Interesting. If it's any help, let me tell you yous USAians aren't alone; the British are just as bad (worse?).

I'm trying to think of how the Dutch handle it. The most offensive word in the language, "Godverdomme" (god damn me) is sometimes "described" as "GVD". That's the only example I can think of, though. The Dutch for cunt, kut, is never shortened to "K" as far as I know, though kanker (cancer) sometimes is (when talking about the disease, although "kanker" is also a popular swearword. Yes, really.)

I also remember reading comic books (European comic books) where the swearing was rendered as £$%&*, and not filling in the blanks in my head. I don't know if that was because I didn't know any swearwords, or if I just didn't put them into the blanks.

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The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker

If you're really interested in the psychoanalysis of linguistics and semantics, you should really check out Pinker. The above mentioned is pretty heavy reading, as are most of his works, but you'll be enlightened. There's an especially provocative chapter on the use of profanity relative to how we think about subject reality and actual reality.

I'm Puerto Rican; Spanish is my native language, but I lived in California for a while. Some readers may be aware of the rather schizo political relationship Puerto Rico has with the US (details belong elsewhere, of course), which means that I understand both cultures rather well. Whoever said that mastering a language is key to undestanding the culture that uses it did state a solid truth when (s)he said it. Fundamental to my understanding of American culture was the work of stand-up comedians, like Elayne Boosler, Richard Jeni (RIP) and, of course, George Carlin, whom I saw live in CA.

One great thing about him is that he didn't FEAR words, the way many Americans (and the occasional Puerto Rican) do. It is great that you bring Spain up as an example, because Spaniards are as fearless in their use of language as George was. They have a sense of propriety when put in the proper context, but are not afraid of ripping off a 'culo', a 'mierda', a 'hostia' or whatever it is that they curse about when they think the word will make the correct impression. At the same time, George was very, very proper when his audience was PG-rated (the occasional Tonight show skit, for example). He put the limits to himself when needed; nobody else did.

George hated euphemisms with a passion, and American society thrives on those -expressions, more than specific words. In Spanish we have quite a few; that part we would benefit a bit by learning from George's legacy... the words themselves don't translate that well, but the expressions do (and have been). I, for one, did learn that from him, and stick to not using them, even if it shocks whoever I talk to in either language. He'll be sorely missed.

Huh,
":I have a long thing" i'd like to record?
Yeah, i bet. but i do love George's humor as long as he stays away from rape jokes.
g

Some-or most-of human beings have a fear of reality. They like to disguise truth and lie upon themselves as upon others. Their minds see that if we do not spell the truth out then it is not the truth, and by pushing away the thoughts that shed light on to reality, we are changing reality to a picture of what we want or desire reality to be. What suits us to be real is what we manage to do our whole life, few are those who accept the truth.. and masking those fucking words is a way of disguising reality..