543:. When more Singaporeans were promoted officers within the Armed Forces, most new local officers applied similar training methods their former British officers had when they were cadets or trainees themselves. This includes some aspects of British Army lingo, like "bloody (something)". When the newly elected Singapore government implemented compulsory conscription, all 18-year-old able bodied Singapore males had to undergo training within the Armed Forces. When National servicemen completed their service term, some brought the many expletives they picked up during their service into the civilian world and thus became a part of the common culture in the city state.
43:
699:(c. 1591), "bloody murder or detested rape". The expression "scream bloody murder" (in the figurative or desemanticised sense of "to loudly object to something" attested since c. 1860) is now considered American English, while in British English, the euphemistic "blue murder" had replaced "bloody murder" during the period of "bloody" being considered taboo.
692:
as an adjective in reference to bloodshed or violent crime, as in "bloody crimes" (Ezekiel 22:2), "Woe to the bloody city" (Ezekiel 24:6, Nahum 3:1). "bloody men" (26:9, Psalms 59:2, 139:19), etc. The expression of "bloody murder" goes back to at least
Elizabethan English, as in Shakespeare's
347:
from minced oaths for "by our lady" or "God's blood" are based on the attempt to explain the word's extraordinary shock power in the 18th to 19th centuries, but they disregard that the earliest records of the word as an intensifier in the 17th to early 18th century do not reflect any taboo or
551:
The word "bloody" also managed to spread up north in neighbouring
Malaysia, to where the influence of Singapore English has spread. The use of "bloody" as a substitute for more explicit language increased with the popularity of British and Australian films and television shows aired on local
800:"More likely, the taboo stemmed from the fear that many people have of blood and, in the minds of some, from an association with menstrual bleeding. Whatever, the term was debarred from polite society during the whole of the nineteenth century." Rawson (1995).
724:, launched an advertising campaign targeted at potential visitors in several English-speaking countries. The ad sparked controversy because of its ending (in which a cheerful, bikini-clad spokeswoman delivers the ad's call-to-action by saying "...
743:
The longer "bloody hell-hounds" appears to have been at least printable in early 19th century
Britain. "Bloody hell's flames" as well as "bloody hell" is reported as a profanity supposedly used by Catholics against Protestants in 1845.
847:
1750; now constantly in the mouths of the lowest classes, but by respectable people considered 'a horrid word', on a par with obscene or profane language, and usually printed in the newspapers (in police reports, etc.)
683:
as an adverbial or generic intensifier is to be distinguished from its fixed use in the expressions "bloody murder" and "bloody hell". In "bloody murder", it has the original sense of an adjective used literally. The
407:, in the role of Eliza Doolittle, created a sensation with the line "Walk! Not bloody likely!" and this led to a fad for using "Pygmalion" itself as a pseudo-oath, as in "Not Pygmalion likely".
390:
article of 1888 comments the word is "now constantly in the mouths of the lowest classes, but by respectable people considered 'a horrid word', on a par with obscene or profane language".
194:
of nations. It has been used as an intensive since at least the 1670s. Considered respectable until about 1750, it was heavily tabooed during c. 1750–1920, considered equivalent to
483:
at one point says: "You can't even see the bloody cave, let alone the bloody guns. And anyway, we haven't got a bloody bomb big enough to smash that bloody rock ..." – but
994:
363:
Until at least the early 18th century, the word was used innocuously. It was used as an intensifier without apparent implication of profanity by 18th-century authors such as
740:
was not an inappropriate marketing tool and the original version of the ad was permitted to air. In Canada, the ad's use of "bloody hell" also created controversy.
860:
229:
as a profane intensifier predates the 18th century. Its ultimate origin is unclear, and several hypotheses have been suggested. It may be a direct loan of Dutch
213:, it is seen by American audiences as a stereotypical marker of a British- or Irish-English speaker, without any significant obscene or profane connotations.
355:
The Oxford
English Dictionary prefers the theory that it arose from aristocratic rowdies known as "bloods", hence "bloody drunk" means "drunk as a blood".
777:
John
Bellenden Ker, An Essay on the Archæology of our Popular Phrases and Nursery Rhymes, London:Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Co., 1837, pg 36.
535:. The roots of this expletive derives from the influence and informal language British officers used during the dealing and training of soldiers in the
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733:
348:
profanity. It seems more likely, according to Rawson, that the taboo against the word arose secondarily, perhaps because of an association with
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217:
usage is similar to
American English, but use as an expletive adverb may be considered slightly vulgar depending on the circumstances.
