Monday 11 April 2011

Well Bugger Me


Yes I though that might get your attention. Its an expression used in the the UK, inoffensive really, to express surprise, and nobody bats an eyelid when its used.

I was skimming through some free extracts (cheapskate me) of some Excite e-book releases and found the word bugger used in an altogether more shocking context but which, nevertheless, had me shuffling in my seat. I'm not a prude, you know that, but there's something about the word, when used in books like these, which makes me blush even if I'm alone.




So I picked up the Concise Oxford (yes a real, thick, old fashioned dictionary, it seemed more appropriate than Google) to get the lowdown on this titillating word.

Bugger - (1) a person who commits buggery. But why use a word like 'commit'? Why not practises or enjoys or performs? So I looked up commit.

Commit - (1) to carry out or perpetrate (mistake, crime or immoral act). Ah now we're getting somewhere, the dictionary is choosing words which infer wrongness. I searched further.

Immoral - not conforming to accepted standards of morality. Bloody hell, only an Englishman could ever have written this book. And probably a lawyer at that.

Morality - (1) principle concerning the distinction between right or wrong, good or bad. Hmmm. I still wasn't clear whether the Concise Oxford was telling me bugger was bad or not, I think it wanted to tell me bugger was bad but it knew really deep down that it wasn't always bad and that sometimes it might even be good, in a wicked bad sort of way of course.

Then I went back to the 'B's and found next word down 'buggery' and all it said was 'noun, anal intercourse'. Ah now there's plain talking and that is indeed what happened in the e-extract I was reading, it was preceded by a rather sound thrashing too. I told P about it later, he said he wondered if anyone would dare these days to give the impression that buggery was wrong when it was actually against the law to discriminate against those who practise it. However, said he (and this I didn't know), buggery had only been legal between males in the UK for about 30 years but it had always been legal between man and woman! Mine of information, my husband.

Ronnie
xx

13 comments:

Malcolm said...

" nobody bats an eyelid when its used."

My eyelids don't do much, but my sensibilities find this sloppy use of inappropriate language indicative of low breeding and a poor education. In other words, I just don't like it, and don't use it or other sexual words unless the subject requires them. I gave up the practice after trying it out as a teenager and deciding it didn't suit the way I wanted to express myself. Even in the army I avoided it.

I have to admit, though to the propensity to shout "SHIT!" very loudly, in public or at home, when minor disasters happen, such as knocking over my cup of coffee all over the keyboard. I'm low-bred, after all. Sorry.

Hermione said...

We use that word as a noung to refer to a person - usually male - in either a playful or derogatory way. "He's a mean bugger" or "That bugger always makes me laugh". But the verb is indeed intended to mean anal penetration.

Hugs,
Hermione

PK said...

I love being educated! I'm not sure I was completely certain of the definition of this word. It's rarely used here. Of course it took me a while to realize knicker were just panties. Here we would use the work knicker to mean old fashion, long (down to the knee) underwear worn in the 1800 or the knee length pants boy used to wear.

Being out here makes me smarter.

Hugs,
PK

Anonymous said...

Ronnie: just wondering then what precisely does the expression "bugger off" mean!
Thus: if i stated "I am becoming so well informed reading spanking blogs..." Would your reply be "bugger off"
funny.thanks for sharing...
love
Red

ronnie said...

Malcolm - Have to admit the very occasional 'Oh bugger' if I prick myself with a needle or something similar, it was just the way the word was used in the sexual context which got my attention.

Hermione - Yep that's definitely what was happening in the book clip, the anal pnentration I mean, not some bugger making me laugh:)

PK - I've go another one for you then PK, the word 'sod' as in 'sod off' or 'he's a sod' or 'sod it'. The word derives from sodomy which is a sharp rear entry too.

Red - LOL and I'm not sure how that would have come about. Its certainly a well used expression here, in fact P uses it frequently when cold call sales guys get through to his phone:)

Thanks all.

Love,
Ronnie
xx

Tapestry said...

Sad to say that there are some States in the USA which still have laws on the books prohibiting certain sex acts between everyone, including husband and wife.

I don't live in one of those States, but I've often wondered how the government would know what my husband and I were doing in the privacy of our own bedroom, and why on earth they think it's any of their business.

Silly lawmakers.

:)

Tapestry
xoxo

ronnie said...

Tapestry - Hello. I didn't know that there was such a law, very sill outdated.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love,
Ronnie
xx

Anonymous said...

Ronnie: answering my own question :Chiefly British Slang To leave someone alone; go away. from"http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bugger+off"

_lua_ said...

I liked this site.
I´am forever here.

Kisses of moon.

=)

ronnie said...

Red - Thanks for the link. Some use two stronger words.

Lua - Hello and thank you I hope you stop by again.

Thanks.
Love,
Ronnie
xx

Anonymous said...

Your dear hubby wanted to make sure when he was committing buggery on you that he was within the law. ;-)

-H

ronnie said...

LOL Hedone. Thanks.

Love,
Ronnie
xx

Raven Red said...

Oh, bug..on a windowsill, so it is another word I will have to eliminate from my vocabulary!

(sigh)

Raven