Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 1,090 ratings

Price: 13.78

Last update: 02-26-2025


About this item

One of the preeminent linguists of our time examines the realms of language that are considered shocking and taboo in order to understand what imbues curse words with such power - and why we love them so much.

Profanity has always been a deliciously vibrant part of our lexicon, an integral part of being human. In fact, our ability to curse comes from a different part of the brain than other parts of speech - the urgency with which we say "f--k!" is instead related to the instinct that tells us to flee from danger.

Language evolves with time, and so does what we consider profane or unspeakable. Nine Nasty Words is a rollicking examination of profanity, explored from every angle: historical, sociological, political, linguistic. In a particularly coarse moment, when the public discourse is shaped in part by once-shocking words, nothing could be timelier.


Top reviews from the United States

  • C
    5.0 out of 5 stars Learn the history of curse words, and more Funny Things from a Cunning Linguist
    Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2021
    This book starts off with a pretty hilarious story about Babe Ruth's parents, and a surprisingly explicit legal document that serves as both a record of an event, and an example of early profanity. There are interesting little stories like this throughout the book, and I was often surprised at the origins and history of some of these words. The book focuses on eleven specific words, as McWhorter discusses how each of them have evolved, and how their impact has changed over time.

    An interesting fact that McWhorter points out in the Introduction, is that most language seems to originate from the left side of the brain, while curse words are generated by the right side. McWhorter explains that in PET scans you can see the activity in these different sides of the brain, and only profanity seems to light up the right side of the brain. This really highlights how these words are different from normal language, not just socially, but subconsciously and biologically.

    I enjoyed reading this book, and learning about the history of parts of our language from a linguist that approaches these topics with a refreshing combination of humor and scientific rigor. Any time I can read something that allows me to laugh and learn at the same time, I feel like it was time well spent.
  • Michael
    5.0 out of 5 stars fun
    Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024
    The book is fun AND erudite … English is my third language and I can empathize with things such as comprehending intellectually what is and what is not appropriate, but often there is no emotional “brake.“
    Excellent read
  • James Leach
    4.0 out of 5 stars Much Better Than the Title Suggests
    Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2024
    If you've an open-minded and educated adult who happens to be interested in the origin of words, this book is for you. Take it slow, because I was initially put off by the author's writing style, which I sometimes found difficult to follow. Still, the content is presented without bias and as objectively as one could wish. It's the content that may offend some readers - I mean, how many people want to know about the origin poddy words. As a very amateur linguist and profound lover of the English language, I do. If you're a snowflake (and by that I mean at all inclined to be hypersensitive to matters profane, scatalogical, &c.), avoid this book as if your mental life depends on it. The author does not over-sensationalize the content to attract drooling idiots. It's an objective presentation of history and fact.
  • Reginald
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pleased Customer!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
    Illustrious service! The book was a good read, I enjoyed it very much.
  • carllions
    3.0 out of 5 stars interesting but dull
    Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2024
    I found info on some of my most popular
    words that I use frequently but at times dull
    when the charts came up.
    fun book to read
  • Taylor
    5.0 out of 5 stars Linguistic fun
    Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2024
    Always love this author in text talk and screen
  • T. Burket
    5.0 out of 5 stars he doesn't mess around
    Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2021
    As a devout listener of "Lexicon Valley," I could easily hear the author's words in my mind, even though I read the Kindle edition. Part of that was because a decent amount of the book had already been covered on the podcast in the past year, or as content directly linked to the book. He just loves this stuff, and it shows.

    I appreciated that he did not duck from the literal words themselves, and that he has what to me seems like an open mind of when things are ok (e.g., variations on the n-word in certain circumstances), and when current standards say no. A key thread through the book is how standards have changed, sometimes quickly, and how the words themselves have changed. On his podcast, he often traces the evolution of a word from its roots and through way stations over the centuries. He does that quite a bit here, too.

    A simple example that appears multiple times is how some terms that were at one point tagged to women or non-entities (think of that bundle of sticks) became associated with weakness in men and then gay men. Modest scholarship such as that adds greatly to understanding.

    If you liked the book and don't follow Lexicon Valley, try it!
  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting - for a while
    Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2021
    Couldn't decide on a score, because the first few chapters are interesting - though maybe more scholarly and less fun than the topic deserves for general readers. About half way through the formula of analysis became clear and I just didn't want to stick with it any further.

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