Season 1
History of Swear Words
Brevity may be the soul of wit, but digging a little deeper could only help History of Swear Words - a show that almost lives up to its name and host, but falls a little f-king short.
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Critic Ratings: 2362%
Audience Score
User Ratings: 42Rate And Review

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Oof, that was Rotten.
Meh, it passed the time.
It’s good – I’d recommend it.
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Episodes
Host Nicholas Cage reflects on the intense variability of one of the most perverse swears in the English language and the range of tones it may convey.
Nicholas examines the medieval origins of the common curse as well as its evolution through time to encompass a broad range of interpretations.
Nicholas sits down with the women working to reclaim the swear as a term of female empowerment.
An investigation into the rise in popularity for what was once a nickname for Richard.
An exploration of the evolving meanings behind the feline-inspired colloquialism.
History of Swear Words: Season 1 Videos
Tv Season Info
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Genre:Documentary
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Network:Netflix
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Premiere Date:Jan 5, 2021
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Exec. Producers:
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for History of Swear Words: Season 1
Episodes
Host Nicholas Cage reflects on the intense variability of one of the most perverse swears in the English language and the range of tones it may convey.
Nicholas examines the medieval origins of the common curse as well as its evolution through time to encompass a broad range of interpretations.
Nicholas sits down with the women working to reclaim the swear as a term of female empowerment.
An investigation into the rise in popularity for what was once a nickname for Richard.
An exploration of the evolving meanings behind the feline-inspired colloquialism.
Critic Reviews for History of Swear Words Season 1
All Critics (23) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (16) | Rotten (7)
For all its brevity, [It] does a more than serviceable job probing the origins of expletives we too often take for granted, and if it pushes you to fill up your browser history with curse words after it's done.
The contributing comedians, among them Nick Offerman, Nikki Glaser, and Sarah Silverman, have their share of fun with the subject matter. But it's the linguists who really give the series its transgressive heft.
Sadly, it adds up to very little. After all, studies have shown that we feel better when we swear - not when Nic Cage does it for us.
The six-episode series, hosted by Nicolas Cage, is an odd mishmash of the academic and the juvenile.
History of Swear Words is one of the most unique and fascinating docuseries I have seen in quite some time.
History of Swear Words is going to put a smile on your face as you watch it and I can only hope that Cage and the producers are game to come back for a second season since we all know there are a lot more than six swear words.
With a decent selection of stand-up comics contributing, there are at least a few laughs.
You'd be better off just reading Wikipedia entries for the history and watching "Face/Off" for your Cage.
Makes the most out of the talents of the great Nic Cage, and manages to say quite a bit about the history and influence of six specific swear words. [Full review in Spanish]
History of Swear Words may not be a deep examination of cussing but its playful nature, all-sides approach, and Nicolas Cage as its refined master of ceremonies, make for an entertaining, easily-digestible exploration of expletives.
Unfortunately, "History of Swear Words" is content to give us a once-over-lightly stroll through its not-ready-for-primetime lexicon.
Cage will keep you coming back for more, but the overall product is interesting enough to have a good time with.
Audience Reviews for History of Swear Words: Season 1
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4d agoA misogynistic and anti-woman series. The women in this series say penis is better than vaginas? What kind of women are they? Uncensored naked male genitals proudly displayed in the series but on the other hand female genitals censored, ridiculed. This show mocks women.
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6d agoSo fun. Words we all use but not sure why or how. In a time when we all need some comic relief- this show makes you laugh and learn about yourself and the things we all do. Way to go
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Jan 12, 2021It's like a series of public information films, utterly bereft of humour.
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Jan 12, 2021Exact Rating: 5.4/10 It certainly had its funny moments and tons of fascinating information, but The History of Swear Words just isn't that funny or even watchable. Sitting at 20 minutes per episode, it drags on between mostly unfunny jokes to overshadowed tidbits of how swears became swears. It is definitely watchable because of the charismatic cast, but it falls short of lots of expectations.
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Jan 11, 2021They even turn a show about cussing into "everything a black person does is amazing" and "everything a white person does is terrible"
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Jan 11, 2021The History Of Swear Words might be an Netflix comedy series, but it is a very enjoyable one. Host Nicolas Cage along with the several special guests take viewers on an fun and hilarious journey through the history and origin of swear words. Now sure, it may not be suitable for all to watch, but it is for sure something you can watch if you want to get a good laugh from something.
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Jan 10, 2021We are in our 60s and totally enjoyed this! Suggestion: have a few older guests in the mix. Bring on more history of other swear words!
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Jan 09, 2021I thought this was a great little watch. Nic Cage was perfect casting.
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Jan 09, 2021I'm not much for profanity in day to day speech, but I honestly can't remember a time that I was more entertained by scholars explaining where words originated from. Finding the perfect host for a show like this has to be challenging, but Nicholas Cage was born for this. The cheeky feeling I get from listening to people use profanity with clinical sterility makes this show worth watching alone.
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Jan 08, 2021A unique blend of comedy and scholarly information. Two professors, a lexicographer for Mariam Webster, actors and several very funny comedians give us insight to the evolution and use of swear words. Loved it
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