843:
2. As an intensive: Very .... and no mistake, exceedingly; abominably, desperately. In general colloquial use from the
Restoration to
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469:. In the US the term is usually used when the intention is to mimic an Englishman. Because it is not perceived as profane in
732:
required that a modified version of the ad be shown in the United
Kingdom, without the word "bloody". In May 2006 the UK's
706:" is now used as a general expression of surprise or as a general intensifier; e.g. "bloody hell" being used repeatedly in
429:
383:
209:, the word is used almost exclusively in its literal sense to describe something that is covered in blood; when used as an
725:
454:
1075:
London
Theatre: A Collection of the Most Celebrated Dramatic Pieces, Correctly Given, from Copies Used in the Theatres
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about 100 years later writes both "it grows by'r Lady cold" and "it was bloody hot walking to-day" suggesting that
79:
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and has not been considered profane there for some time.. The word was dubbed "the
Australian adjective" by
453:'s government was fining Britons for using the word in public. In 2007 an Australian advertising campaign
600:
Many substitutions were devised to convey the essence of the oath, but with less offence; these included
475:
269:, etc., where it simply implies completely, entirely, purely, very, truly, and has no relation to either
93:
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1133:
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1128:
536:
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473:, "bloody" is not censored when used in American television and film, for example in the 1961 film
75:
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764:: a case study in historical pragmatics". In Richard Dury, Maurizio Gotti, Marina Dossena (eds.)
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in Singapore may not be considered explicit, but its usage is frowned upon in formal settings.
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until the 1960s, but the word has since become a comparatively mild expletive or intensifier.
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as in "fanbloodytastic". In the 1940s an Australian divorce court judge held that "the word
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was banned on UK televisions and billboards as the term was still considered an expletive.
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as "bloedige" and is popular amongst many citizens in the country. It is also used by
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is so common in modern parlance that it is not regarded as swearing". Meanwhile,
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The term is also frequently used as a mild expletive or an intensifier in India.
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A popularly reported theory suggested euphemistic derivation from the phrase
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292:(1921) relates English usage to imitation of purely intensive use of Dutch
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This article is about the word used as an intensifier. For other uses, see
768:. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company. 2008, p. 55.
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English Historical Linguistics 2006 Volume 2: Lexical and semantic change
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Publications such as newspapers, police reports, and so on may print
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515:. It may be considered mildly vulgar depending on the circumstances.
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954:"Idioms Dictionary - Common Idioms and Phrases in English Language"
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249:, which was suggested by Ker (1837) to have been "transformed into
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Volumes 11-12 (1815), p. 59 "Bloody hell-hounds, I overheard you!"
441:
is frequently used as a verbal hyphen, or infix, correctly called
280:, in abbreviation of expressions referring to "God's blood", i.e.
195:
1088:
Popery unmasked. A narrative of twenty years' Popish persecution
647:
instead of the full profanity. A spoken language equivalent is
584:and is not considered to be offensive.
437:, has even made it his middle name. Also in Australia, the word
504:
442:
151:
270:
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Limerick that makes reference to the expression "bloody ell"
788:"The Journal to Stella, by Jonathan Swift : Letter 24"
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664:
995:"Brit ban on 'bloody' ad 'incredibly ludicrous' - Travel"
811:"Definition of Bloody by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com"
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The word "blood" in Dutch and German is used as part of
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had become exchangeable generic intensifiers. However,
198:
or profane speech. Public use continued to be seen as
26:"Bloody hell" redirects here. For the 2020 film, see
760:Sterfania Biscetti, "The diachronic development of
67:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
315:'s plays around the turn of the 17th century, and
386:already calls it "very vulgar", and the original
1115:
503:as an intensifier is now overall fairly rare in
371:("It was bloody hot walking today" in 1713) and
1028:"Canada is fine with 'bloody,' not with 'hell'"
465:The word as an expletive is seldom used in the
273:or murder, except by corruption of the word."
433:on 18 August 1894. One Australian performer,
339:as "phonetically implausible". According to
331:(1933) describes the supposed derivation of
1104:BBC News: Australian advert banned on UK TV
913:"Dictionary of Newfoundland English Search"
992:
663:, which, as a verbal representation of a
659:; the spoken words are all variations of
576:and non-explicit ways. It also spread to
568:in their colloquial English and it is an
127:Learn how and when to remove this message
1047:
861:"My Fair Lady Overview- Read the review"
709:Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
531:is commonly used as a mild expletive in
253:, in the consequently absurd phrases of
1050:"CBC quibbles with risqué Australia ad"
410:
378:After about 1750 the word assumed more
1116:
935:
933:
865:Channel 4 (British Television Station)
790:. Etext.library.adelaide.edu.au. 1711.
