“Fuck” can be a fucking difficult word to trace. The famous four-lettered word for sex is not only intriguing in its possibilities of seduction, but also within tales of its origin. Widely used in today’s culture, at its earliest profanity, the obscenity dates back to 1500 in its earliest appearance of written form. Because of the unacceptable nature of the word, its first known occurrence was found in code in the form of a poem composed in a blend of Latin and English. Satirizing the Carmelite friars of Cambridge, England, the poem “Flen flyys” reads Non sunt in celi quia fuccant uuiuys of heli, (“They [the monks] are not in heaven because they fuck the wives of Ely.”) Fuccant is pseudo-Latin. The original is written in the form of a cipher. Though the fucking friars are most well-known for being written about in regards to the curse word, there have been suggestions that the Egyptians may have dated the word back far earlier within their legal agreements from the 23rd Dynasty (749-21 B.C.E.) with the written use of the phrase: “If you do not obey this decree, may a donkey copulate with you!”

Other early examples of the word are from Scottish, suggesting a Scandinavian origin, possibly derived from the Norwegian word “fukka” (copulate), or in Swedish “focka” (copulate, strike, push), and also the word “fock” (penis).

As a noun it dates back from 1680. In 1857 it was outlawed in print in England by the Obscene Publications Act, and by the U.S. with the Comstock Act in 1873. Though it was spurned in print, it was continually used in conversation, especially among soldiers during WWI. From 1795 to 1965 the profanity didn’t appear in a single English dictionary. It wasn’t until 1966 that “The Penguin Dictionary” finally broke the taboo and included the word, with Houghton Mifflin following suit shortly thereafter in 1969 with “The American Heritage Dictionary”. Interestingly, it also published a “Clean Green” edition without including the word (so that it maintained its position of use in public high schools).

Other renditions of the word popped up such as, “Flying Fuck” (1800) which originally meant “have sex on horseback”, “Fuck Up” (1916) (to ruin, spoil, destroy), “Fuck Off” (1929) used as a command to depart by 1944, and “Fuck All” (1960) in regards to “nothing”.

Other possible thoughts on the four-letter word can be found within its acronym during times of ancient England when one could only procreate with permission of the king. Before having sex, couples would hang a placard on their door with the acronym: F.U.C.K. There are many suggestions to the possibilities of what the acronym could stand for:

FORNICATION UNDER CONSENT of the KING
FALSE USE of CARNAL KNOWLEDGE
FILE UNDER CARNAL KNOWLEDGE
FELONIOUS UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE
FORNICATION UNDER the CHRISTIAN KING
FORNICATION UNDER the CONSENT of the KING
FOUND UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE

Others explain that a form of punishment for prostitution was the acronym’s use: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.

One of the most satisfying words to be uttered in frustration, the word “fuck” can be uniquely spoken in the English language as not only a noun, but also a verb, interjection and idiom, as well:

I want to fuck.
I don’t give a fuck!
Fuck me…
Fuck you!
Fuck off!
Get fucked!
Fuck around.
She’s fuckable.
Don’t fuck me over.
Fuck yourself!
Fuck it all.
Fuck-fest.
Fuck-book.
Fuck-stick.
Fuckhead!
Oh, fuck a duck!
She’s fucking hot.
Fucker!
Fuck this!
Fuck my brain’s out.
You fucktard!
Fuck-face!
Fuck-buddy.
Fuck knows…
Stop fucking around.
Fuck me backwards.
It’s a fuck-a-thon.
Oh, fucking hell.
What the fuck?
He’s a fuck up.
Fuck knows why…
Don’t fuck this up.
What a stupid fuck!
Let’s fuck.
It’s a cluster-fuck.
I don’t give a flying-fuck.
Motherfucker.

Like the other major taboo words, fuck has a multitude of slang synonyms:

FUCK SLANG
shag, copulate, screw, poke, plow, ride, score, sex, jazz, rock and roll, plant a seed, ride the pony, the old “in ‘n out”, zig-zag, nug, roger, ball, bang, hump, score, go all the way, park your car in the garage, play hide the salami, play hide the pickle, pummel the peach, slide it into the pink glove of love, and, (when in California), to Californicate. SLV

Issue 52 featuring: Alexis Ford, Kimberly, Gia Jordan and Kagney Linn Karter