Rabbit, we may be a nation of heathens but in our defense...
If you are raised in a society and a house that commonly uses a phrase, you are most likely going to pick that up as a norm and not question it.
Truly where I grew up it was a very common phrase and not even blinked at to say. Not even by my grandma who was very proper. I dont believe I ever heard her say it but she never slapped me or washed my mouth out when I said it.
There are words used across the water that if said here would be odd or offensive.
For instance, if you knock me up here, there would be trouble. Knocked up here is getting pregnant, usually out of wedlock, not getting woken up, and we dont smoke fags here either.
I over heard my nieces talking the other day about a girl in their school and calling them a name that would have gotten me slapped into next week when I was growing up. I questioned them about it and it definitely does not mean the same thing it did when I was growing up. Still not a positive thing but defintely not the same. When I told them what it meant when I was a kid they were horrified.
Needless to say, society and language differ and if nothing else I have learned that I should be more aware of what I say in the company of others.
Oh and BTW, what is GOBSMACKED? LOL
Nevermind, I looked it up, here it is for all you other heathens out there. LOL
Adj. 1. gobsmacked - utterly astounded
colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech
Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom
surprised - taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment; "surprised by her student's ingenuity"; "surprised that he remembered my name"; "a surprised expression"
OH!
