From: bbobak@violet.waterloo.edu (Brad Bobak)
Subject: Re: About the 'F' in RTFM
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 13:59:25 GMT

In article <1992Jul21.005916.22447@organpipe.uug.arizona.edu>, dave@cs.arizona.edu (Dave Schaumann) writes:
> 
> A frank discussion of the f-word below; those of tender constitutions may
> wish to press 'n' now.  Also, the discussion is related to C only by the
> most tenuous of relations...
> 
> In article <1992Jul20.162942.14863@mic.ucla.edu>, stephen@eggneb (Stephen Schimpf) writes:
> >> > |Proposed change to 'standard' practice.  'RTFM' is now 'RTM'.
> >> > |The 'F' does not relate to any known adjective for Manual.
> >> > |'Read The Manual' should suffice.
> >> > 
> >> > fabulous? famous? fancy? fantastic? fascinating? fateful? favourable?
> >> > fine? forgiving? forgotten? formidable? funky? funny? ;-)
> >>
> >>fucking?
> >
> >YES! Finally! It's amazing to me how long it took for someone to write the
> >word. It's just a WORD.
> 
> "Just a word"?  Just a loaded word.  "Sticks and stones may break my bones,
> but names will never hurt me" is the biggest load of bullshit I've ever
> heard.
> 
> Presumably, "f-ck" refers to the act of intercourse.  Common usage, however,
> tells us that this is not so.  Those of limited vocabulary will also use it
> to express the most powerful put-down they know (ie, "f-ck you", along with
> assorted variations).  It's also used to describe an extreme state of
> non-functionality ("f-cked up"), as well as a plethora of other highly
> undesirable states.
> 
> I personally avoid using "f-ck" in my conversation; since it has such
> powerful negative connotations, it cannot help but pull my own thoughts
> in the same direction.
> 
> Anyone whose ever been insulted (or praised) should know that words can have
> a powerful effect on the human spirit.  English (and, I suppose, every human
> language) is full of such loaded words, both negative and positive.  To claim
> that any such word is "just a word" is to miss in a fundamental way what
> words are all about.
> 
> The fact that there is a reluctance to use it should be no surprise at all.

 This has nothing to do with C at all (well, except when theres a bug in
 your code ;) ), but I came across this, and thought it'd be neat to post.

311.() [~] webster fuck
1fuck \'fek\ vb
[of Gmc origin, prob. fr. or akin to D fkken to breed (cattle), fr.
     MD, push, thrust, copulate; akin to Sw dial. fock penis]
vi
(15c)
1: COPULATE -- usu. considered obscene; sometimes used in the present
     participle as a meaningless intensive
2: MESS 3 -- used with with; usu. considered vulgar
~ vt
1: to engage in coitus with -- usu. considered obscene; sometimes used
     interjectionally with an object (as a personal or reflexive pronoun)
     to express anger, contempt, or disgust
2: to deal with unfairly or harshly
:CHEAT, DO IN -- usu. considered vulgar
-- fuck-er n

2fuck n
(1680)
1: an act of copulation -- usu. considered obscene
2: a sexual partner -- usu. considered obscene
3a: DAMN 2  -- usu. considered vulgar
3b -- used esp. with the as a meaningless intensive; usu. considered
     vulgar <what the fuck do they want from me>

> 
> -- 
> Dave Schaumann			dave@cs.arizona.edu


Newsgroups: comp.lang.c