SS12 --
Last night you asked "What exactly do u mean by "mixed company?" " in reference to my question as to whether "wack" was a word that could be used in mixed company. I didn't answer you correctly. Here is my amended answer.
The expression "mixed company" refers simply to the presence of both men and women in the same group. It comes from a now more than somewhat antiquated concept that those of the female gender should not be exposed to the same frankness of speech as men. Victorian women fainted, we are led to believe, upon hearing invective and strong language. On reading your question I spent time thinking about how outdated this idea of language permissible to be used around men but to be avoided around women has become. Like chivalry, its time appears to have come and gone. Equality of the sexes in the lowest common denominator of street speech has been attained. Hurrah!
The corollary of this idea is how much force formerly powerful words (generally of the four letter variety) have lost as they have passed into common language. Darn, durn and doggone once raised eyebrows in polite circles as substitutes for the unmentionable word "damn". I can think of few words today that still shock -- though a couple do come to mind. Are new bad words being developed to replace the worn out ones that seem to mean just about anything now? Just wondering.
lpaf
ps: I keep telling myself I'm not old yet but secretly I know I am wrong.
