Frak!

The new "Battlestar Galactica" is certainly a great show to this point. The Momma and I both watch it regularly and it's been a while since we've found an SF show this engaging. (See the middle years of "Babylon 5" for the last that comes to mind.)

But one thing has bothered me from the beginning, and it annoys me further each episode... their use of the oh-so-cleverly disguised cuss word, "Frak".

In the original "Galactica" I thought it was great that they had their own swear words. "Frak", and my personal favorite, "felderkarb" (well, how the frak do you spell it then??) To this day I use both of these words commonly (although admittedly more often when I'm alone or muttering under my breath!). Both are strong words that feel like they get the job done when you just need to let out a little curse. (I've always equated "frak" with either f**k or sh** as the mood seemed to fit, "felderkarb" I've always loved for a situation where "You've gotta be kidding me!" would be more appropriate.) They stood alone and proud.

But the new series doesn't use the words this way; they use "frak" as an adjective, verb, or adverb in any given sentence so any thought of it meaning anything other than our own f**k is out the window. "Frak me". "No frakking way". This isn't clever, it's just a cheap way around the censors and makes it seem like they think they're just trying to get away with something. I find it neither clever nor amusing; and while I'm not one to at all mind harsh language, I would frankly (frakkly?) just as soon they say f**k than frak and be done with it!

Taken as a stand-alone epithet, "frak" is a great word. But used as a simple substitute for f**k? Ah, felderkarb....