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Ribald vs Bowdlerize - What's the difference?

ribald | bowdlerize |

As an adjective ribald

is coarsely, vulgarly, or lewdly amusing; referring to sexual matters in a rude or irreverent way.

As a noun ribald

is an individual who is filthy or vulgar in nature.

As a verb bowdlerize is

.

ribald

English

Alternative forms

* ribauld (rare)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Coarsely, vulgarly, or lewdly amusing; referring to sexual matters in a rude or irreverent way.
  • * 1693 , :
  • [L]et no zealous Christian trust the rogue,—the filthy ribald rascal is a liar.
  • * 1875 , May 15, Anonymous, " :
  • But when he died the "Reform Democracy" instinctively returned to its vomit of ribald insult.
  • * 1888 , ", Can Such Things Be?'' (Pub. 1893):Originally published in the ''San Francisco Examiner'' on June 24, 1888, and later included in ''Can Such Things Be?'' and ''Present at a Hanging and Other Ghost Stories .
  • [T]he curious crowd had collected in the street , with here and there a scoffer uttering his incredulity and courage with scornful remarks or ribald cries.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An individual who is filthy or vulgar in nature.
  • * 1483 [1900 edition], :
  • After, he made an harlot, a ribald , come to him alone for to touch his members and his body, to move to lechery.

    References

    Anagrams

    *

    bowdlerize

    English

    Alternative forms

    * bowdlerise, Bowdlerize, Bowdlerise

    Verb

    (bowdleriz)
  • To remove or alter those parts of a text considered offensive, vulgar, or otherwise unseemly.
  • The bowdlerized version of the novel, while free of vulgarity, was also free of flavor.
  • * 1909 , , Ann Veronica , ch. 1:
  • Mr. Stanley decided to treat that as irrelevant. "There ought to be a Censorship of Books." . . .
    Ogilvy pursued his own topic. "I'm inclined to think, Stanley, myself that as a matter of fact it was the expurgated Romeo and Juliet did the mischief. . . . All they left it was the moon and stars. And the balcony and ‘My Romeo!’"
    "Shakespeare is altogether different from the modern stuff. Altogether different. I'm not discussing Shakespeare. I don't want to Bowdlerize Shakespeare."
  • * 1912 , , The Lost World , ch. 2:
  • "Wadley sent a message: ‘The President of the Zoological Institute presents his compliments to Professor Challenger, and would take it as a personal favor if he would do them the honor to come to their next meeting.’ The answer was unprintable."
    "You don't say?"
    "Well, a bowdlerized version of it would run: ‘Professor Challenger presents his compliments to the President of the Zoological Institute, and would take it as a personal favor if he would go to the devil.’"
  • * 1961 , J. A. Philip, "Mimesis in the Sophistês'' of Plato," ''Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association , vol. 92, p. 455:
  • His critics take alarm only when it becomes apparent that he would bowdlerize Homer and exclude from his state the great tragedians.

    Derived terms

    * bowdlerism * bowdlerization * bowdlerizer

    See also

    * censor * expunge * expurgate * redact English eponyms