Frack!

Day 109: The origin of the word "frack" is unclear. Many people believe that it is a shortened form of "fracture," and that may well be the case. But which came first, the chicken or the egg? During the 1970s, a science-fiction TV serial called "Battlestar Galactica" debuted the word as a euphemism for...that other word which starts with F. Indeed, most of the characters portrayed on the show couldn't get through a sentence without using it, in the same manner that many people today liberally salt their vocabulary with its counterpart. I was a fan of the series, but when I forswore television to preserve my sanity, I missed its final episodes. That said, I was more likely to curse by saying "frack" when I was angry, or to call someone a "smeghead" (a term I'd picked up from the popular British sci-fi series, "Red Dwarf").

Cursing creatively is an art. Many vulgarities have been so over-used that certain words have lost their impact (case in point, the synonym for "frack"). Vulgar speech evolves; it is a living thing. In my parents' era, "frig" meant the exact same thing and carried the same force that our current f-word delivers. Nowadays, it's said without thought for the tender ears of children or little old ladies.

On the other hand, the dual definitions of "frack" supply extra weight. To illustrate my point, I've created a cartoon for your enjoyment. I can hardly be called an artist, and this adventure called for quite a mix of media. I drew the original sketches in pencil, traced them off in ink, photographed them, and then coloured them on the computer. It was a long process. I'm fracked.