A recent study published by WordTips analyzed 1.7 million geotagged tweets to determine the most foul-mouthed states and cities in the United States. Surprisingly, New York State only ranked at number 17 on the list, with New York City not even making the top 50 most swear-happy cities. Buffalo was identified as the most foul-mouthed town in the state, coming in at number 23 on the list.
The study revealed that the residents of Baltimore, Maryland were the most profanity-spewing individuals in the country. This was followed by Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Atlanta, Georgia, with Detroit, Michigan, and Houston, Texas rounding out the top five. In contrast, the people of Lexington, Kentucky were found to swear the least among US cities.
Maryland claimed the top spot as the most potty-mouthed state, followed by Louisiana and Georgia. Overall, the US ranked as the world’s most profane country, with the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada close behind. The normalization of profanity in informal communication, particularly on social media, has resulted in an increase in the use of curse words among English speakers.
When it comes to preferred curse words, the word “s–t” appears to be the most commonly used across 15 states, predominantly on the East Coast. On the other hand, the West Coast favors the f-bomb, with 13 states using it most frequently. Despite stereotypes portraying New Yorkers as rude or foul-mouthed, the study’s findings suggest that they may not be as profane as commonly believed.
The study by WordTips sheds light on the prevalence of profanity in American culture, with the normalization of curse words in informal communication contributing to their increased use. English speakers, in particular, have embraced profanity as a form of expression, with different regions of the US favoring specific curse words. Regardless of stereotypes, the data suggests that the perception of New Yorkers as rude or profane may not accurately reflect reality.
