I was always told that the use of the vernacular indicated a lack of vocabulary.

I swear, probably more than I would like. Thinking about when I do, I realise that the preceding comment is exactly why - I swear because I can't find other words to express myself clearly, or with the requisite amount of emotion. More to the point, I don't take the time to find these words, which in turn just makes it easier to swear (I'm a little lazy these days).

So is it cool, as other posters have argued, or a sign of something else?

How hilarious that rancitas (aka auntyhazel) has been suspended for naughty behaviour on this particular posting thread! Maybe Alex Deane could give him/her a sounding spanking!

Rainier - I'm afraid you've been taken in.

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_268b.html

DavidJS “Thatcher obviously took great pride in destroying collective efforts and social services and lauded individualism.”

Thatcher recognised – “society” is the collective noun for “individuals”.

Society is not an entity, it has no shape or form and exists only as an amorphous changing mass. People are “individuals” and all human endeavour is the outcome of the thoughts and actions of individuals.
“Society” does not have thought or feeling, only individuals do.
Margaret Thatcher recognised the decline of Britain as a consequence of the Socialist delusional policies of the 1960s and 1970s and endeavoured to “change the culture” from “socialist co-dependence” to “individual independence”, within a common culture. She had bigger gonads than most on the Conservative side of politics, whilst the socialists were a bunch of neutered non-entities.

“This surely has a greater influence on their behaviour than so-called socialism (as if British Labour was ever socialist) “

It might be worth pointing out that whilst Margaret Was PM, Ken Livingston (Red Ken) was leader of LCC – the point – “negative socialist” influences continued to linger in the bottom of the gully trap.
As for British Labour Party being “Socialist” – the British labour party manifesto of 1970’s was more left wing than the Italian communist party, “entryism” (Trotskyites infiltrating the labour party) was at its height. Michael Foot (raving leftie loon) ended up as the ineffectual leader and Anthony Wedgewood-Benn was shortening his name, having already denounced his hereditary title, and slipping into what seemed like some form of premature dementia to hide his irrelevance.

Rainier, reference to Kings, to give such comment “context” tell us when such practices ceased. I know but you finding out will benefit your education. I am sure Margaret was capable of using any language she cared but had more class than to bore us with expletives, same applies to John Howard versus potty-mouth Latham

Finally another MT quote “And what a prize we have to fight for: no less than the chance to banish from our land the dark divisive clouds of Marxist socialism.”

BC2 Col Rouge, your hero Thatcher also said in 1986 -

"A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure".

In the hurly-burly of UK Commons debate I guess many things are said.

If you want to quote Dearest Margaret ( a good source of all things) try

“I don't think there will be a woman Prime Minister in my lifetime"

I guess she got that wrong too!

As for "arrant nonsense" all I need to do is look at past Labor leaders - say

Bob Hawke “No Australian Child will live in poverty in 1990”

Keating “This is the recession we had to have”

Latham (Oh Latham – what a cesspool of arrant nonsense this galah will prove to be) how about

"The role of government is to stimulate market competition, not smother it with tariffs, subsidies and central planning." – an early bid for the liberal vote!

or

“Labor is “irreparably broken”,” – he would know – he broke it!

of course the following is a good reference to character (or lack of it)

“The numerous snakes, freaks, arseholes and sewer rats in the (labor) caucus …… lot of people will be unhappy about the truth, but quite frankly I couldn’t give a rat’s arse about them. Good luck in the future with your work and thanks again for your support while I was leader of "that thing". Kind regards, Mark Latham.”

Or what other people (of the left) thought of Latham

Kevin Rudd: “Mark Latham has a big problem with the truth.”

NSW Labor senator Steve Hutchins: “I’ve always thought he was a sleaze and he’s proven he is.”

Jeff Kennett went out on a limb 8 months ago and suggested Latham was mentally unbalanced - the above proves Jeff called it right.

Col, Are you saying Margaret preferred to say

'go and get rogered' (a touch more high brow expression) instead of the lower class 'f; word?

For example;

'I got rogered today'

Or

'I'm going to roger you' or in reference to her late hubby

'Denis, why don't you just 'roger' off…or Denis, you’re a lousy ‘roger”