'Great F*cking Book!'

 

“Great F*cking Book!”

 

by Lostalley

The above are not my words but Stephen King’s, on a little book called “English as a Second F*cking Language--How to swear effectively, explained in detail with numerous examples taken from everyday life.”  I definitely agree with Stephen, and highly recommend it. To give you an idea, I quote the praise by the publisher St. Martin’s Griffin:

“In the English Language, swearing is essential to effective communication. Whether you want to succeed in business, school, or social circles, a strong command of vocabulary is absolutely necessary. Just imagine a stranger to our shores, trying to comprehend the following conversation:

John: Mary, would you like to attend the opera this evening?

Mary: F*cking-A. Should I wear my black dress?

John: Why the f*ck not?

Mary: F*cked if I know--Oh, f*ck! I just remembered. It got f*cked up in the wash.

John: Well, f*ck the opera. Let’s stay home and f*ck.

Mary: Good f*cking idea.”

In the English-speaking world, from America to Australia, from Newfoundland to New Zealand, I can’t think of a more colorful word than f*ck. For English speakers, this is the only word that breaks racial, religious, gender, national, and cultural barriers. Linguistically, f*ck is the most versatile word with unlimited application as far as imagination goes. Put it simply, f*ck is the word you can’t live without, if you want to speak English effectively. 

The author of this "great f*cking book" is Professor Sterling Johnson who has taught TESOL (teaching English as a Second Language) for over twenty years. He now lives in Pacific Grove, California, where he enjoys a “nice f*cking day” as much as the next fellow. 

I bought the book years ago and keep it on the shelf, as the final rescue for undesirable situations unsalvageable by all other means. Last night, I read it again and chuckled in my dream. For the thin-skinned prudes, apology in advance.

February 4, 2015, Bethesda, Maryland