Replacing swearing

[TheMonotonePuppet]

So, for a fanfic I'm writing, the MC doesn't swear. I can't think of what words to replace that kind of crass intensity and youthful expression of shock.

Do you guys have examples?

Edit: I think just deleting the swear word actually still works in the sentence I was thinking of (emotional impact is still preserved without it), but I'm still curious. How would you go about creating the same vibe swearing can create without actually swearing?

 

[melchi]

Oh my puppet.

You puppetless son.

Holy puppet.

That monotone meanie.

 

[Santaisblue]

When I'm around younger family I stick to farfenugen, though I doubt you will use that in your book.

 

[HelloHound]

look up expletives from the 50s, such as darn

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

Oh my puppet.

You puppetless son.

Holy puppet.

That monotone meanie.

I love this! LMAO!

When I'm around younger family I stick to farfenugen, though I doubt you will use that in your book.

@Santaisblue Hehehe... that'd be funny for one of the side characters to say as they awkwardly try to avoid swearing around the MC.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I usually use the "tricks" I've seen in interviews or comic books - either type the first and last letter of the word and a number of "-"s or "*"s to fill the regular length of said word in between, or just use a string of gibberish characters #$%@$!

About the only episode of "The White Shadow" (an old HS basketball dramedy with, IIRC, Bill Cosby as the coach of the team) I remember had the team members replace every dirty word they were tempted to say with "Marshmallow" under penalty of sitting out the next game.

 

[TreasureHouse]

Couldn't you just watch a bunch of Top Gear and steal all their insults?

 

[Deleted member 84247]

You son of a bat. You're a shiny sucker.

You know, this reminds me. Two of my novels have no cursing at all, and there are a few times when a character is about to say it, but another character interrupts.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

look up expletives from the 50s, such as darn

This helps a lot!

Couldn't you just watch a bunch of Top Gear and steal all their insults?

@TreasureHouse Wazzat?

You son of a bat. You're a shiny sucker.

You know, this reminds me. Two of my novels have no cursing at all, and there are a few times when a character is about to say it, but another character interrupts.

LOL!

Also, using interruptions sounds useful. Thank ya!

 

[quagma]

For an example, this octopus will share what they've recently done on this regard.
The main character cannot cuss, as a condition of their form and abilities. As the character is related to sweetness and sugar, I've replaced all their cusses with cooking ingredients and foods that sound similar.

Sugar, jam, fudge, biscuit, cheese, marmalade, etc.

The conflict and oomph comes from the fact that the character hates this, and will usually find other ways to be derogatory to another without resorting to ersatz swears.

"Dont be a half eaten tub of paste"
"The stars weep every time they hear the words excreted from your excuse of a mouth."
"Well that's a real jam shame."
"Ow, my fudgin' face!"

And so on and so forth, along with the excellent advice previously offered in this thread.

 

[melchi]

look up expletives from the 50s, such as darn

But I can assure you," she added, "that Lizzy does not lose much by not suiting his fancy; for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing.
-Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

 

[Goodmann]

You scrofulous snotrag, go die in agony! Your malarial mosquito whining annoys me, so shut your pie hole! If you can't curse without F-bombs you're an imbecile -- and the more elegant the language the better. Now go take a bath, you reek like roadkill skunk!

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

I like coming up with my own swear words. In Henry Rider, Henry thinks any unimaginative dipstick can cuss with swear words, but it takes a creative and sharp mind to use foods. "What the mustard smoothie? You chocolate dipped pretzel on a stick! Mothercrumpet!"

In Juryokine, they use smite and dropper. Smite covers a lot of the usual swears. "Smite you! I can't smiting believe it! Oh, smite!" Dropper is something you call other people. You're more or less calling them animal crap...you dropper.

The Gray Ranger: Unforgiven has d'yargo, which is pretty much they're version of "damn." The interesting thing about it (to me, at least) is how that word became a swear. D'yargo was a really bad guy, almost antichrist levels of bad. Then their god, Embin, came down and no diffed him. The last thing Embin said to him was that his name would never be forgotten, but in the worst way possible. So now people cuss with it lol.

Anyway, I hope that helps. But since you're writing a fanfic, maybe it won't and I just wasted the last ten minutes writing this.

 

[Aiyoki]

Simple: Build a sentence that can easily sub in a swear word and let your readers build upon it if they so desire:

an example from my story:

“If that’s the case then why did you even call this meeting?” She cursed.

The above Indicates, through description, rather than blatancy that the character in question has used profanity without actually using it.

It could easily look like this instead with intense profanity:

“If that’s the case then why -the ef- did you even call this meeting?”

 

[Kalliel]

See Boothill of Honkai Star Rail.

 

[Kenjona]

Fiddlesticks.

 

[ThrillingHuman]

These very not nice people. I will introduce their mothers to my parents. Ouchie.

 

[corruption]

Use made-up words. Like how in Judge Dredd they use the word "Drek" a lot.

 

[Nolff]

So, for a fanfic I'm writing, the MC doesn't swear. I can't think of what words to replace that kind of crass intensity and youthful expression of shock.

Do you guys have examples?

Edit: I think just deleting the swear word actually still works in the sentence I was thinking of (emotional impact is still preserved without it), but I'm still curious. How would you go about creating the same vibe swearing can create without actually swearing?

People gave you good answers already, so I'm here to give you several goofy ahh suggestions.

Whermst? (What, when, who, why, how simultaneously)

Ooohhh crib.

Fridgesicles.

Oh fiddlesticks, what now?

Oh poop.

AHH! Goovy cushions!

Ratati~ Ratata~ Ratato~

In the name of bucking palace, what the foodge is this??

 

[tiaf]

Bruh.