What's the difference between a "cuss word" and a normal word?

Question

What's the difference between a "cuss word" and a normal word?

Answer 1

I don't really see any difference, but I just don't cuss because I don't want to offend people. And I dunno if I'm allowed to.

Answer 2

It's purely a social convention. A particular community decides that certain words are taboo. Use of those words therefore identifies you as defying the values of that community (which may be intentional, if you want to assert your identity as belonging to a community in opposition to the first (as in George Carlin's "The seven words you can never say on television"). It can also be a culture clash: there are words that are not taboo in Britain that are taboo in the USA; there are words that are taboo in Britain that are not taboo in Australia. This can cause lots of trouble online!

Answer 3

A "cuss word" is a curse or swear word that is usually obscene or profane in nature.  A good example of someone whose vocabulary involves a lot of these types of expletives would be Eric Cartman in "South Park."

Answer 4

Curse words are sentence enhancers.