Yes. I arrived at the same conclusion that using cuss words is not saying anything. Unfortunately for me, my mother used to make me drink a table spoon of tabasco sauce if I said any cuss word's.I had a vocabulary worse then the worse truckers.
I say had... to be honest I get talking with my daughter and it's like we have a competition of who can say the most F bombs in a sentence.
That's an old habit. One not easily broken. It just flows out like water if you don't put a stopper on it.
But there are no meanings to them, like you say, they are just fillers. And it's not directed it's just part of the conversation.
I grew up on the low side of the city. Swearing was the language everybody used. Didn't mean anything.. just sounds.
And you had to act tough and sound tough in order to protect yourself.
Everywhere I worked has been an atmosphere of foul language.
It doesn't offend me when people cuss. Maybe there's a reason why I'm tone deaf to it.
I can talk to people from all walks without shutting them down because they didn't say this right or that right.
Now if I watch tv or a video and there is cussing, it actually hurts my ears.
Because they do it deliberately, and somehow I can sense the difference.
It's weird.. what can I say?
I don't think in cuss words.. they just fall out of my mouth.
I got plenty mouthwash.. better than the soap my mom used to use.
I don't swear when I talk to my dad or my mother in law, or the store clerk..
just my kid..
that is weird..
just fillers though, not angry or attitude..
She don't swear to her husband or my grandson,
just me...
I actually sitting here thinking..
why do we do that?
LOL
I don't know..