--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are no dirty words in this book…" description: "\"“There are no dirty words in this book, except for 'hell' and 'God', in case someone is fearing that an innocent child might see 1...Perhaps the only p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/kurt-vonnegut-41_adult-life_there-are-no-dirty-words-in-this-book-ex_311546.jpg" --- # There are no dirty words in this book, except for 'hell'… ![“There are no dirty words in this book, except for 'hell' and 'God', in case someone is fearing that an innocent child might see 1...Perhaps the only precept taught me by Grandfather Wills that I have honoured all my adult life is that profanity and obsceny entitle people who don't want unpleasant…” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/kurt-vonnegut-41_adult-life_there-are-no-dirty-words-in-this-book-ex_311546.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/kurt-vonnegut-41_adult-life_there-are-no-dirty-words-in-this-book-ex_311546.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/kurt-vonnegut-41_adult-life_there-are-no-dirty-words-in-this-book-ex_311546.jpg) > ““There are no dirty words in this book, except for 'hell' and 'God', in case someone is fearing that an innocent child might see 1...Perhaps the only precept taught me by Grandfather Wills that I have honoured all my adult life is that profanity and obsceny entitle people who don't want unpleasant information to close their eyes and ears to you.”” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights that profanity is used to shield people from uncomfortable truths, and that such censorship reflects fear rather than moral superiority. **In simple terms:** Profanity hides truth; people use it to avoid discomfort. Key Takeaway Recognize when language is used to block information. Themes censorship truth communication fear morality Mood reflective critical Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - parenting - education - media consumption - public speaking Key Concepts Social psychology language control ethical boundaries Questions to Reflect On - Do you use profanity to protect yourself or others? - When is it appropriate to censor language? A Different Perspective Censorship can also protect vulnerable audiences from harmful content. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adult life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adult-life/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Dirty words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirty-words/) [Fearing Innocent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fearing-innocent-2956006/) [Humour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humour/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Profanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-profanity-2956005/) [Oversight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oversight/) [Profanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profanity/) [Profanity Obsceny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profanity-obsceny-2956004/) [Swearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swearing/) ## Related quotes > [profanity and obscenity entitle people who don't want unpleasant information to close their ears and eyes to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/profanity-and-obscenity-entitle-people-who-don-t-want-unpleasant/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [There's nothing wrong with options. Options are everywhere. In movies, in sports. Options is not a dirty word. I need to pay my overheads,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-king/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-options-options-are-everywhere-in-movies/) [Don King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-king/) > [When someone isn’t smart enough to express their frustration, they use dirty words. Those are words that describe a lack of intelligence. Smart people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-someone-isn-t-smart-enough-to-express-their-frustration-they-use/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [I've always viewed myself as a brand. When I started 10 years ago, that was very controversial. 'Marketing' and 'PR' were dirty words for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-l-ckberg/i-ve-always-viewed-myself-as-a-brand-when-i-started-10-years-ago-that/) [Camilla Lackberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-l-ckberg/) > [There are two dirty words in photography, one is art, the other is good taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-newton/there-are-two-dirty-words-in-photography-one-is-art-the-other-is-good/) [Helmut Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-newton/) > [Retirement is not a dirty word, I am just enjoying what I am doing. If they want me to retire, then stop asking me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-white/retirement-is-not-a-dirty-word-i-am-just-enjoying-what-i-am-doing-if/) [Betty White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-white/) > [“Like the rest of the Québécois? Like Beauvoir himself? Did they curse the Church? Câlice! Tabernac! Hostie! The Québécois had turned religious words into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/like-the-rest-of-the-qu-b-cois-like-beauvoir-himself-did-they-curse/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [I put in all the dirty words. It works really well. The thing that we found with 'Drive Angry,' more than anything else is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/i-put-in-all-the-dirty-words-it-works-really-well-the-thing-that-we/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) > [I didn't know dirty words could be done that artfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cook/i-didn-t-know-dirty-words-could-be-done-that-artfully/) [Peter Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cook/) > [When you can use dirty words in every situation with everyone, that's a real big liberation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lina-wertmuller/when-you-can-use-dirty-words-in-every-situation-with-everyone-that-s/) [Lina Wertmuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lina-wertmuller/) > [After the bare requisites to living and reproducing, man wants most to leave some record of himself, a proof, perhaps, that he has really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/after-the-bare-requisites-to-living-and-reproducing-man-wants-most-to/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > ["Pop" was a dirty word for a really long time and it feels like that's not the case anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzy-plapinger/pop-was-a-dirty-word-for-a-really-long-time-and-it-feels-like-that-s/) [Lizzy Plapinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzy-plapinger/) > [For Christmas when I was about four I got given 'Can the can' by Susie Quatro, so that was the first record I got.