MovieChat Forums > Pygmalion (1939) Discussion > Bloody

Bloody

posted 10 years ago by p25735-261-505738
5 replies | jump to latest

This marks the first time the word "bloody" was used as an expletive. I don't understand why it's considered offensive in the U.K. because it's origin is unclear. It's not as if it is a bodily function like other vulgarities. True story, when I was a child in Kansas, our priest told us about the time he delivered a guest sermon in a church in England. In order to develop a rapport with the congregation, he thought he would use a word from the local vernacular and injected a particular adjective, which happened to be the word "bloody". Needless to say, he was quite surprised when a loud gasp emanated from his audience.

[–] bananafofana 10 years ago

Like bloody hell he did!

[–] valis1984 8 years ago

"Bloody in the bible
Bloody in the book
If you don't believe me
Take a bloody look"

"It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations" Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

I don't know how 'bloody' came to be considered a rude word. But I recently read a piece that was published in the Daily Express at the time the play was first shown, but a real flower girl, Eliza Keefe, who was giving her opinions of the play. She was quite firm in her opinion:
"And now just a bit about the language. There was one word in particular which Mrs Patrick Campbell said when she was supposed to be a lady. The editor said I mustn't repeat it, but it begins with 'b' and ends with 'y', like this - bxxxxy. Well, no self-respecting flower girl woul;d say such a word when she was on her best behaviour, specially if she was supposed to be educated and speaking in a drawing room."

[–] p25735-261-505738 8 years ago

That's interesting. Thanks for that.

[–] orangeflava (1726) 3 months ago

When she said I would never use the B word it didn't register that bloody was what she was referring to. Interesting how language acceptance changes over time.

Bloody marvelous!