Idea #63 - F**K

Taboo for some, cathartic for many, 'fuck' is a beloved cuss word whose etymological origin dates back to centuries old Dutch word fokkelen which meant 'To strike or blow.' Since then, the meaning has become synonymous to sex, and gradually became more or less connotative to anything and everything you want it to be.

We also learnt the cognitive functioning of swearing - an evolutionary reflex that is placed deep in the centre of our brains, that fires up in moments of distress and allows us to inadvertently release stress.

In the socio-political context, fuck becomes a tool of empowerment - an example being N.W.A's protest song 'Fuck Tha Police' which went on to become a fierce emblem of speaking against racial injustice - relevant now more than ever.

Fun tid-bit: Jonah Hill is the only actor to hold the record of the most curses on-screen, a total count of 376 swear words.

You can watch the full episode on Netflix, the show is called 'The History of Swear Words' and check out the trailer here:

Written & Curated By: Shweta Singh