Warning: This piece contains offensive language. If you’re expletive-averse, please stop reading now!
A president using salty language is nothing new. Lyndon Johnson’s spicy language includes: “I do know the difference between chicken s— and chicken salad.” Richard Nixon’s language from the Watergate tapes can be summed up in two words: “expletive deleted.” No political party has exclusive claim to use of less-than-polite language.
kAmq2C24< ~32>2 42==65 9:D A@=:E:42= C:G2= |:EE #@>?6J 2 “3F==D\\\E6C” :? 2 #@==:?8 $E@?6 :?E6CG:6H[ 3FE AC:?E >65:2 2C6?’E C68F=2E65 3J E96 urr] $2=EJ =2?8F286 42? 36 2 AC@3=6>[ 9@H6G6C[ 7@C @G6C\E96\2:C 3C@2542DE6CD H9@ >FDE 7@==@H urr CF=6D 282:?DE “:?5646?4J]”k^Am
kAm':46 !C6D:56?E y@6 q:56? 4C62E65 D@>6 5:77:4F=E:6D H96? 96 =62?65 @G6C E@ !C6D:56?E ~32>2[ H9@ H2D D:8?:?8 962=E9 42C6 =68:D=2E:@?[ 2?5 D2:5[ “%9:D :D 2 3:8 7\\\:?8 562=]” p?5 ?@H :E’D !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 8:G:?8 3C@2542DE >65:2 AC@3=6>D H:E9 9:D 2==6865 “D–9@=6 4@F?EC:6D” 4@>>6?E] ~C >2J36 :E’D “D—9@FD6]”k^Am
kAmr@F=5 E96 urr 4@?D:56C %CF>A’D 2==6865 =2?8F286 :?5646?En %9:D 368D E96 BF6DE:@?i “(92E’D :?5646?4Jn”k^Am
kAmx?5646?4J :D?’E E96 D2>6 2D @3D46?:EJ] x? `hfb[ E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE 56G:D65 2 E9C66\A2CE @3D46?:EJ E6DEi s@6D >2E6C:2= 2AA62= E@ “ACFC:6?E :?E6C6DE[” :D :E “A2E6?E=J @776?D:G6[” 2?5 5@6D :E =24< “D6C:@FD =:E6C2CJ[ 2CE:DE:4[ A@=:E:42=[ @C D4:6?E:7:4 G2=F6”nk^Am
kAmx?5646?4J :D D@CE @7 “@3D46?:EJ =:E6]” xE FD6D @?=J E96 “A2E6?E=J @776?D:G6” A2CE @7 E96 @3D46?:EJ E6DE] qFE :?5646?4J[ =:<6 @3D46?:EJ[ >FDE :?G@=G6 D6I @C 6I4C6E@CJ 7F?4E:@?D] ':@=6?46 2=@?6 5@6D?’E 4@F?E] %92E’D 2C8F23=J 2 =:EE=6 DEC2?86[ 3FE E92E’D E96 =2H]k^Am
kAmw6C6’D E96 urr’D 567:?:E:@? @7 :?5646?4Ji “=2?8F286 @C >2E6C:2= E92E[ :? 4@?E6IE[ 56A:4ED @C 56D4C:36D[ :? E6C>D A2E6?E=J @776?D:G6 2D >62DFC65 3J 4@?E6>A@C2CJ 4@>>F?:EJ DE2?52C5D 7@C E96 3C@2542DE >65:F>[ D6IF2= @C 6I4C6E@CJ @C82?D @C 24E:G:E:6D]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 @3D46?:EJ 42? 36 C6DEC:4E65 2?JH96C6[ 423=6[ D2E6==:E6 2?5 E96 :?E6C?6E 42? FD6 :?5646?4J 2E H:==]k^Am
kAm~G6C\E96\2:C 3C@2542DE6CD >2J 2:C :?5646?4J[ 3FE @?=J 5FC:?8 “D276\92C3@C” 9@FCD[ `_ A]>] E@ e 2]>]k^Am
kAmrC65:E v6@C86 r2C=:?] x? `hfg[ E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE CF=65 d\c E92E E96 urr :?5665 4@F=5 C6DEC:4E 3C@2542DE:?8 @7 E96 D6G6? “7:=E9J H@C5D” r2C=:? D2:5 3C@2542DE6CD 4@F=5?’E D2J] %96 urr H2D @? 2 C@==]k^Am
