Question: Are there truly people who never swear?

Answer: D--n unlikely! All the world swears; it's just that people swear in highly different ways, says David Crystal in "Words, Words, Words." As a natural response to an emotional state, "swearing is not so much a 'use' of language as an outburst, an explosion, which gives relief to a surge of energy." As such it can be a substitute for an aggressive bodily response and thus ironically may help avert a fight. It is wrong to look for much meaning in swear words, which can be as simple as "gosh" or "golly." If we are politely brought up, we will moderate our choice of words, perhaps using "Oh, shucks" or "Oh, sugar" instead of "Oh, God" or something stronger.
Of course, swearing fashions change, and what might raise eyebrows for one generation won't for another. For example, the British "bloody"--as in "not bloody likely"--was regarded as "not fit for decent society" 100 years ago, but by the late 20th century Prince Charles himself was using the word publicly. Hence, some TV stations offer commentator guidelines, such as rating a word like "God" as "fine, but be careful of context," or cautioning that words of bigotry are "generally unuseable unless cleared with senior management."

Question: What's the trick to cutting out background noise while on your cell phone in a loud, crowded place? No, sticking a finger in your other ear won't do it.
Answer: Surprisingly, the way to hear better is to cover the mouthpiece. Though you'll hear just as much noise around you, you'll be able to hear the caller better, say Sandra Aamodt, Ph.D., and Sam Wang, Ph.D., in "Welcome to Your Brain."

The human brain, it turns out, is a marvel at picking out the voice you want to hear from a host of others — the "cocktail party effect."

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