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-fanning/for-christmas-when-i-was-about-four-i-got-given-can-the-can-by-susie/) [Bernard Fanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-fanning/) > [Some people's photography is an art. Not mine. Art is a dirty word in photography. All this fine art crap is killing it already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-newton/some-people-s-photography-is-an-art-not-mine-art-is-a-dirty-word-in/) [Helmut Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-newton/) > [Compassion is not a dirty word.. it's time we rehabilitated compassion into the national political vocabulary of this great nation of ours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/compassion-is-not-a-dirty-word-it-s-time-we-rehabilitated-compassion/) [Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Adult life quotes > [“Not very long ago I was driving with my husband on the back roads of Grey County, which is to the north and east…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/not-very-long-ago-i-was-driving-with-my-husband-on-the-back-roads-of/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have spent my entire adult life trying to make Liberty University the world-class Christian university that was envisioned at its founding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-falwell-jr/i-have-spent-my-entire-adult-life-trying-to-make-liberty-university/) [Jerry Falwell, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-falwell-jr/) > [I spent close to a decade as an undercover officer in the CIA and have spent most of my adult life collecting intelligence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/i-spent-close-to-a-decade-as-an-undercover-officer-in-the-cia-and/) [Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/) > [I have been in relatively high-risk businesses all of my adult life. Few of the others, however, had the possibility of direct gains in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-armstrong/i-have-been-in-relatively-high-risk-businesses-all-of-my-adult-life/) [Neil Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-armstrong/) > [“I have spent most of my adult life in a ghetto among countless other outsiders who have also learned how to talk through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamake-highwater/i-have-spent-most-of-my-adult-life-in-a-ghetto-among-countless-other/) [Jamake Highwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamake-highwater/) > [Mike Bloomberg may be a Republican these days. But he has been a Democrat for most of his adult life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randi-weingarten/mike-bloomberg-may-be-a-republican-these-days-but-he-has-been-a/) [Randi Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randi-weingarten/) > [“She could not remember ever being truly happy in her adult life; her years with her mother had been built up devotedly around small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/she-could-not-remember-ever-being-truly-happy-in-her-adult-life-her/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [“So, I begin each day with a gesture of cynicism, and close it with a gesture of faith; or, if you prefer, begin it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/so-i-begin-each-day-with-a-gesture-of-cynicism-and-close-it-with-a/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [I was pretty poor for a long time. Not \*poor\* poor. But college student poor. 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But coming out of the rainbow tunnel, the liminal portal between Marin and San…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hutchins/we-are-all-of-course-wayfaring-strangers-on-this-earth-but-coming-out/) [Scott Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hutchins/) [Browse all 431 Adult life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adult-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are no dirty words in this book, except for 'hell' and 'God', in case someone is fearing that an innocent child might see 1...Perhaps the only precept taught me by Grandfather Wills that I have honoured all my adult life is that profanity and obsceny entitle people who don't want unpleasant information to close their eyes and ears to you.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-no-dirty-words-in-this-book-except-for-hell-and-god-in-case/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adult life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-no-dirty-words-in-this-book-except-for-hell-and-god-in-case/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/kurt-vonnegut-41_adult-life_there-are-no-dirty-words-in-this-book-ex_311546.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/kurt-vonnegut-41_adult-life_there-are-no-dirty-words-in-this-book-ex_311546.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/kurt-vonnegut-41_adult-life_there-are-no-dirty-words-in-this-book-ex_311546.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are no dirty words in this book, except for 'hell' and 'God', in case someone is fearing that an…” — Kurt Vonnegut", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kurt Vonnegut", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There are no dirty words in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-no-dirty-words-in-this-book-except-for-hell-and-god-in-case/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-no-dirty-words-in-this-book-except-for-hell-and-god-in-case/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```