n. Casual swearing that helps to define and bind a social group.
2012
"Swearing to define the gang, social swearing, is where you are most relaxed. That is where the swearing is the most," Professor Burridge said.
2011
The casual utterance of four-letter words among colleagues (a.k.a. "social swearing") allows co-workers to bond, while "annoyance swearing" (dropping an expletive in the context of doing business) can cut the tension in the office.
2002 (earliest)
When the group was relaxed and happy, the swearing was clearly of a social kind, a sign of being "one of the gang."…Under conditions of very low stress, swearing was almost entirely of the social variety. With increasing stress social swearing diminished and annoyance swearing increased.
Whatever happened to the foulmouthed women of 1970s dinner parties?
Now, in the Age of the Young Fogy, of political correctness on the left and family values on the right, you hardly hear social swearing at all.
Now, in the Age of the Young Fogy, of political correctness on the left and family values on the right, you hardly hear social swearing at all.