"The f-word" is used exclusively by people being descriptive. Nobody says "So I was f-wording my spouse..." or stubs their toe and exclaims "oh f-word!". It is used when people are reporting what other people said. That is why it is considered less offensive; it is never properly used.
It signals to the easily offended, "I want to convey this information to you, but I am deliberately mangling words so that you know I too disapprove of the terrible word that was unfortunately used by somebody else."
"WTF" isn't used that way. When people say it, they are using it, not describing somebody's usage. There is zero implication of an apology or empathy with the audience's word-phobia.
"The f-word" is used exclusively by people being descriptive. Nobody says "So I was f-wording my spouse..." or stubs their toe and exclaims "oh f-word!". It is used when people are reporting what other people said. That is why it is considered less offensive; it is never properly used.
It signals to the easily offended, "I want to convey this information to you, but I am deliberately mangling words so that you know I too disapprove of the terrible word that was unfortunately used by somebody else."
"WTF" isn't used that way. When people say it, they are using it, not describing somebody's usage. There is zero implication of an apology or empathy with the audience's word-phobia.