Words by themselves are totally neutral things, neither good nor bad. It is a superstition to believe that words have any power or efficacy, for good or for ill. According to this superstition, good words are "blessings," the magic words said by the priest during Mass to effect transubstantiation, etc.; and bad words (the flip side) are curses (i.e., "May you have bad luck for the rest of your li…