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The sudden agony of stubbing a toe or burning a finger can make even the most polite among us swear our heads off. It鈥檚 like a reflex, a quick-release valve for the shock. But why do expletives give us such a sense of relief? Why does it sometimes feel so good to swear?

We set out to explore the science of swearing, prompted by a question from our listener Gadi. Psychological studies have shown bad language can relieve pain, or even make us stronger; we test out these theories for ourselves, and try to figure out why certain words are charged with such physical power.

We don鈥檛 just use strong words in shock or anger, either. They can help us to bond with others, to express joy, solidarity, or creativity. And although people curse all over the world, it鈥檚 not quite the same everywhere. We hear what people like to swear about in different countries, and whether swearing in a second language can ever be quite so satisfying.

Presented by Anand Jagatia
Produced by Cathy Edwards for the 麻豆官网首页入口 World Service

(Photo: Woman swearing. Credit: Getty Images)