F**k, and its variants, appears in headlines, on t-shirts, and even in comic strips in the Sunday newspaper. On the one hand, it is the polite and socially acceptable way to express a quite impolite word. On the other hand, to paraphrase the comedian Louis CK, using “f**k” simply puts the word in the reader’s head, and is no different than writing the word in full. Is “f**k” vulgar or merely an obscenity altered for polite company?

Which words can be considered a "fig leaf,' versus a true socially unacceptable expression? Read more about vulgarity and Trademarks.

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In addition to Thriving Attorney, Darin M. Klemchuk is founder of Klemchuk LLP, a litigation, intellectual property, and transactional law firm located in Dallas, Texas.  He also co-founded Project K, a charity devoted to changing the world one random act of kindness at a time.  Click to read more about Darin Klemchuk's practice as an intellectual property lawyer.