Ever wonder why it feels so good to let loose a string of expletives when you stub a toe or hit your head on something? Science, that's why.
Researchers at Keele University in the U.K. observed that swearing indeed relieves pain. Subjects in the study placed their hands in ice-cold water and cursed repeatedly. Then the volunteers repeated the same exercise, but instead of swearing, repeated an innocuous phrase. When they swore, researchers observed the subjects were able to keep their hands submerged in the icy water longer.
As the Telegraph reports, the scientists believe swearing, as a release of aggression, triggers a "fight or flight" response and a corresponding accelerated heart rate.
I was about to remark that Rahm Emanuel might want to keep this in mind if he drops a box on his foot while moving into his mayoral office in Chicago, but it turns out swearing only works as pain relief for those who do it infrequently.