My parents are much like yours. I got my mouth washed out with soap for calling my sister "you little brat!" Gosh and darn were tolerated, though.
The most cagey approach I've heard was that of my father-in-law. When my husband, at a young age, uttered the word "Hell," his father said, "That's a bad word, son." When my husband switched to "Heck," his father said, "Heck's not a place."
As for me, I don't often feel guilty for saying swear words (in the right company...) but I feel very guilty when I write them. I try to save written swearing for maximum effect. I rarely swear in my LJ, now that I think about it (although I am guilty of constructions like WTF and OMG).
The teenagers I'm writing about, on the other hand, often want to swear, which leads me to solutions like yours ("I cursed under my breath, hoping that Dad couldn't hear.")
I also admit to finding fandom words like "asshat" to be extremely funny and evocative. I don't use them much but I don't mind seeing them.
I do admit that the word "fudge" gets used around my house. Perhaps a little too much. On the other hand, it makes my daughter laugh, which usually makes me laugh, so... *shrug*
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The most cagey approach I've heard was that of my father-in-law. When my husband, at a young age, uttered the word "Hell," his father said, "That's a bad word, son." When my husband switched to "Heck," his father said, "Heck's not a place."
As for me, I don't often feel guilty for saying swear words (in the right company...) but I feel very guilty when I write them. I try to save written swearing for maximum effect. I rarely swear in my LJ, now that I think about it (although I am guilty of constructions like WTF and OMG).
The teenagers I'm writing about, on the other hand, often want to swear, which leads me to solutions like yours ("I cursed under my breath, hoping that Dad couldn't hear.")
I also admit to finding fandom words like "asshat" to be extremely funny and evocative. I don't use them much but I don't mind seeing them.
I do admit that the word "fudge" gets used around my house. Perhaps a little too much. On the other hand, it makes my daughter laugh, which usually makes me laugh, so... *shrug*