The F-Word: An Insult, Verb, Noun, Adjective, and a Way to Sell Books?

It looks like there's a new strategy for publishers to sell more books. They're now ramping up the use of the word F*ck, the F-word, in the titles of their books. I don't know for sure that this really sells more books, but there are literally hundreds and hundreds of them on Amazon that feature the word F*ck in the title, which must mean something.

The world's best-selling book with the F-word in the title is, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck written by Mark Manson. It's a self-help book that according to the author's website, "offers a counterintuitive approach to living a good life, and emphasizing the importance of focusing on what truly matters. It has achieved significant commercial success, selling over 20 million copies worldwide and being translated into more than 65 languages. The book has also been adapted into a feature film released by Universal Pictures in 2023."

When I did a morning radio show in Providence, we deliberately used the F-word on commercial radio because it was newsworthy, which overrides profanity rules. It was actually a book about the history of the F-word which dates back to the 15th Century. We were told by management that it was exempt from the Federal Communications Commission's profanity rules because the book's title and its subject matter were specifically about the word F*ck., and that meant it was newsworthy. We were never fined by the FCC, but still, the manager over my manager's head didn't agree with the decision and I was suspended even though I was given the green light to do it. Those were some great "F-ing" days off because the weather was beautiful that week. But I digress.

Some of the other more popular books with the F-word in the title include, Evil Little F*cks, F*ck it - I'll start Tomorrow, the F*ck You Cancer Coloring Book, and the very popular The Shut the F*ck Up Method by Jorge Perez. There are books about health, mental health, how to become wealthy, how to communicate better, how to enjoy a better marriage, fiction books, non-fiction books, and even one if you're sick of your job and ready to start over called, F*ck This Job!

It's no wonder the F-word is being used today in book titles in order to increase sales, it's one of the most flexible and most used words in the English language. A recent study found that the F-word is used more in the United States today in print and via electronic media, especially since around 2019, than ever before. Another interesting fact is that of the 502,000 words in Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, approximately 20,000 of them begin with the letter "F" - and yet - only one can claim the title of "THE F word," which I'd say makes the word F*ck pretty special.

The F-word is also the only word in the English language that can be used in so many ways grammatically. It's a verb, a noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, or interjection. It can be used as an exclamation or to describe a feeling and it certainly can be used literally in the midst of consensual contact, but let's be honest, there are so many other romantic ways to describe that human interaction. We've all heard the F-word used in moments of fear, in victory, in excitement, anger, accomplishment, pleasure, pain, displeasure, and yes, even in a very frustrating sigh of defeat - usually that's when you know someone's really in trouble.

"The F-Word" is also the title of a book by Jesse Sheidlower, which doesn't put the actual word F*ck on the book's cover. It's described as a book that "offers a rich, revealing look at the f-bomb and its illimitable uses. Since the fifteenth century, no other word has been adapted, interpreted, euphemized, censored, and shouted with as much ardor or force," than the word F*ck. The book goes on to put the word's importance in perspective by imagining what life would be like without this magical and dangerous word. For instance they write, "Imagine Dick Cheney telling Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy to "go damn himself" on the Senate floor--it doesn't have quite the same impact as what was really said."

It should also be noted that the less one uses the word F*ck the more impactful the word actually becomes. We all know that person who uses the F-word in every sentence, or even every other word which I feel is over-usage, as it simply becomes the wallpaper in their limited vocabulary. It's like crying wolf as the word loses all of its impact. Whereas someone like me who rarely swears, if I were to drop the F-bomb I'm pretty sure it would make people stop and think, "Wow, he must really be mad," or "he must be really excited," or "he must have just done something really stupid." On the other hand, me using the F-word probably wouldn't be as dramatic and impactful as say, your priest, your dentist during a root canal, or the pilot on a plane when it's just about to land. Or --- imagine your kindergarten teacher annoyed by Little Johnny, the rambunctious ADHD kid in the back of the room, yelling "sit the F down Johnny!" Now, THAT would definitely catch everybody's attention. I'm pretty sure of it.