February 24
The word bowdlerization, which means to remove the naughty bits from edgy literature, comes from Thomas Bowdler, who published a collection of Shakespeare's work that expurgated, or removed, parts of the plays that he felt were inappropriate for delicate minds. Bowdler himself was expurgated from this earth on this day in 1825, though it would take another century before his hackneyed, self-righteous sanitations were likewise buried. Good thing he didn't live to see the age of blogging, cause he'd probably bowdlerize me, and that doesn't sound very G-rated.