kAm$@>6 urr 7:?6D 7@C :?5646?4J H6C6 AC6EEJ C:5:4F=@FD] x? `hgh[ E96 urr 7:?65 C25:@ DE2E:@?D 7@C A=2J:?8 D:==J D@?8D DF49 2D “(2=< (:E9 2? tC64E:@?[” DF?8 E@ E96 EF?6 @7 “(2=< {:<6 2? t8JAE:2?]”k^Am
kAm$@>6 7:?6D E2C86E65 “D9@4< ;@4<D[” H9@ 2C8F23=J ?66565 2 =:EE=6 E@?:?8 5@H?] x? E96 62C=J `hh_D[ w@H2C5 $E6C? 3642>6 <:?8 @7 urr 7:?6D]k^Am
kAmp 564256 =2E6C[ >FD:4 2H2C5 D9@HD 5C6H 7:C6]k^Am
kAm~? u@I[ 2H2C5\H:??6C r96C 49:CA65[ “!6@A=6 92G6 366? E6==:?8 >6 x’> @? E96 H2J @FE 6G6CJ J62C[ C:89En $@ 7\ — ‘6>]” }:4@=6 #:49:6 D2:5 “7—:?8“ 2?5 “D—]”k^Am
kAm%96 urr 7@F?5 E96:C DE2E6>6?ED :?5646?E 3FE 5:5?’E 7:?6 u@I] %96? @? }qr’D a__b v@=56? v=@36 pH2C5D[ q@?@ DA@?E2?6@FD=J 6I4=2:>65 “7\\\:?8 3C:==:2?EP”k^Am
kAmpE 7:CDE[ E96 urr D2:5 q@?@’D “7=66E:?8 6IA=6E:G6” H2D?’E :?5646?E[ 3FE E96? 42>6 E96 D92<6\FA — y2?6E y24<D@?’D :?72>@FD “H2C5C@36 >2=7F?4E:@?” 5FC:?8 E96 a__c $FA6C q@H= 92=7E:>6 D9@H] yFDE:? %:>36C=2<6 C:AA65 @77 A2CE @7 96C 3FDE:6C[ 6IA@D:?8 96C 3C62DE] %96 urr 7:?65 rq$ Sdd_[___] %96 >@?E9 7@==@H:?8 “}:AA=682E6[” E96 urr 564:565 q@?@’D 6IA=6E:G6 C62==J H2D :?5646?E] $E:==[ }qr C646:G65 ?@ 7:?6]k^Am
kAmw6C6’D H92E H2D 92AA6?:?8i %96 urr H2D E@F896?:?8 :ED :?5646?4J A@=:4J 3J 25@AE:?8 2 “7:CDE 3=@H” E96@CJ]k^Am
kAm}@ =@?86C H@F=5 E96 urr D2J “7=66E:?8 6IA=6E:G6D” H6C6 2446AE23=6] %96 7:CDE E:>6 2? :?5646?E H@C5 H2D FD65 — E96 7:CDE 3=@H — E96 FD6 4@F=5 82C?6C 2 7:?6] “r@F=5” :D E96 @A6C2E:G6 H@C5]k^Am
kAm%96 urr H2D D@>6H92E :?4@?D:DE6?E] u@C 6I2>A=6[ E96 urr 564:565 :E H2D?’E :?5646?E H96? 2 “$FCG:G@Ci '2?F2EF” 4@?E6DE2?E 42==65 2?@E96C 4@?E6DE2?E 2 “3F==D\\\E6C” 5FC:?8 2 =:G6 rq$ :?E6CG:6H @? “%96 t2C=J $9@H]”k^Am
kAm%96 :?4@?D:DE6?4:6D D66>65 D@ 325 E92E :? a__f[ E96 $64@?5 r:C4F:E 42==65 E96 urr’D 7:CDE 3=@H A@=:4J “2C3:EC2CJ 2?5 42AC:4:@FD]”k^Am
kAm%96 4@FCE A@:?E65 @FE[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ E92E E96 urr D2:5 6IA=6E:G6D :? pqr’D 2:C:?8 @7 $E6G6? $A:6=36C8’D >@G:6 “$2G:?8 !C:G2E6 #J2?” H6C6?’E :?5646?E 3642FD6 56=6E:?8 E96> “H@F=5 92G6 2=E6C65 E96 ?2EFC6 @7 E96 2CE:DE:4 H@C<]” qFE E96 urr D2:5 6IA=6E:G6D :? |2CE:? $4@CD6D6’D !q$ 5@4F>6?E2CJ 23@FE 3=F6D D:?86CD WH9@ FD6 3=F6 =2?8F286X H6C6 :?5646?E 3642FD6 E96 5@4F>6?E2CJ 4@F=5 92G6 “7F=7:==65” :ED 65F42E:@?2= AFCA@D6 H:E9@FE E96>]k^Am
