Lecture 15: Words for the Way We Talk
Bowdlerize (verb)To change a text by removing or modifying parts that could offend people.z Bowdlerize is an eponym, that is, a word derived from someone’s
name. It came from an English physician named Thomas Bowdler,
who, in the early 19th century, decided that Shakespeare’s plays
were too risqué to be appropriate for the public. Bowdler took it
upon himself to remove all material from Shakespeare’s plays
that he deemed offensive, objectionable, or immoral. He then
published an expurgated version of Shakespeare titled The Family
6KDNHVSHDUH in 1818.z According to 7KH0HUULDP:HEVWHU1HZ%RRNRI:RUG+LVWRULHV,
Bowdler described his censored version of Shakespeare in this
way: “Those words and expressions are omitted which cannot with
propriety be read aloud in a family.” He further stated that he wanted
to make the plays appropriate for “the perusal of our virtuous
females.” After cleaning up Shakespeare, Bowdler continued his
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of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.z The word bowdlerize took off quickly as Bowdler’s name was
associated with the purging of literary works. By 1836, only a few
years after Bowdler’s death, bowdlerize was already being used as a
verb to describe removing or modifying passages in text considered
vulgar or offensive.- This word can be traced back to the Athenian orator Demosthenes, who
denounced King Philip of Macedon for his political ambitions. - Despite the fact that Senator Johnson was innocent, the __
spread by her opponent did its job; the senator was __ in the
news media.
Review Questions