Why are "dirty" movies "Blue"?

Azimov | 03:55 Sat 01st Mar 2008 | Word Origins

4 Answers

What has the colour blue got to do with smut or nudity?

to er is human

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Ice.Maiden

This might explain it...
http://ask.yahoo.com/20031003.html

Azimov

Question Author

Thanks Ice.Maiden
That was quite enlightening, and I was particularly tickled by the Scottish connection, being a Scot myself.
It also makes me wonder if the phrase "turning the air blue" comes from the same origin. Seems quite likely.

fredpuli47

Blue as an intensifier , as in 'yelling blue murder' comes to us from French. It was a euphemism for God. So the exclamation 'sacre bleu ' [acute accent on the e of sacre] is 'Holy God!' Interesting that examples given in the link are French. Perhaps, with time, 'bleu' or 'blue' has extended its range or reference :)

VICTIMS

i think i've read somewhere, when the censor is checking anything, the bits he does'nt want in, he crosses out with a blue pencil.
if this is true, perhaps the films with a load of blue markings on them, became known as blue movies.
don't know, just a thought.

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