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How did the word 'heck' become so popular again?

Simo

Simo

Professional Watermelon Farmer
Being an English major, I tend to think a lot about words and language, especially as certain words and phrases go in and out of being popular...and heck, heckin', &c, have certainly become very popular. Why?

Partly, I think it's to do with a 'wholesome' counterweight to more edgy internet behaviors, a desire to leave behind the acrimony and hostility that more profane synonyms (and memes) might imply.

On that note: What about other similar words and phrases, that are like heck? Such as: Golly, gee, gosh, darn, my, gracious? Perhaps these will also make a comeback. :p
 
Nexus Cabler

Nexus Cabler

This side up ^
Hehe, I love this thread already. Thanks Simo.

I say "Hecc" not "Heck"

I incorporate it in unique phrases such as "Oh my hecc" or "Gosh Hecci" or "Hecc off"

I find it to be a fun alternative and a more polite way to express intense emotions than traditional curse words.
 
Guifrog

Guifrog

Blue Frog
Effing/effin', fudge, cuss - I get those a lot! Also I have once stumbled upon this guy using "fack" and "facking" while participating in a discussion from another forum. Which seems very rare, but I actually had no idea what it meant at the time and thought such words beared some relevance to the topic, instead of acknowledging it as a "softened" curse word. I mean, it was being used in copious amounts ;P

I've seen an overwhelming amount of "bruh" among gamers online. Seems to be used for every situation:
- I missed the target!
- Bruh

- I'm sick
- Bruh

- I'm a furry
- Bruh

- Bruh
- Bruh

EDIT: Now I'm curious, do people actually use fack/facking when speaking?
 
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Yakamaru

Yakamaru

Evil Woffer-chan
Heck if I know. ;)

Dunno. People wanting to swear less?
 
Mambi

Mambi

Fun loving kitty cat
Simo said:
Being an English major, I tend to think a lot about words and language, especially as certain words and phrases go in and out of being popular...and heck, heckin', &c, have certainly become very popular. Why?

Partly, I think it's to do with a 'wholesome' counterweight to more edgy internet behaviors, a desire to leave behind the acrimony and hostility that more profane synonyms (and memes) might imply.

On that note: What about other similar words and phrases, that are like heck? Such as: Golly, gee, gosh, darn, my, gracious? Perhaps these will also make a comeback. :p
Click to expand...

It's like polite swearing for those whom harsh words affect more. All the sentiment and none of the moral guilt.

...plus it's been a heck of a year. <grin>
 
RogueNoodle

RogueNoodle

toe bean enthusiast
I agree with the sentiment about it being a countermovement against what is (or arguably used to be) popular "edgy" internet culture. I think there's been a big push for more unity and a feeling of safety online, and internet culture is reflecting that now. Rather than having the web serve as an Evanescence fueled Hot Topic clad rebellion like in the early 2000's, we now have teens on social media calling each other "heckin' cute beans" and stuff. I think of it as the "XD rawr" of the current generation of the World Wide Web.
 
sleepy kitty

sleepy kitty

feline enthusiast & insomniac
Personally I love saying "heck" and "darn" xD
 
Kumali

Kumali

Lupine-American
Guifrog said:
Effing/effin', fudge, cuss - I get those a lot! Also I have once stumbled upon this guy using "fack" and "facking" while participating in a discussion from another forum. Which seems very rare, but I actually had no idea what it meant at the time and thought such words beared some relevance to the topic, instead of acknowledging it as a "softened" curse word. I mean, it was being used in copious amounts
Click to expand...

"Fecking" and "shite" (rhymes with white) have long been popular in Ireland for that reason. "Ah it's just a feckin' old load of shite."
 
TyraWadman

TyraWadman

The Silent Observer
Memes. Dog memes.
"Oh hecc! You do me a frighten!"

Kids still use it all the time though so I think it's safe to say it's probably heavily influenced by age and whether or not mom and dad are around to hear it. XD

I can swear but even before my baby bro I chose to substitute because inventing your own words is fun.
 
TR273

TR273

Undead Fox Mom
Guifrog said:
Effing/effin', fudge, cuss - I get those a lot! Also I have once stumbled upon this guy using "fack" and "facking" while participating in a discussion from another forum. Which seems very rare, but I actually had no idea what it meant at the time and thought such words beared some relevance to the topic, instead of acknowledging it as a "softened" curse word. I mean, it was being used in copious amounts ;P

I've seen an overwhelming amount of "bruh" among gamers online. Seems to be used for every situation:
- I missed the target!
- Bruh

- I'm sick
- Bruh

- I'm a furry
- Bruh

- Bruh
- Bruh

EDIT: Now I'm curious, do people actually use fack/facking when speaking?
Click to expand...
I'll usually say 'Frak'.
It comes from both Battlestar Galactica and the Ciaphas Cain books written by Sandy Mitchell.
It is motivated by a desire to swear less.
 
Vinfang

Vinfang

Indie Game Artist / Tattoo Apprentice
RogueNoodle said:
I agree with the sentiment about it being a countermovement against what is (or arguably used to be) popular "edgy" internet culture. I think there's been a big push for more unity and a feeling of safety online, and internet culture is reflecting that now. Rather than having the web serve as an Evanescence fueled Hot Topic clad rebellion like in the early 2000's, we now have teens on social media calling each other "heckin' cute beans" and stuff. I think of it as the "XD rawr" of the current generation of the World Wide Web.
Click to expand...
I sincerely hope the goth culture makes a come back. It is long overdue.

P.S. I was too young, n had no money to fully embrace the last wave at 2000s.
 
TemetNosce88

TemetNosce88

Know Thyself
I think it attained some sort of meme status recently (I know I saw a lot of art for a while with just 'Heck.' as dialogue, usually to some sort of absurd situation). Could be something like that.

It does remind me of a time I was watching a video of some old man showing off some toys he had made out of wood and metal when he was a kid. Something on them broke, and he said "Ah, shucks!" with such a force and vitriol behind it that I had to rewind and make sure he hadn't said another, more potent word.
 
Kinare

Kinare

RAWR
My favorite almost curse word thing to say is "got dangit" - mostly cuz I get to say it (in my head sometimes) in a Southern 'Murican accent and it's fun that way. x3

I do also use "hecc", which I blame on furries. I had never seen anyone use that before I got more social around these parts.
 
Kumali

Kumali

Lupine-American
W.C. Fields used to say "Godfrey Daniels!" in movies as a substitute for "God damn" or "God damn it." There's a music venue in Bethlehem, PA called Godfrey Daniels who took their name from that.
 
Alys_0_0

Alys_0_0

Tea thief <3 She/Her <3 POTATO QUEEN
I'm pretty sure heck became popular because snake memes and other wholesome, adorable content began using heck to become the ultimate wholesome content.
 
Xitheon

Xitheon

I may be mad but I'm perfectly good at it.
02d.jpg


I think it's the snek meme. That's probably what started it.
 
Redlinelies

Redlinelies

iRawr
One thing that might've pushed it a bit was when people talked about the "Do not swear on my Christian Minecraft server". Whether it was used in the context of the post, or replies that followed "heck" seemed to be a common theme there. That's where I started seeing the word heck again.
 
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