DEAR ABBY: My husband curses nonstop. He wakes in the morning with an "f-ing this" or an "f-ing that." He does it as he goes into the kitchen to get his coffee. I can't stand it.
I have asked him repeatedly to stop. He was never like this when we were younger. Over the 20 years of our marriage, he has become worse and worse. Now he's a nonstop "f-ing machine."
My neighbors have complained to me about it. They have children, and when he goes outside, it continues. How do I get him to tame his tongue? -- MARRIED TO MR. EFF-ING
DEAR MRS. EFF-ING: Is your husband unwell? Could his problem be related to stress or a form of dementia? If the answer is no, then let me point out that men who are happy in their jobs and their lives do not act this way. Men who are considerate and care about their wives' and neighbors' sensibilities usually try to accommodate them if asked nicely. Your problem may not be your husband's tongue as much as it is his attitude -- and until he realizes that only he can change it, there is nothing you or anyone else can do to fix him.