From: owner-sheryl-crew-digest@smoe.org (sheryl-crew-digest) To: sheryl-crew-digest@smoe.org Subject: sheryl-crew-digest V6 #37 Reply-To: sheryl-crew@smoe.org Sender: owner-sheryl-crew-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-sheryl-crew-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk sheryl-crew-digest Friday, February 28 2003 Volume 06 : Number 037 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [sheryl-crew] OFF: Bloody [Oliver Schick ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:01:49 +0000 From: Oliver Schick Subject: [sheryl-crew] OFF: Bloody > Ok now a slightly off topic for Brits: What is the history/meaning behind the > phrase "Oh bloody Hell?" Or use of Bloody in general. It seems like bloody is > used much in the same way people in the U.S. use the "f" word as an > adjective. I don't know about a history, but 'bloody' is certainly not as strong as the f-word. In fact, it's become pretty meaningless--you can use it in so many ways. It seems to be just about the only bit of ancient slang to have survived more modern developments and not to have suffered from its association with stiff upper lip Empire-builders. It just bloody developed that way, knoworramean? A variant is 'bleeding', but it's used slightly differently. I'd say that the only people considering 'bloody' offensive today would be a bit stuck up. But having said that, of course 'bloody' is often used in places where others might use the f-word; it's just not nearly as strong. There are usages like 'what are you bloody doing?' that suggest a certain alarm and annoyance, but perhaps one reason for its survival is just that it's quite satisfying to say it (you can put it in pretty much anywhere), because of the way it sounds, and you avoid the f-word. Oliver. ________________ oliver.schick@kcl.ac.uk ------------------------------ End of sheryl-crew-digest V6 #37 ********************************