The title and refrain of Kelly Clarkson’s latest hit single are a little jarring. Her song, “My Life Would Suck Without You,” might speak to young kids today, but to me it comes off as white trash and without class.When I was young, “suck” was a dirty word when you said “That sucks” or, worse, “You suck.” The object of the sucking was implied, but still.
I remember getting reprimanded for saying “sucks” in junior high in the mid-1970s. The offended adult said, “Do you know what that means?” And I wasn’t about to answer that question.
What classifies as a dirty word often depends on the listener. An adult with our Catholic church-sponsored Boy Scout troop once criticized me for saying “Geez.” He said, “That’s short for Jesus,” like I was taking the Lord’s name in vain. So it’s not a contraction for “gee whiz”? That’s a new one.
Times change. And so do our swear words.
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