How did 'expletive,' 'explicit,' and 'exploit' become such sleazy words?

The original, often innocent meanings of words that begin with expl are being overshadowed by naughtier ones

Expletive
(Image credit: (iStock))

If you want to search out the best way to make the most of a relationship, you will want to use plain language, perhaps with some padding out.

If you want to explore the best way to exploit a relationship, you will want to use explicit language, perhaps with some expletives.

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James Harbeck

James Harbeck is a professional word taster and sentence sommelier (an editor trained in linguistics). He is the author of the blog Sesquiotica and the book Songs of Love and Grammar.