Why not swear by the stars?

IN April, (can I really remember so far back?) columnist Mark Smith wrote: “I’ll be damned – swearing is good for us”, and one or two letterwriters felt the urge to respond. One writer pointed out that the media had adopted the use of asterisks “to avoid causing offence to readers of a delicate disposition”. Is it now a rather unnecessary thing to do as we all know for which letters the asterisks are acting as substitutes, and was it rather revolutionary on the part of The Herald (Letters, Aug 21) to include John Dunlop’s letter without the use of those little “stars”?

Fidelma’s columns are priceless, even with the “buggery bollocks” she lobs our way, when needing to express herself. I hope that The Herald continues to leave out the asterisks when the use of a swear word is not gratuitous or overdone. The word has been used anyway.

On the other hand, and there is always an “other hand”, does the use of asterisks add a certain frisson to the naughty word? Do we keep the little stars?

Thelma Edwards,

Old Comrades Hall,

Hume,

Kelso.