Cussing and swearing in fiction

Warning: Original article does contain language (particularly of the rotting and foul type, and mostly in the comments) so if you are offended by such, I'll keep it clean in this post. Link clicker beware...

Fantasy readers have most likely seen some phrase similar to: "By Bolstrom's Blasted Beard!" or "Blood and bloody ashes!" while reading through various stories.

The first one there might be shouted by an angry, axe-wielding dwarf, while the second is an actual invective from the Wheel of Time series. Speculative fiction seems full of these, and some people even see them as an essential part to world-building. I mean, it wouldn't be another world without a whole different angry and vile phrasebook, right?

This forum link talks about cursing and cussing and swearing, and whether "fake" swearing and dirty phrases can actually work in a story. Lots of different opinions on this one. What's yours?

For me, I try to steer clear of the modern-day cussing for a couple reasons, such as personal standards, my belief that you can show anger and frustration in better ways, and because I get real tired real quick of people dropping dirt bombs into conversations every other breath and never even realizing it. In writing some fantasy stories, I have done the "fake" cussing. I think it's fun to try and figure out what might be taboos or bad words in whatever culture I'm working with. I just don't want those phrases to sound silly to the reader, or out of place.

A few phrases I've used/am using: "Burn it all!"; "Scrap!" (as in, "you don't know scrap"); "Faithless."

I tend to avoid invoking false deities, since that always comes across a little stodgy to me. But we all have our preferences and standards. What are yours?

I see that smile.