Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing

Renaissance scholar Mohr presents a history of cursing that is guided by humor and scholarship. She begins by examining pillars of Western civilization, namely Ancient Rome and the Bible. The remaining four chapters and epilog proceed chronologically from the Middle Ages to the present day. Each chapter highlights words most offensive for that period and provides the etymology and historical context. For example, the author compares translations of the Bible, noting intriguing choices between euphemisms (indirect references) and more common terms (the latter often won). Mohr further explains how the progression of 18th-century culture corresponded with the censorship of language and how racial slurs emerged following World War II. She investigates the body's response to swearing (e.g., faster heart rate and higher pain tolerance) and also considers the legal hurdles that James Joyce's Ulysses confronted over the novel's explicit language. Mohr's breadth of knowledge distinguishes this book from others like Peter Silverton's Filthy English or Tom McEnery's Swearing in English. Lacking is a select bibliography.