I'll wash your mouth out with soap!
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2026 Blog #14
May 4, 2026
I'll wash your mouth out with soap!
Everyone that I knew growing up in my neighborhood was threatened more than a few times with getting our mouths washed out with soap. Sometimes this threat came from answering our mothers back, but mostly it was used against us whenever we used “curse” words. These were the same words that were not allowed on TV, but also the word “damn.” Without air conditioning, and with screens in the windows, our parents could hear us kids in the street and would quickly come and reprimand our language. On one occasion, our language got pretty bad, one neighborhood woman came out of the house with two bars of soap and threatened to wash our mouths out. Instead of cleaning our language, we went down the street to the corner lot and continued our conversation out of earshot of the mother.
How did we learn such language? We certainly learned from one another, but mostly we learned from our fathers who always used those words. I remember when I made the mistake of saying the word “damn” when my mother was nearby. She pulled out a bar of Ivory soap and threatened me. When she asked me where I had learned that word, I was honest with her. I told her that I heard my father say it. She explained that she never wanted to hear me say it again. I asked her why she didn’t wash my father’s mouth out with soap. She didn’t answer but showed rage and I quickly retreated.
Years later I was reminded of this incident in history when I saw the movie, “A Christmas Story.” In the movie, Ralphy uses the “F” word that he learned from his father. When his mother hears him using the word, she asked where he learned the word. Rather that tell his mother the truth, he names a friend of his as the teacher of that word. His friend gets in trouble for teaching Ralphy, even though he didn’t, and Ralphy gets a bar of soap in his mouth.
There were two places where I did not here, or speak such words, in the classroom and at church. In neither of these places were such words allowed. My father, who regularly used the “D” word and the “S” word, didn’t even say these words in church. This showed me that my father could control his language whenever he wanted to. I wondered if I should begin controlling my language.
To be honest, I admired the people who were eloquent in their speech even while I wrestled with the bad language that I had learned to use so freely. It took me to my latter college years before I cleaned up my speech. When I look back at my early college days, I feel embarrassed that I used such words. My language improved because I respected and admired good role models. I lament now that young people have such a lack of these role models.
The politicians that I grew up listening to might not have been honest, but they had a certain dignity and articulation when speaking. They spoke about political issues and refrained from insults and name calling. Perhaps they used poor language in private but in public they didn’t exhibit it. Agree or disagree with them, they had poise and appeared intelligent. They appeared to be people that we could look up to.
Once upon a time I enjoyed watching presidential debates. I enjoyed listening to two intellectuals discussing topics. Likewise, when I was young, I enjoyed listening to talk radio where topics were debated with decorum. Now, I can’t listen to either. What used to be intelligent debates have now become yelling, insults, and name-calling. Why do we as a society tolerate this? Should we not expect more from those whom we elect to work for us?
Unfortunately, bad behavior is contagious. My fear is that our politicians speaking badly will encourage others to speak and act badly as well. Maybe it is time for us to write our political servants and reprimand them when they act this way. We might even want to threaten to wash their mouths out with soap. Do we have enough soap for all of them?
In a democracy we get the government that we deserve. Maybe we the people ought to set higher standards for those we elect.
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