Latin Profanity in Popular Culture
The HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome depicts the city with the grit and grime that is often absent from earlier productions, including that of language. But since the actors speak English, Latin profanity is mostly seen in written graffiti, such as:
- ATIA FELLAT, "Atia sucks"; "fellatio" is a noun derived from this verb.
- ATIA AMAT OMNES, "Atia loves all ". Thus calling her a whore or slut.
- CAESARI SERVILIA FUTATRIX, "Servilia is Caesar's bitch".
However, the character Titus Pullo says "cack!" occasionally when irritated, most likely a derivative of caco above.
Read more about this topic: Latin Profanity
Famous quotes containing the words latin, profanity, popular and/or culture:
“Whither goest thou?”
—Bible: New Testament Peter, in John, 13:36.
The words, which are repeated in John 16:5, are best known in the Latin form in which they appear in the Vulgate: Quo vadis? Jesus replies, “Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.”
“Nothing, neither acceptance nor prohibition, will induce a child to stop swearing overnight. Teach your child respect for himself and others, that profanity can hurt, offend, and disgust, and you’ll be doing the best you can...And save your parental giggling over mispronounced curses for after the children’s bedtime.”
—Jean Callahan (20th century)
“Fifty million Frenchmen can’t be wrong.”
—Anonymous. Popular saying.
Dating from World War I—when it was used by U.S. soldiers—or before, the saying was associated with nightclub hostess Texas Quinan in the 1920s. It was the title of a song recorded by Sophie Tucker in 1927, and of a Cole Porter musical in 1929.
“The hard truth is that what may be acceptable in elite culture may not be acceptable in mass culture, that tastes which pose only innocent ethical issues as the property of a minority become corrupting when they become more established. Taste is context, and the context has changed.”
—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)