Study: Ohioans Lead Nation in Cursing
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Many political observers divide the nation into red states and blue states, but a new study focuses on an entirely different measurement and ranks the 50 states based on how frequently their residents curse.
A study by the technology company The Marchex Institute shows that of all Americans, Ohioans curse the most, at least when they’re on the phone. Maryland took a close second, followed by New Jersey, Louisiana, and Illinois.
Researchers scanned for the frequency of F-bombs and other popular curse words in more than 600,000 phone conversations over one year, and found that Ohioans swore around once every 150 conversations.
The calls had been placed by consumers to businesses such as cable companies, auto dealerships and pest control centers.
Folks in Washington state are least likely to curse on the phone, followed by residents of Massachusetts, Arizona, Texas, and Virginia.
Ohio also landed in the top 5 “Least Courteous” category, based on the number of times Ohioans said “please” and “thank you” during customer service calls.
The South takes the lead when it comes to saying “please” and “thank you.” The top 5 “Most Courteous” states are South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Louisiana, and Georgia.
The researchers also found that as a nation, two-thirds of curses over the phone come from men, and cursing is most likely to occur in phone conversations lasting more than ten minutes. The study also reveals that many people do not like mornings; morning calls are twice as likely to involve swearing as calls in the afternoon or evening.
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