Does Democratic VP candidate Walz swear too damn much?

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Roger J. Kreuz, University of Memphis

(THE CONVERSATION) Six minutes and 29 seconds into his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate, said it: “Mind your own damn business.” Walz was describing the way his fellow Minnesotans don’t impose their values on others, using the salty term that has become a familiar part of how he expresses himself.

During a campaign event with Democratic presidential nominee Harris in Michigan on Aug. 8, Walz said “damn” four times during his brief remarks, including in two sentences in a row:

“When you got a billion dollars, you don’t give a damn about your Social Security check. But if you’re like my mom and you depend on the Social Security check as your sole income, it’s pretty damn important,” he said.

The following day, in Glendale, Arizona, Walz used the term eight more times. A day later, at a rally in Las Vegas, he made use of the expression an additional eight times.

And in a social media post on Aug. 13, he...