About this book
A Cursory History of Swearing by Julian Sharman invites listeners on a witty, erudite exploration of profanity’s past, tracing how curses, oaths, and exclamations shaped language and society. Part social and linguistic history and part cultural romp, Sharman examines everything from classical cracklings and Aristophanes’ jibes to medieval mystery plays, religious oaths, military vows, and the rise of “damn” and other familiar imprecations in English life.
With anecdotal flair and scholarly curiosity, the book surveys etymology and etiquette—how blasphemy, legal regulation, and popular satire alternately suppressed and spawned new swears; how figures from Socrates to Chaucer and Joan of Arc surface in the story; and how legislation, stagecraft, and everyday speech forged the patterns we still recognize. Chapters move from clubroom banter and post-office squabbles to the battlefield and pulpit, revealing the social forces behind taboo words without sensationalism.
Ideal for listeners who love history, linguistics, etymology, or cultural observation, this historical non-fiction audiobook is a lively, illuminating listen for anyone curious about why humans curse and what those curses tell us about the past.
