Seattle Culture
Polite To A Fault
Reddit posts reveal that we don’t swear nearly as much as people in other states
By Rob Smith July 30, 2024
I’m a pretty easygoing guy except when it comes to driving and technology. In those instances, I’m likely to utter a “f*ck” or “sh*t,” sometimes in the same sentence. In general, it seems as if cussing is more acceptable today than ever.
When it comes to swear words, Washington residents are exceedingly polite (my commute yesterday notwithstanding). An analysis of Reddit posts by writing services company My Paper Writers finds that the state ranks a rather lowly No. 43 in its use of profanity, at least on Reddit.
The most used cussword in America is “f*ck,” which was uttered 17.65% of the time across all states. “Hell” takes second place, followed by “damn.” Those two aren’t even cuss words in my mind. Neither are two other words the study deems profane: “moron” or “whore,” though they’re decidedly not nice words.
Texas, unsurprisingly, is the cussing capital of America, followed by Connecticut and Minnesota. Nevada ranks as the most-polite state.
Personally, I haven’t cussed yet today. But I also haven’t been in my car, and I’ve had no computer or phone issues. Damn, this is shaping up to be a pretty good day.
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