Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language

Many words and expressions are viewed as 'taboo', such as those used to
describe sex, our bodies and their functions, and those used to insult
other people. This 2006 book provides a fascinating insight into taboo
language and its role in everyday life. It looks at the ways we use
language to be polite or impolite, politically correct or offensive,
depending on whether we are 'sweet-talking', 'straight-talking' or being
deliberately rude. Using a range of colourful examples, it shows how we
use language playfully and figuratively in order to swear, to insult,
and also to be politically correct, and what our motivations are for
doing so. It goes on to examine the differences between
institutionalized censorship and the ways individuals censor their own
language. Lively and revealing, Forbidden Words will fascinate anyone
who is interested in how and why we use and avoid taboos in daily
conversation.