She explores obscenities in ancient Rome - which were remarkably similar to our own - and unearths the history of religious oaths in the Middle Ages, when swearing (or not swearing) an oath was often a matter of life and death. Melissa Mohr takes readers on a journey to discover how "swearing" has come to include both testifying with your hand on the Bible and calling someone a *#$&!* when they cut you off on the highway. Holy Sh*t tells the story of two kinds of swearing - obscenities and oaths - from ancient Rome and the Bible to today.
But swearing is also a uniquely well-suited lens through which to look at history, offering a record of what people care about on the deepest levels of a culture - what's divine, what's terrifying, and what's taboo.
Whether they express anger or exhilaration, are meant to insult or to commend, swear words perform a crucial role in language. "Almost everyone swears, or worries about not swearing, from the two year-old who has just discovered the power of potty mouth to the grandma who wonders why every other word she hears is obscene.
But swearing is also a uniquely well-suited lens through which to look at history, offering a record of what people care about on the deepest levels of a culture - what's divine, what's terrifying, and.
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