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F*ck, Yes: People Who Swear A Lot Have Higher Verbal Abilities

by Gillian Fuller

Guess what, motherf*ckers? People who swear a lot aren't just hotter (and healthier). We're also smarter.

Researchers from Marist College and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts recently conducted an experiment to test whether swearing frequently is an accurate indicator of one's intelligence.

Participants were first asked to name as many swear words as they could think of within a minute. Then, they were asked to name as many non-swear words beginning with a specific letter and animals as they could within that same time frame.

Somewhat surprisingly those with “swear word fluency” were more likely to have a robust vocabulary and a more solid grasp of language than those who weren't familiar with an abundance of curse words.

Contrary to popular belief, the researchers concluded,

... the ability to generate taboo language is not an index of overall language poverty.

This, of course, doesn't mean that swearing inherently makes one intelligent; nor is it to say that swearing makes one sound smart. Often, the opposite is true.

The results simply show that having a firm grasp on language is not a skill limited to 'proper' vocabulary, which is completely logical, when you think about it.

In any case, next time someone chastises you for swearing, or tells you that it makes you sound uneducated, you can proudly tell them to f*ck off.

Citations: Fluent Swearers Actually Have High Verbal Abilities So Feel Good About Your Filthy Mouth (Bustle)