Abrahams cussing

[L Verge]

I have debated for several days whether or not to be the devil's advocate on this matter of Mr. Lincoln's cursing. I'm biting the bullet and plowing ahead to disagree in regards to the two specific words that the reviews caught. Let me preface by saying that I have not seen the movie.

However, we had a discussion about this at least a year ago at Surratt House (both men and women were involved). The consensus of opinion was that those words did exist but were never used in public conversations - especially in mixed company by people of good breeding. When used, it was mainly by the ignorant and poorer classes.

We even consulted writers' guides that tell you what to say or report about various historical times. One source listed the F word as being of Dutch or Low German origin and not standard English. Yet another cited that it did not really enter into the English language until after World War I.

I don't consider myself a babe in the woods, but I don't remember ever hearing either word until I went to college. I do remember the first time I used the S word in front of my parents. It was at the dinner table, and I said the common phrase of being "up....creek without a paddle." My father literally threw his fork down on his plate, stared at me, and told me never to use that word again. This from a military man.

In the case of Mr. Lincoln, I would certainly agree that he liked off-color jokes, probably used some "hard" language at times, and was certainly no saint. I know he came from a frontier background where cursing was probably more prevalent, but I just don't see those two words being used in great frequency by him or others in good society - especially once he entered the political world. Being one of the "good old boys" does not require one to use such raw language to get points across.

Throwing them into the script of the movie, strictly in my opinion, was done to try and catch the modern viewer's ear - and thus condone our frequent use of bad language - and also to try and reinforce the idea that Lincoln and his associates were just "common men of their era." With our constant exposure to those particular words, we are never going to clean up the English language. Now someone can proudly point to the film and say, "See, even Lincoln and his colleagues used those words. History proves it."

And, before you beat up on me, I am no prude -- I taught secondary school for Pete's sake!