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Comedian Ardal O’Hanlon tries to find out how Irish people got their potty mouths
about 20 hours ago
Updated: about 4 hours ago
Sunday, RTÉ One, 9.30pm
Why the f*** do we swear? It’s a question we don’t dwell on very often – curse words just seem to just trip off our tongues, and we hardly give a second thought as to why we do it. But comedian and actor Ardal O’Hanlon is keen to find out how Irish people got their potty mouths – do we have it worse than other countries, or is bad language a universal affliction? Is effing and blinding a sign of intelligence or an indicator of idiocy? The most pertinent question, though, is why the f*** no one has thought of doing a programme like this before? O’Hanlon meets fellow comedy actor Tommy Tiernan to chat about the proper usage of swear words in comedy, and author Lisa McInerney discusses how writers pepper their prose with epithets. And the famously sweary Bob Geldof recalls that moment he dropped the f-bomb on global TV during Live Aid in 1985 – prompting viewers to get up off their arses and pledge money. Other expletive experts will be on hand to talk about the evolution of swear words, swearing as gaeilge, the origins of minced oaths such as “feck” and “jeepers”, how The Irish Times handles swear words, and why swearing may be actually good for your health. WTF?!