Dirty Words

I often wonder exactly it is about a word that can make it so vulgar and offensive. The criteria always seem rather ambiguous. Take “fuck” for instance. “Fuck” is a rather versatile word that can take on various meanings and parts of speech, but it is perhaps the most looked down upon word in the English language. It is not the meaning of “fuck” that makes it unacceptable, because one can use another word such as “frick” or “freak,” or just use the letter “F” by itself, with the exact same intention and meaning as “fuck” and it will be completely acceptable. “Fuck” also can have strong sexual connotations, and we all know how touchy of a subject that can be, but describing the exact same things using any other word seems to be infinitely more acceptable, even with such words as “bang” and “plow” that don’t seem any more appropriate.  It’s also not as though other words that appear similar to “fuck” are offensive, as I doubt anyone would be offended by “duck” or “puck.” Well, maybe “buck” offends some people, because money also tends to be a sore subject. It appears that there’s just something about the letters F-U-C-K in succession that makes them so taboo. I don’t fucking get it.