What's the first instance of fictional profanity in sci-fi?

Question

There's a tradition of sorts in sci-fi where aliens or future humans use profanity that doesn't exist in the real world.  I'm curious when this started.  Which story or novel is the first time the writer made up profanity?  It's acceptable if they used real profanity in addition to their made up profanity.

Bevan · Accepted Answer

E E "Doc" Smiths Lensmen series (published between 1934 and 1948) included fictional profanity, at least in passing.

There's a scene where someone is transcribing a conversation in an alien tongue where one of the parties blanches at the use of an insult, the strongest in the language. In english it was something like "Shronizfied" with the meaning "descended from countless generations of muck living flatworm".

I'll dig the books out of storage and see if I can find an exact quote. [Nice to have a reason to re-read a classic ... ;-) ]

Jeff · Answer

Star Wars (at least the extended universe) has a fairly robust set of profanity.

Therefore it was ~1977 at the latest.

I'm sure it was earlier, though, just can't think of any examples.

Beofett · Answer

Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange was written in 1962, and contained an entire lexicon of "Nadsat" slang.  Some of those words are clearly intended as profanities.
Aldus Huxley's Brave New World predates that by quite a bit (1931), but I'd say its debatable whether the terminology in there really equates to profanity ("Gamma minus", a designation from the novel's caste system, is probably the closest thing to a profanity, although "soma", the name given to a fictional drug, is probably the most clearly "made-up" word).
There may very well be other examples, but these are the ones I could think of.  While I think it's a great question, I'm not sure we'll get a real, definitive answer.

Zachary K · Answer

Larry Niven was using the term "TANJ" in the Known Space universe in the mid to late 60's.

TANJ -> There Aint no Justice

I'm sure there are works prior to that though.

Omar Kooheji · Answer

Mork and Mindy had Shazbott that's 1978. Probably not the oldest but definitely an example of it.

Sam · Answer

In Foundation and Empire (1952) Asimov use the word Galaxy as an obscenity, often emphasizing the middle syllable (gal-LAX-y). While not a fictional word, it is a fictional obscenity.

Robusto · Answer

In Glory Road Robert Heinlein does actually discuss the use of profanity, and uses a word he considers profane.

That is the last word I am going to set down in a language that doesn't fit our alphabet.  I had several more lessons, and won't mention them either, and from then on we spoke this lingo, except when I was forced to span gaps by asking in English.  It is a language rich in profanity and in words for making love, and ricer than English in some technical subjects - but with surprising holes in it.  There is no word for "lawyer" for example.

Courtesy of Google Book Search

S.DeHaven · Answer

In "I Will Fear No Evil" Heinlein used the word "kark" as an expletive.  Now a Google search reveals that it is all over the Star Wars universe.  What gives?

Mike Stone · Answer

In Triplanetary, Ralph Kinnison describes an incompetent official (to his face) as lacking "the brains that God gave bastard geese in Ireland". One of the more original bits of invective.

What's the first instance of fictional profanity in sci-fi?

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