And the attitude is seriously misguided. I really can't swear in Norwegian, but my native English? Sure thing. And it really limits my expression in Norwegian.
The truth is that it takes some skill and knowledge to properly swear. And it has its place: Using other words simply don't get the point across nearly as well and folks can easily misinterpret your meaning (Example: Angry verses creatively displeased or disgusted). Using alternatives (in English things like "fudge") are equally powerful and equally difficult to place in the right context.
From my experience, swearing seems to be one of the last few things you acquire when getting competent in a foreign language. (Ignoring the fun “Teach me some swears!” pastime of a beginner—they learn the words but not how to use them.) In my time working as a programmer, most of my coworkers have been non-native English speakers, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the ones who swear the most are also the most generally proficient in English.
Most of those top few are also native speakers of languages that are closely related to English, such as German, Dutch, and French, but curiously, the one who curses the most, and the most proficiently, is Israeli.
The truth is that it takes some skill and knowledge to properly swear. And it has its place: Using other words simply don't get the point across nearly as well and folks can easily misinterpret your meaning (Example: Angry verses creatively displeased or disgusted). Using alternatives (in English things like "fudge") are equally powerful and equally difficult to place in the right context.