&D: "Damage!" Or this classic: "You son of a motherless goat!"
Alrunic Silverfyre 08-18-03, 08:01 PM	Another few of my personal favorites include: "By the Balls of Bane!" "Tempus's Taint!" "By Lliira's Long Legs!" "By Beshaba's Bosoms and Tymora's Thighs, I shall strick you down!" Just a few...
Impeesa 08-18-03, 11:05 PM	By Hextor's Hairy Bunghole! By Pelor's Shiny Face! --Impeesa--
Lord of the Ninth 08-19-03, 12:10 AM	If you want some good fantasy slang try the Cant dictionary at Mimir.net granted the Cant is from Planescape, but FR stole enough of PS for that work out alright for most things... It's really big on insults. Also, Fewmets (I think that's how you spell it) is the word for dragon's droppings (used in the Once and Future king [questing beast]) as well as Jane Yolen's Dragon's Blood. Also, instead of the less than serious references to deity's genitalia or undergarments, you could also try just saying their names. Like in Tortal (Tamora Pierce), character's will frequently say things like "Mythros, Minos and Shakith", or "Horse Lords" when frustrated (those are some of the gods of tortal). Find some deities that sound good when muttered, shouted or spoken after you have hurt your foot (most of the gods' names are good for this). And then if your campaign has some unique cultural feature that seems like a good swear (ask your DM), that's great too. Like in The Wheel of Time a lot of people say "dark", whereas in Discworld more folks say things like ---ing (not censoring, for those of you who don't read it, he just puts ---ing). Also, if your character speaks orc, goblin, or giant I recomend making up a word or stealing one from German, Russian or some scandanavian language (it doesn't have to be a swear, just something incomprehensible and gutteral). Swearing in elvish or celestial is general not as fun, but Dwarven is probably alright, as of course are infernal and abyssal. Hope that helps :cool:
ClipMyWings 08-19-03, 10:06 AM	Thank you all so much, your responses were great. Now i just need to get my players to start using them. Its so hard when you have half-interested players at times. Anyone wanna come to Ny and play with me? :Grins and scampers off, clutching her list of swear words happily:
Arilou_skiff 08-19-03, 12:02 PM	"Gods!" or "By the Gods!" is a good, relatively neutered one. Some, I think, official ones are: "Bane's Blood!" "Beshaba's Bosom" I also tend to use a lot of curses involving fiends: "May devils eat your intestines!" or something similar :) "Berk" is a good insult of course :)
HammerHeart81 08-19-03, 04:41 PM	I had a Paladin that often said "Heironious smite it!" in relation to it's real world cousin.
Edymnion 08-19-03, 10:59 PM	Lol, go watch Farscape. Frell, dren, yatz, there's so many good ones. Watch the boards, you'll even see them being used here in place of normal swears. Any fan of Farscape will have picked some of them up in their day to day vocabulary. I know I get a weird look when I'm out in public and go "Oh frell..." :D
hell0 08-20-03, 01:23 AM	By Helm's helm and Mask's mask! Always draws groans from those whom understand.
PhaedrusXY 08-20-03, 01:55 AM	Dreck is a word I like that I don't hear nearly enough of. One of my favorite curses in a video game was actually set in FR. In NWN, the big half-orc barbarian henchmen always said "By Uthgar's Blood!" when he couldn't bash open a locked door or chest.
aleshandre 08-20-03, 11:29 AM	Light blast it, I only know goat kissing Wheel of Time swears, kiss a goat on Mother's Day if I'm lying, you woolheaded sheep brained light forsaken bloody sheepherder!!
CommanderFuron 08-20-03, 12:26 PM	Many of the classic swear words have been around for hundreds of years. So there is really no reason that a characer couldn't use them. Classics like words I can't mention on the boards have even had the same meaning for hundreds of years. Just about any word related to poop or sex has been in use for a long time.
Sorenmaj 08-20-03, 02:47 PM	Originally posted by aleshandre Light blast it, I only know goat kissing Wheel of Time swears, kiss a goat on Mother's Day if I'm lying, you woolheaded sheep brained light forsaken bloody sheepherder!! you said it before I could respond! but yes, swear words have been around for a loooong time. most 4 letter words are from german barbarians.