kAm%96 urr 2AA62=65 2?5 H@?] x? a__h[ E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE CF=65 d\c E92E E96 A@=:4J 492?86 H2D “?6:E96C 2C3:EC2CJ ?@C 42AC:4:@FD” 3FE “6?E:C6=J C2E:@?2=”i “tG6? :D@=2E65 FEE6C2?46D ]]] 42? 4@?DE:EFE6 92C>7F= ‘7:CDE 3=@H,D.’ E@ 49:=5C6?]”k^Am
kAmqFE :? a_`a[ E96 urr =@DE EH:46] %96 7:CDE 42D6 :?G@=G65 E96 >FD:4\2H2C5D 6IA=6E:G6D 2?5 D6G6? D64@?5D @7 ?F5:EJ :? 2 D9@H6C D46?6 :? pqr’D “}*!s q=F6[” H9:49 8@E pqr 2 S`]a >:==:@? 7:?6]k^Am
kAm%96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE CF=65 g\_ E92E urr DE2?52C5D H6C6 G28F6 2?5 925?’E 8:G6? ?6EH@C<D “72:C ?@E:46 ]]] E92E 7=66E:?8 6IA=6E:G6D 2?5 >@>6?E2CJ ?F5:EJ” 4@F=5 36 566>65 :?5646?E]k^Am
kAm%96? E96 r@FCE =6E DE2?5 2 =@H6C 4@FCE 564:D:@? E@DD:?8 E96 Sdd_[___ 7:?6 7@C y24<D@?’D $FA6C q@H= 7:2D4@] qFE r9:67 yFDE:46 y@9? #@36CED H2C?65 282:?DE “7FEFC6 ‘H2C5C@36 >2=7F?4E:@?D[’” D2J:?8[ “xE :D ?@H 4=62C E92E E96 3C6G:EJ @7 2? :?5646?E 3C@2542DE — 36 :E H@C5 @C :>286 — 42??@E :>>F?:K6 :E 7C@> urr 46?DFC6]”k^Am
kAmx? DF>[ 3C@2542DE6CD 2C6 @? ?@E:46 E92E E96 urr ?@H FD6D 2 “7:CDE 3=@H” E96@CJ]k^Am
kAmqC@2542DE6CD >:89E ?@E 36 D276 2:C:?8 6IA=6E:G6D @C D9@H:?8 E@@ >F49 :? D9@H6C D46?6D @C 92=7E:>6 D9@HD]k^Am
kAm~? E96 @E96C 92?5[ :?5646?4J :D “>62DFC65 3J 4@?E6>A@C2CJ 4@>>F?:EJ DE2?52C5D 7@C E96 3C@2542DE >65:F>]”k^Am
kAmr@F=5 @?6 2C8F6 E92E DE2?52C5D 92G6 =6DD6?65 2?5 4CF56 =2?8F286 :D ?@H >@C6 2446AE23=6nk^Am
kAmpE `_ 2]>] @? uC:52J[ zqxp FD65 E96 F?3=66A65 H@C5 “D\\\9@=6” :? 2 ?6HD C6A@CE 23@FE %CF>A’D 2==6865 C6>2C<]k^Am
kAmr@F=5 zqxp 86E 7:?65 7@C “:?5646?E” ?6HDn z~|&[ 5FC:?8 E96 }qr ?6HD 2E dib_ A]>][ =:<6H:D6 2:C65 2? F?6IAFC82E65 C6A6E:E:@? @7 %CF>A’D 2==6865 C6>2C<]k^Am
kAm}6HD42DE6CD 2AA62C E@ 36 ~z] pD E96 urr’D H63D:E6 D2JD[ “4@?E6IE :D 4C:E:42=” H96? 56E6C>:?:?8 :7 >2E6C:2= :D A2E6?E=J @776?D:G6]k^Am
kAmw@H DEC2?86 :7 p;:E !2:[ 2AA@:?E65 urr 492:C 3J %CF>A[ AC6D:565 @G6C 7:?:?8 3C@2542DE6CD 7@C BF@E:?8 %CF>A] $E:==[ 6G6? :7 zqxp[ z~|& 2?5 @E96C 3C@2542DE6CD 2C6 D276[ E6?56C 62CD 2C6 ?@E]k^Am
kAmk6>m$2?5J s2G:5D@?[ !9]s][ y]s][ E62496D 4@>>F?:42E:@?D =2H 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:DD@FC: $49@@= @7 y@FC?2=:D>] $96 :D 2 rFC2E@CD’ s:DE:?8F:D965 %6249:?8 !C@76DD@C 2?5 E96 2EE@C?6J 7@C E96 r@=F>3:2 |:DD@FC:2?]k^6>mk^Am
About opinions in the Missourian: The Missourian’s Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form.
