Why I don’t get that feel when I say any swear word (gaali) in English?


If you're implying that swear words in English don't carry enough weight to satisfy the person uttering them, you're mistaken. I'm assuming you're based in India where English is not the native language, which is the main reason why you don't get that feeling when you let your tongue go berserk in English.

The Major Reason

Yes, English is the language of business in India and it is widely used by government agencies and the private sector to conduct business. Beyond that, people don't prefer using it much for discussions with family and friends.

Even in offices, where all the work is done using English, people tend to speak in their own language essentially to touch base and get into a comfort zone that liberates them to use the occasional swear word or 'gaali'.

Anglicized Culture

Some private sector offices do have Anglicized cultures where people generally speak to each other in English most of the time. In these offices, you get to hear the choicest expletives in English that you normally hear folks use in places like the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. For instance, the 'F' word has become like an additional verb in almost every sentence that these folks speak.

Symonds-Bhajji Controversy

Now, if you happen to be in any of these countries, you better not try your favorite Hindi' word like Harbhajan Singh did and almost saw his career go up in smoke as the consequence. What Harbhajan said to Andrew Symonds was 'Teri Maa ki...' but it was in Australia and his target was an Australian of British-West Indian origin, who had some amount of African blood in him.

In western societies, such people are the colored minorities who often face racial abuse from some white individuals who sometimes call them monkeys. Now, Symonds clearly heard 'Maa ki...' which apparently sounded like 'monkey' to him and that was enough of a racist red line for him.

To add to Harbhajan's difficulty, Mathew Hayden, a close pal of Symonds, also heard it and testified it when the case came up for hearing after Symonds complained. It was Sachin Tendulkar, a close pal of Harbhajan, who explained what the 'gaali' actually was and that saved the day for Harbhajan Singh. My advice - just avoid uttering such profanities because unlike Harbhajan Singh, you won't have a Sachin Tendulkar defending you in case of difficulties.

Updated on: 27-Jun-2020

72 Views

Kickstart Your Career

Get certified by completing the course

Get Started
Advertisements