Arilou_skiff 08-20-03, 04:47 PM	German and/or russian are good languages to swear in. The german swearwords often are pretty tame actually, but they sound a lot worse :)
krunchyfrogg 08-20-03, 05:21 PM	By my sister's beard! has always been a favorite of mine when playing dwarves. :D
Domni Dalrose 08-20-03, 07:41 PM	I know I get a weird look when I'm out in public and go "Oh frell..." I am so glad I'm not the only one!! :D "By Uthgar's Blood!" I had forgotten that one. I'm gonna see what Dorna says, she was such a funny henchman. :D
Edymnion 08-20-03, 09:45 PM	Originally posted by Arilou_skiff German and/or russian are good languages to swear in. The german swearwords often are pretty tame actually, but they sound a lot worse :) Yeah, you'd be surprised how often curses are only actually bad in that culture/language. One of the worst insults you can give to someone in Japan has the literal translation of calling them a "Fuzzy Bunny Rabit". Don't know why, but whoo boy, thats just weird. So anything can be a swear if you want it to be.
horndgod 08-21-03, 02:04 AM	I've always been fond of those swears in the Drow Dictionary. "Oloth plynn dos!": "May darkness take you!" is fairly tame, but you could always go for "vith,", the vulgar term for the sexual act. "Vith'os" and "vith'ir" referring to "you" and "off" respectively.
Tzepish 08-21-03, 02:40 AM	I've never found using IRL swear words to be a problem. You're also speaking English (or some other real world language) to convey what the characters are speaking in Common, Elven, etc. anyway. I don't see why swear words should be different. I've played foul mouthed characters, and I've played characters who don't swear at all... and when I swear IRL while playing the character, it is known that the character is swearing in Gnome or what-have-you. The words don't break the fantasy feel any more than other words in my language do.
SpellMaster 08-23-03, 06:18 PM	Here are some from myself. These are more taunts than swears, but its the same idea. -Go grease a pig! -Go kiss a succubus! -Your mother is a bull! (best used against minotaurs) -Go tickle a dragon! (or any other ferocious monster) -Go touch a rust monster. -Go lick a lich. -Go suck an Allip. -Eat my sword! -By the hair on my chin! (minotaur swear) -By Clangeddin's Axe! -By Mystra's gaze! -It's people (or creatures) like you that make me think that the gods really do have a sense of humor! -You think you're the gods' gift to Krynn... well, I hope they kept the receipt! -Your face could double for a bug bear's hinny -So sorry I mistook your codpiece for a thimble --I'd insult you! but I just can't hang around until you get it, I don't have that long of a lifespan... -Your parents tried to throw you to the wolves...but the wolves threw you back! A perfect place to find some taunts is on Kencyclopedia.com. Here is the site. Kencyclopedia Kender's Book of Taunts (http://www.kencyclopedia.com/kender/taunts/index.cfm)
baoban sith 08-25-03, 07:01 PM	By Crom!
Fiantha 08-26-03, 10:50 AM	My character is fond of "Gods above and below" or, when she's in politer company, "Dragons across the land". Of course, she's not really that foul mouthed, so these are relatively tame. I like to think up different favorite expressions for each character. --Fiantha
Domni Dalrose 08-26-03, 02:02 PM	From Book 1 of the Erevis Cale Triology: Twilight Falling.. Said by Jak..a very funny and interesting character- Trickster's hairy toes! :D or the short version, Trickster's toes! ;) Dark and empty.. or as I posted above, Dark. :P Highly reccomend Paul S. Kemp's books..amazing stories and superb characters :)
ieattrollsforbreakfast 08-27-03, 03:44 PM	When playing a half-orc or other suitably monstrous character, just roar loudly :)
Savras 08-27-03, 04:14 PM	Anything suitable for a priest of Tyr? Or a Paladin, for that matter? I though about one for bein' surprised (like the pirate shiver me timber: "By the scales of justice!", and of one for the pirate avast (hold, stop, halt...): "Cease and desist!", and of course, "miscreant" and "criminal" as adjectives. Anything else? Savras
Lhiannon Sidhe 08-29-03, 01:05 AM	Swearing and phrases specific to my homebrew world: "By the blood of Telak!" "Sweet mother of all!" "Son of an Elf!" (Only works for human supremisists) "Dragon Fire!" When I'm a player as opposed to a DM, I usually use modern, or semi-modern curses, but say them in gaelic, as more often then not, my character speaks Elven, and I see Elven as being Celtic-like. "Astar a Ifrinn, Sibh mac-imsidhe mac suirrach" - "Go to hell, you rebrobate son of a *****"