Vicki, I think you are wrong. ‘Fuck’ was appearing in print in the U.S. by the 1860s (with and without dash between the ‘F’ and the ‘K’) and if it was appearing in print it was certainly passing the lips of the not-too-Victorian cowboys of the American west. I’m sure that on the trail and in the bawdy houses and saloons of Cripple Creek, Leadville, etc. no Westerner worthy of the name would pass up the opportunity to use this ancient and beloved expression.
‘The Oxford English Dictionary’ and ‘Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang’ have examples of ‘fuck’ appearing in print in its various forms starting in the early 1500s and continuing up to the present.
< 1535 “Bischops . . . may FUCK thair fill and be vnmaryit.”—‘Satyre’ by Lyndesay>
< 1680 “Through all the Town, the common FUCKING Post, On whom each Whore, relieves her tingling Cunt.”— ‘Poems on Several Occasions’ by Rochester(1950), page 30>
<a1750 “But she gave proof that she could F—K.”—‘Poems’ (1750) by A. Robertson, page 256>
<1860 “When Douglas found his chances were scarcely worth a schuck / He bade his Delegates, go home to take a little F—K.”—‘Lincoln Encyclopedia’ by Neely, page 155”> [[American]]
<1864 “Have you any sisters? If you have I should like to FUCK them. That was my business before I came into the service, and now I’m FUCKING for Uncle Sam.”—‘Civil Wars’ by George Rable> [[American]]
<1866 “Mr. Baker replied that depondent would be FUCKED out of his money by Mr. Brown.”—‘The Black Military Experience’(1982) by Ira Berlin [[American]]
<1867 “Me & my love have had this far just one hundred good square FUCKS together.”—‘Journals of Alfred Doten (1829-1903) [[American Westerner]]
<1888 “Adonis . . . gave her a most systematical FUCK.”; “Sodom . . . was the worst place for wild FUCKING of all descriptions . . . (Barring Chicago)—‘Stag Party’> [[American]]
<1893 “ FUCKER. 1. A lover. 2. A term of endearment, admiration, derision, etc”.—‘Dictionary of Slang and Analogues’ by Farmer & Henley, III, Page 80/2>
<1899 “Here goes for the fust FUCK.”—‘Memoirs of Dolly Morton.’ page 249 [[American, detailing her experiences from the Civil War on]]
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Ken G – April 11, 2004
Reply from Ken Greenwald (Fort Collins, CO - U.S.A.)