When I was in school, certain high-minded teachers were always asking us why we would want to use a 25-cent word (like, say, "fart", as in "that fart rocked") when we could use a four-dollar word to make the same point (like, say, "onomonpoeia"... "the onomonopoeia he came out with was extraordinary").
They never told us about the 325,000-dollar words.
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently debating the fate of, as they've been putting it in their high-minded discourse, "the f-word" and "the s-word" on network TV. At question is the FCC's ability to level huge fines, as high as $325,000, against networks that allow celebrities to say things like "It's really, really fucking brilliant" (-Bono).
As usual, there's an element of conspiracy. The solicitor-general, who is arguing the case for censorship, is clearly in cahoots with the teachers of America, joining those who would deny young people access to the high-value words that could ensure their future.
He's arguing that loosening indecency standards could result in "Big Bird dropping the F-bomb on Sesame Street."
Fricassee-bomb? Flocculation-bomb? Oh... Yes, because that's going to happen, isn't it.
And now, without any further ado: a carnival of F-words on Sesame Street:
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