Profanity, dirty words, swear words, foul language. All describing a group of words not used lightly. Yet, many use them frequently in successful, positive interactions. So-called bad words have an image problem, but does that extend to Japanese learners? What about learners at a Christian women’s university, where youth, gender, and educational setting may each contribute to perceived image of language. Findings of a study on attitudes of profanity with such learners will be presented.