Blue talk

Blue talk is an offensive talk using such a language or a topic which is considered unfit for polite conversation. It is typically characterized by the use of words which are considered profane, along with discussions of topics which are deemed offensive. What qualifies as blue talk varies, depending on the culture and the company one is keeping. As a general rule, if one is not sure about whether or not something will be deemed offensive, it is better to remain silent.

The use of “blue” to describe something profane dates from around the 1800s, but the origins of this use of the word are a bit unclear. Supposedly, prostitutes in France were forced to wear distinctive blue dresses in prison to make them easy to identify, and this might explain it, but this claim is difficult to verify. Blue is also used in a number of other ways to refer to concepts besides the actual color blue, such as depression, and the roots of these meanings are sometimes equally obscure.

Nearby pages
Blue tit, Blue vitriol, Blue whale, Blue-chip, Blue-coat School, Blue-collar