#minced oath

[facts-i-just-made-up]

Jeepers. Blimey. Dang. Gadzooks. Long ago, the euphemisms lived together in harmony. But that all changed when the Tarnation attacked.

[dizzyhslightlyvoided]

"By gum". "Gum" is a very funny minced oath to replace "god" with in other phrases that use "god".

"What in gum's name are you talking about!?" Or like "Oh my gum!" Or even "As gum is my witness ..."

The Cask of Amontillado. "For gum's sake, Montresor!" "Yes, for gum's sake!"

[liatai]

Howdy, people of Tumblr!

I have a discussion topic for y'all. What are your favorite minced oaths? Especially if you speak languages other than English. It's fascinating to me how people play with language like this. X3

A minced oath is something you say when you might use a curse word, but you can't or don't want to -- for example, if there are kids or polite company around. So you replace the word with something that sounds similar or has some other side-association.

ex. instead of "fuck," you might say "frig" or "frick" or "fudge" or "fart."

ex. instead of "shit" you might say "sugar," "sugar-honey-iced-tea," or "shoot."

ex. instead of "son of a bitch" you might say "son of a brisket." Instead of "hell," you say "heck" or "H-E-double-hockey-sticks."

I just think they're fun! I love people playing with their language and I wanna know more! Especially since i bet they're regional and family-based and they're so rarely in dictionaries.

[uselessetymology]

The unexpected horror of "gadzooks"

"Gadzooks" is first recorded in the 1690s. It's thought to be a minced/contracted form of "God's hooks" (the nails on the cross) or "God's hocks." Other similar oaths from the 17th century included godsookers, gadsbobs, gadslid, gadsbudlikins, gadsnouns, and of course egad.

[psalm40speakstome]

”You—You drive me out of my skull, this part of you—this impetuous, bullheaded quabbl....” No, when the other side of you is a fr——n hero who can’t help herself but do good, then be great. The world needs that person to make it home. Just try not to destroy it when you get there.” Deke about Daisy Johnson.

[entrailhump]

[forgotn1]

Honestly, minced oaths kinda annoy me. Not enough to ever say anything to anyone using them because it's ultimately not worth it to do so and people are allowed to talk however they want. But it still reminds me of evangelical culture and the push for everything to be "family friendly." To me, it's endemic of the kidification of the internet that evangelicals have been forcing on us under the guise of protecting the children. Like, just say fuck or ass or cunt or whatever because it doesn't even matter. They're just words and are only "worse" than minced oaths because a bunch of puritans decided they were.

[postersbykeith]