SKU: 19276735537

In Praise of Profanity

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In Praise of ProfanityWhen President Obama signed the affordable health care act in 2009, the Vice President was overheard to utter an enthusiastic "This is a big f****** deal " A town in Massachusetts levies $20 fines on swearing in public. Nothing is as paradoxical as our attitude toward swearing and "bad language" how can we judge profanity so harshly in principle, yet use it so frequently in practice? Though profanity is more acceptable today than ever, it is still

When President Obama signed the affordable health care act in 2009, the Vice President was overheard to utter an enthusiastic "This is a big f****** deal " A town in Massachusetts levies $20 fines on swearing in public. Nothing is as paradoxical as our attitude toward swearing and "bad language" how can we judge profanity so harshly in principle, yet use it so frequently in practice? Though profanity is more acceptable today than ever, it is still labeled as rude, or at best tolerable only under specific circumstances. Cursing, many argue, signals an absence of character, or poor parenting, and is something to avoid at all costs. Yet plenty of us are unconcerned about the dangers of profanity; bad words are commonly used in mainstream music, Academy Award-winning films, books, and newspapers. And of course, regular people use them in conversation every day.

In In Praise of Profanity, Michael Adams offers a provocative, unapologetic defense of profanity, arguing that we've oversimplified profanity by labeling it as taboo. Profanity is valuable, even essential, both as a vehicle of communication and an element of style. As much as we may deplore it in some contexts, we should celebrate it in others. Adams skillfully weaves together linguistic and psychological analyses of why we swear-for emotional release, as a way to promote group solidarity, or to create intimate relationships -- with colorful examples of profanity in literature, TV, film, and music, such as The Sopranos, James Kelman's How Late It Was, How Late, or the songs of Nellie McKay. This breezy, jargon-free book will challenge readers to reconsider the way they think about swearing.



Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 08/01/2016
ISBN: 9780199337583
Pages: 272
Weight: 0.88lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.90w x 1.10d

Review Citations: Library Journal 05/15/2016 pg. 78
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2016
Shelf Awareness 07/29/2016
Choice 12/01/2016
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SKU: 19276735537

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Brown
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
So much fun
Size: 8 Inch, Color: Pink
Best money ever spent hours of fun. We have 3 dogs. They all love to play with this toy. We got the size 3 large is what we ordered. I'm not going to lie I thought it would be bigger when I ordered it. Two of our dogs are large breeds and the other is medium. It's not too big for the medium to play with it. It comes with a ball pump included so convenient. The little tabs are very durable. I can't recommend this enough. This has no squeaking or any sounds. It's nice that you can play with your four legged companion or you can have them play tug or just enjoy pushing the ball around. It is very versatile in play and stimulation.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2025
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allyson handabaka
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 3
Not for chewers
Size: 8 Inch, Color: Yellow, Size: 8 Inch, Color: Yellow
My dog managed to pop this and completely chew through it in a matter of 4 days. It was definitely cute and she loved the size of it but with her chewing all the way to the core we have to get rid of it. I thought it was a good material but I guess I was wrong. Kind of sad considering the money spent only lasted 4 days
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Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2026
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Jessica
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
Great dog toy
Size: 8 Inch, Color: Pink
The amount of stupid and cute these dogs look like when they shake this ball and smack their own faces! It took a hot second for either dog to understand where to bite on the ball, but now that they do, they both will play with it for a while. Great purchase, came with a pump to blow the ball up.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2026
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Beach Lover (Sue)
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
Pup loves this!
Size: 6 Inch, Color: Red
This soccer ball is so cute. My dog loves to play with these. The straps are durable, easy to pump up (they come with a pump), good value for the money since they tend to last awhile, at least for us. The straps are durable but could be an issue if your dog is an aggressive chewer. They stay pumped up for quite awhile and just need to be topped off once in awhile to keep the bounce there. We keep them outside even in the winter and they do just fine. HIghly recommend as a good play toy.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2025
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KDDYOUMANS
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 5
Great Ball
Size: 6 Inch, Color: Red
Our Little Goldendoodle Loves this ball & I like that it has so many straps to grab so I'm not getting the slimy part. It does not come already inflated so make sure you or a neighbor have an air compressor to blow it up because even though it came with a little pump I can't imagine how many weeks I'd have been pumping that without noticing any difference.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2026

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