Swearing Reduces Pain

If your reaction to slamming your finger in a door is to curse the air blue, you might be onto something: A new study shows that swearing relieves pain. Intrigued by the fact that people seem to swear in painful situations, UK researchers put the idea to the test: they had subjects submerge their hands in frigid water while either swearing or saying neutral words. Those who swore, whether men or women, were able to stand the cold much longer, and reported less pain, the Boston Globe reports.
(More swearing stories.)