Expletives Explained. Metaphor, Moral Panic and Swearing

The aim of this thesis is to examine discourse on swearing by exploring the language used in two UK newspapers The Mirror and The Express between 2008 and 2009. In particular, the focal point became two national anti-swearing campaigns that developed after an incident on BBC Radio 2 known as Sachsgate. This was followed by the publication of several polls and reports that appeared to contradict the reasoning for the two campaigns. The discourse used in news reports, editorials and letters pages regarding swearing at this time was closely reviewed within two theoretical frameworks. Firstly, the study drew from Conceptual Metaphor Theory, as outlined by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (2003). Secondly, it used a Moral Panic Theory framework, derived from Stanley Cohen's (2002) original thesis.

The primary findings from this investigation demonstrated a significant correlation between swearing and three clusters of conceptual metaphors: Religiosity, Hygiene and Invasion. It is suggested that there is a blurring between the literal and non-literal that has resulted in swearing being stereotyped as something filthy, irreligious and a threat to the social and moral norms of the Self. The study continued to examine whether the discourse constituted a moral panic, finding that the narrative was presented in the stylised and stereotypical manner indicative of a moral panic and that this intensified the social issue of swearing as a deviant behaviour. This interdisciplinary study has provided evidence as to how (negative) attitudes towards swearing become defined and sustained.