History Main / ParentheticalSwearing

Compare StealthInsult, PrecisionFStrike. Not to be confused with NarrativeProfanityFilter, where a character really does swear--it just doesn't appear directly in the text, or with MondegreenGag, which is when a character doesn't swear, but a word they say can be misheard as a swear word.

* This can also be done with non-verbal signals. If executed in a suitably sarcastic manner, giving someone the "thumbs up" sign (traditionally a GoodLuckGesture) can pretty much become the equivalent of FlippingTheBird.

* In the GrandFinale issue of ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'', all it takes is one quip for the Green Goblin to realize he's not dealing with the so called "Superior" one whom the Goblin had been taunting and playing with, but the original "Amazing" one, who always beats him, and whose return he was ''not'' expecting. He says "It's you", but the inflection is way more OhCrap.
* In ''Comicbook/{{Tintin}}'', many of Captain Haddock's FloweryInsults aren't even offensive words to begin with (they include stuff like scientific terms and medical specialties), but he throws them around with such bile it does feel like he's talking like a conventional sailor.

* In ''FanFic/ThisBites'', after learning the truth of Ohara, Tsuru responds to Sengoku's orders with a "Yes sir" that sounds far more like "Fuck you".

-->'''Emperor Palpatine''': ''([[TranquilFury seething]])'' So be it...''Jedi''.

''({{Beat}})''\\

-->'''Penn''': ''(reassuringly)'' No, it's okay. Really, I hate your stinking guts.

* In the pilot movie/first two episodes of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', Kid Flash takes issue with Robin's disappearing act antics and calls him on it: "Way to be a team player, Rob." He comes down hard on the nickname.

-->'''Narrator:''' An angry farmer was telling Mavis just what she could do with her train.

* In ''Franchise/{{GIJoe}}'', whenever Destro addresses his boss as "my dear Cobra Commander", substitute "bless your heart" and you'll get the intended effect.

* The character of Tzetzas in Creator/DavidDrake and Creator/SMStirling's ''Literature/TheGeneral'' series is usually pronounced as if it were a curse.
** "He gives graft a bad name."
** There's a RunningGag that whenever his name is brought up in conversation, Suzette tells the person/people saying it to stop swearing.

* In ''Podcast/WoodenOvercoats'', Eric's CatchPhrase is "enjoy yourselves," and usually, that's precisely what he means. However, on a few occasions when someone (usually Rudyard and/or Antigone) has managed to truly piss him off, he can say "enjoy yourselves" in a tone that ''very'' clearly indicates he means "fuck you."

* Fenrich from ''VideoGame/Disgaea4APromiseUnforgotten'' has two {{Catch Phrase}}s that are meant to compliment his Lord Valvatorez -- "All is for my Lord" and "X is one of my Lord Valvatorez's many formidable powers." However, while he does use them to legitimately praise Val, he uses them just as often for whenever [[ServileSnarker Val says or does something stupid]] ([[IdiotHero which happens a lot]]) with a very weary tone. It's easy to see the phrases as Fenrich more or less saying "Goddamnit, Lord Val!"

* C.W. [=McCall's=] "Convoy", featured in the 1978 movie of the same name, apparently uses "trucking" as a lyrical euphemism for the F-bomb:

* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', Juhani, a Jedi party member with anger management issues, encounters Xor, a racist, washed up mercenary who tells her that she doesn't belong here. She fires back with, "I have as much right to be here as you do, SIR!", saying "sir" with as much derision as she can muster.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'': "Now which one of you naughty children been' messin' with the shadow man?!" sounds a lot like "Who's the dumbass?!". It helps that a CoolOldLady is saying it.

Compare StealthInsult, BreakingPointSwearing. Not to be confused with NarrativeProfanityFilter, where a character really does swear--it just doesn't appear directly in the text, or with MondegreenGag, which is when a character doesn't swear, but a word they say can be misheard as a swear word.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Mei tells Tyler "Forget your money, and forget you!" Her tone implies that if she was in a film rated higher than PG she would be using a different [[BreakingPointSwearing F-word]].

* ''Film/StarTrek2009'': Spock puts a certain amount of inflection and vitriol into the respectful Vulcan salutation, "Live Long And Prosper", so that it sounds like BreakingPointSwearing.

** Somehow, Creator/ArthurDarvill manages to make "so far beyond weird" sound a bit like "so [[BreakingPointSwearing fucking]] weird" despite saying it in an utterly sweet and friendly tone in Series/DoctorWho's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33ShortPS "P.S."]] short.

Compare StealthInsult, PrecisionFStrike. Not to be confused with NarrativeProfanityFilter, where a character really does swear--it just doesn't appear directly in the text, or with MondegreenGag, which is when a character doesn't swear, but a word they say can be misheard as a swear word.

* ''Film/StarTrek2009'': Spock puts a certain amount of inflection and vitriol into the respectful Vulcan salutation, "Live Long And Prosper", so that it sounds like a PrecisionFStrike.

** Somehow, Creator/ArthurDarvill manages to make "so far beyond weird" sound a bit like "so [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] weird" despite saying it in an utterly sweet and friendly tone in Series/DoctorWho's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33ShortPS "P.S."]] short.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'': "Now which one of your naughty children been' messin' with the shadow man?!" sounds a lot like "Who's the dumbass?!". It helps that a CoolOldLady is saying it.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'': "Who's been messing with the shadow man?!" sounds a lot like "Who's the dumbass?!". It helps that a CoolOldLady is saying it.

* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', Juhani, a Jedi party member with anger management issues, encounters Xor, a racist Twi'lek who tells her that she doesn't belong here. She fires back with, "I have as much right to be here as you do, SIR!", saying "sir" with as much derision as she can muster.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/XMen'', Wolverine infiltrates an anti-mutant hate group, the Friends of Humanity, by posing as a trashy, mutant-hating bigot. He plays the role to the letter, down to growling "''mutant''" like a swear word (or, more realistically, a racial/ethnic slur).

* Despite its very family friendly tone, ''WesternAnimation/ACharlieBrownChristmas'' has one.
-->'''Charlie Brown''': Man's best friend...

* Whenever [[Franchise/{{GIJoe}} Destro]] addresses his boss as "my dear Cobra Commander", substitute "bless your heart" and you'll get the intended effect.

* Creator/DonRickles would have to be the modern progenitor and senior grandmaster of the art form. His signature line of 'You hockey puck' even managed to make its way into [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory a children's cartoon]].

* In ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', [=McCoy=] was always making "Vulcan" sound like a swearword. Even Scotty got one in "Day of the Dove", towards Spock, when his and the rest of the crew's minds are taken over by the alien-of-the-week.