Are You Fucking Brilliant?

(On Fuck's being Just Another Option)

by aLfie vera mella

Using fuck or fucking in a sentence to amplify the seriousness or intensity of what one is expressing is, in the end, a matter of choice for reasons that include 1) fondness for the word, 2) laziness to think of another word, 3) belief that only the word fuck could attract more attention, and 4) failure or willingness to acknowledge that there are other words that serve the same intensifying purpose.

For example, because I don't have a fondness for using fuck to stress a point, I rather choose words that I like better—instead of "Wow, that was fucking horrible!", I am more inclined to say

"Wow, that was really horrible!"

"Wow, that was unbelievably horrible!"

"Wow, that was inexcusably horrible!"

To me, fucking has just developed into having a few more meanings—no longer only meaning "having sex." It has long been used to put emphasis in or draw extra attention to a sentence. In fact, its dictionary meaning has simply been officially expanded:

interjection,

Fuck! – "an expression of utter anger, disappointment, disbelief, disgust, or frustration" (Fuck! Why did you do that?)

adjective,

fucking – "putting emphasis, weight, or intensity on the idea or feeling being expressed" (Are you fucking serious?)

However, just like with any other word, the speaker or the writer has the choice which words to use in his speech or writing for whatever purpose. If it is working for himself, then use it. If it's not, then look for new alternative words. The point is, fuck or fucking is just another option to use in expressing a strong emotion or stressing or intensifying a point. Every writer may or may not use it.

So, as many writers would say, writing and the choice of words is a matter of style—apart from grammar, of course.

The Last Leaf

Using fuck or fucking as an interjection, intensifier, or modifier (adjective or adverb) remains just another option for anyone—speakers and writers included. It's not the be-all, end-all of all superlative expressions. There are other equal or better alternatives. Its use is not also automatically a display of one's poor vocabulary. Ultimately, it is simply a matter of linguistic choice, vocabulary taste, or literary style.