Expletive deleted
Encyclopedia
The phrase Expletive Deleted refers to profanity
which has been censored by the author or by a subsequent censor. It became popular when transcripts of Richard Nixon
's internal tapes were made public. The phrase was put into the court record when the notoriously profanity-laced discussions with H. R. "Bob" Haldeman
and other Watergate
insiders went beyond the bounds of common decency. The phrase entered the public imagination to the point where protestors outside the White House held up picket signs reading, "IMPEACH THE (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!" As the tapes were declassified over the years, and clips of them were aired on television for documentaries, the word "goddamned" appeared to account for a majority of the references to "Expletive Deleted."
In later years, the phrase became commonplace as an ironic
expression which indicates that a profanity has been omitted and passed into general usage as a convenient linguistic
figleaf.
The term expletive is commonly used outside linguistics to refer to any "bad language" (or "profanity"), used with or without meaning. Expletives in this wide sense may be adjective
s, adverb
s, noun
s or, most commonly, interjection
s, or (rarely) verb
s.
People who delete expletives may also be interested in using hidden text
or spoilers
.
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
which has been censored by the author or by a subsequent censor. It became popular when transcripts of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's internal tapes were made public. The phrase was put into the court record when the notoriously profanity-laced discussions with H. R. "Bob" Haldeman
H. R. Haldeman
Harry Robbins "Bob" Haldeman was an American political aide and businessman, best known for his service as White House Chief of Staff to President Richard Nixon and for his role in events leading to the Watergate burglaries and the Watergate scandal – for which he was found guilty of conspiracy...
and other Watergate
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
insiders went beyond the bounds of common decency. The phrase entered the public imagination to the point where protestors outside the White House held up picket signs reading, "IMPEACH THE (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!" As the tapes were declassified over the years, and clips of them were aired on television for documentaries, the word "goddamned" appeared to account for a majority of the references to "Expletive Deleted."
In later years, the phrase became commonplace as an ironic
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
expression which indicates that a profanity has been omitted and passed into general usage as a convenient linguistic
Natural language
In the philosophy of language, a natural language is any language which arises in an unpremeditated fashion as the result of the innate facility for language possessed by the human intellect. A natural language is typically used for communication, and may be spoken, signed, or written...
figleaf.
The term expletive is commonly used outside linguistics to refer to any "bad language" (or "profanity"), used with or without meaning. Expletives in this wide sense may be adjective
Adjective
In grammar, an adjective is a 'describing' word; the main syntactic role of which is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified....
s, adverb
Adverb
An adverb is a part of speech that modifies verbs or any part of speech other than a noun . Adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives , clauses, sentences, and other adverbs....
s, noun
Noun
In linguistics, a noun is a member of a large, open lexical category whose members can occur as the main word in the subject of a clause, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition .Lexical categories are defined in terms of how their members combine with other kinds of...
s or, most commonly, interjection
Interjection
In grammar, an interjection or exclamation is a word used to express an emotion or sentiment on the part of the speaker . Filled pauses such as uh, er, um are also considered interjections...
s, or (rarely) verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
s.
People who delete expletives may also be interested in using hidden text
Hidden text
Hidden text is computer text that is displayed in such a way as to be invisible or unreadable. Hidden text is most commonly achieved by setting the font color to the same color as the background, rendering the text invisible unless the user highlights it....
or spoilers
Spoiler (media)
Spoiler is slang for any element of any summary or description of any piece of fiction that reveals any plot element which will give away the outcome of a dramatic episode within the work of fiction, or the conclusion of the entire work. It can also be used to refer to any piece of information...
.