The first part of this provocative book inquires into the origin, status, and role of ‘bad language’, its public presentation, as well as reaction to it. The second part is dedicated to an examination of the structure of swear words, their possible underlying logic or grammar that would give them meaning and weight. The third part places the act of swearing into a neurological, linguistic, psychological, social, and historical context, intending not so much to offer an exhaustive or universal theory, but to adumbrate contemporary signposts and limits of thinking about swearing. Finally, the text discreetly suggests the possibility of opening space to justifying cursing, less for its medical effectiveness, and more as a textually fruitful practice.