FU, CKOI (or: Saying “fuck” on the radio in Canada)

The news has travelled around the world: It’s OK to swear on the radio in Canada now!

Only… it’s not quite what the headlines make it. This is more a story of one listener telling a French-language radio station to shut the fuck up, and the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council telling that listener to sit the fuck down. It’s not open “fuck” season all day all the time on all Canadian radio from coast to coast to coast. It’s just an acknowledgement that the word fuck is no more offensive to French-Canadians at large than the word screw is to English-speaking Canadians.

But let’s start with some background.

Swearing on the air in Canada

First of all: You’ve been able to say “fuck” on the air in Canada – in English-speaking Canada, even – for years, within specific limits.

Sweary links #21

Dick Assman, a Canadian gas station owner — yes, Assman the Gasman — has died at 82. He achieved fleeting celebrity in the 1990s when Dave Letterman featured him on the Late Show.

*

Our new favorite Twitter account: Swear Trek.

Not the weirdest place McCoy woke up. pic.twitter.com/GynSv0b7e5

— Swear Trek (@swear_trek) August 20, 2016

*

Sweary links #13

Headed back to school? Here’s your syllabus for Swearing 101.

*

“For so universal an experience, a child’s discovery of curse words is the topic of surprisingly few picture books.” The New York Times reviews a new book that’s among the surprisingly few: Little Bird’s Bad Word, by Jacob Grant.

*

“Son of the illegal lottery!” sounds filthier in Tagalog, we’re sure. More at Foul Mouth: a website about Filipino dirty words.

*