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Saturday 6 August 2011

Word of the Week ... XIII

This week's word of the week has its place in rough moments, when watching sports, or when provocated. It's a typically British expression (don't worry; American English has its own equivalent):

"bloody"

Meaning: The British expression "bloody" is used to emphasise (in a somewhat rude way) or to express great anger (often in the expression "Bloody hell!"). The American equivalent would likely be the F-word (or substitutes). As an emphasising adjective, it has been used since the 17th century, whereas the function as swear word in foul language came about some 100 years later.

Example: What a bloody mess! / Bloody hell! That hurt!

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