423:has always been a very common part of
834:The Oxford English Dictionary. Vol. 1
375:("He is bloody passionate" in 1742).
1025:
65:adding citations to reliable sources
36:
993:Lee Quimby, Fiona (28 March 2007).
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491:for British audiences of the time.
13:
564:The term is frequently used among
14:
1160:
1097:
1048:McArthur, Keith (21 March 2006).
726:so where the bloody hell are you?
674:
455:So where the bloody hell are you?
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341:Rawson's dictionary of Euphemisms
893:. World Wide Words. 1 April 2006
720:'s national tourism commission,
552:television programmes. The term
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41:
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976:"World Wide Words: Blue murder"
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734:Advertising Standards Authority
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52:needs additional citations for
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533:Singapore's colloquial English
1:
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688:of the Bible frequently uses
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180:Malaysian/Singaporean English
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335:as a further contraction of
300:in the early modern period.
7:
1026:Nudd, Tim (22 March 2006).
815:Lexico Dictionaries English
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343:(1995), attempts to derive
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956:. Dictionary.reference.com
941:Oxford English Dictionary.
539:and the early days of the
25:
18:
537:Singapore Volunteer Corps
513:Newfoundland and Labrador
494:
388:Oxford English Dictionary
220:
30:. For the 2023 film, see
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467:United States of America
393:On the opening night of
190:, and a number of other
170:; it is also present in
702:The expression "bloody
32:Bloody Hell (2023 film)
28:Bloody Hell (2020 film)
21:Bloody (disambiguation)
541:Singapore Armed Forces
307:. The contracted form
1000:Sydney Morning Herald
841:. 1933. p. 933.
651:or, less frequently,
572:. It is used in both
225:Use of the adjective
188:South African English
156:expletive attributive
16:Expletive intensifier
736:ruled that the word
476:The Guns of Navarone
411:Usage outside the UK
405:Mrs Patrick Campbell
61:improve this article
821:on 1 November 2020.
451:Neville Chamberlain
435:Kevin Bloody Wilson
395:George Bernard Shaw
233:, (modern spelling
1054:The Globe and Mail
917:www.heritage.nf.ca
871:on 7 February 2009
728:"). In the UK the
686:King James Version
509:Atlantic provinces
487:was replaced with
168:Australian English
1139:English profanity
1134:New Zealand slang
722:Tourism Australia
716:). In March 2006
425:Australian speech
373:Samuel Richardson
158:commonly used in
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59:Please help
54:verification
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1086:John Ryan,
570:intensifier
527:, the word
313:Shakespeare
305:by Our Lady
296:and German
282:the Passion
255:bloody good
211:intensifier
1118:Categories
922:28 January
837:. Oxford:
748:References
596:Euphemisms
479:the actor
397:'s comedy
259:bloody bad
237:) meaning
87:newspapers
875:14 August
718:Australia
714:PG Rating
669:euphemism
578:Afrikaans
525:Singapore
519:Singapore
499:The term
416:Australia
403:in 1914,
400:Pygmalion
337:by'r lady
325:by'r Lady
309:by'r Lady
286:Eucharist
148:adjective
1011:18 March
891:"Bloody"
649:blankety
622:blooming
618:blinking
606:bleaking
602:bleeding
574:explicit
547:Malaysia
243:complete
154:, is an
146:, as an
117:May 2022
76:"Bloody"
1059:7 March
1033:7 March
712:(2001,
679:Use of
653:blanked
634:flaming
380:profane
284:or the
101:scholar
1073:so in
960:24 May
897:24 May
848:'b⸺y'.
762:bloody
738:bloody
690:bloody
681:bloody
657:blanky
630:woundy
614:smuddy
610:cruddy
582:minors
554:bloody
529:bloody
505:Canada
501:bloody
495:Canada
485:bloody
447:bloody
443:tmesis
439:bloody
421:Bloody
345:bloody
333:bloody
321:bloody
251:bloody
239:entire
231:bloote
227:bloody
221:Origin
166:, and
152:adverb
143:Bloody
103:
96:
89:
82:
74:
1149:Blood
661:blank
638:ruddy
626:bally
588:India
489:ruddy
294:bloed
271:blood
235:blote
108:JSTOR
94:books
1061:2022
1035:2022
1013:2018
962:2013
924:2022
899:2013
877:2008
730:BACC
704:hell
665:dash
636:and
367:and
323:and
298:Blut
247:pure
80:news
655:or
645:b⸺y
523:In
245:or
205:In
150:or
63:by
1120::
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997:.
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932:^
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