Book Review

Title: Filthy English

Author: Peter Silverton

Publisher: Portobello, Anansi

Published: April 1 2011

Number of Pages: 309

ISBN: 978-1-84627-169-4

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins

If you have ever wanted to know more about swear words, why we use them, their origins, and their evolution, this is an extremely enjoyable read that is both educational and highly entertaining. Silverton’s anecdotes, personal experiences, and contributions from friends along with in depth linguistic explanations and a bit of history make this book interesting in so many ways. And really, when the first chapter is titled “Sexual Intercourse and Masturbation,” how could it be a boring book?

The book begins at a logical point in the history of swearing: Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols saying f*** on a British talk show. This occurred in December 1976, and as Silverton says, things have never been the same since. The social acceptability of swearing has changed dramatically since then, and most people no longer make such a fuss if they hear the words on television or on the radio, or read them in a newspaper.

One of my favourite chapters, “*********, Bleeps, Censorship, ------, and Euphemism,” describes how each publication has their own standards and guidelines for dealing with swear words, and the Guardian is mentioned quite a bit as they are known for printing swear words in full with no asterisks or euphemisms. For television, many countries have a “watershed,” a time when swearing is permitted because little ones are supposed to be in bed already. In Canada there is no swearing on cable TV before 9pm and after 6 am.

There are also some very interesting and informative chapters on body parts and bodily functions. In “Vulvas, Vaginas, and Breasts” he talks about going to see The Vagina Monologues and hearing a bunch of women chant the C-word. “Penises and Testicles” covers all the slangs associated with these body parts, and “Anuses, Faeces, Urine, and Other Excreta” talks about bathroom business and all sorts of gross things that come out of our bodies.

I really enjoyed the chapter called “Around the World” which talks about the differences in swearing between cultures, and how to insult someone in another language. He talks a lot about the Quebecois swearing slang called Sacré which is all about swearing on sacred objects and the church, and also the Russian swearing language called mat which is based on just four words and their variations. The “Popular Music” chapter was also very cool as Silverton talks about the first uses of swear words in music recordings and the censorship that goes along with that.        

Silverton makes the case that racial slurs have overtaken sexual swearing as the most offensive language in our society today, which overtook blasphemy before that, and I think he makes a pretty valid argument. Swearing is an ever evolving part of the language, and as the Western world has undergone a sort of linguistic liberalisation, there is a lot to study and understand on the subject of filthy language. One thing is certain though: everyone swears, and it is difficult to swear properly in a language that is not your native tongue.

This is a wonderful book for any language lover or anyone who would like to learn some interesting facts about swear words, their history, and why we swear in the first place. Filthy English, in all its profane glory, was a joy to read and I highly recommend it.    

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