Let’s Not Bowdlerize?

I meant to post this on July 11th (the actual birthday of Thomas Bowdler) . . . but alas, time got away from me and the next thing you know . . .

So, a belated Happy Birthday to Thomas Bowdler (born in 1754).  Mr. Bowdler’s claim to fame?  He attempted to censor Shakespeare by having all of what he considered to be the ”indecent words” removed from Shakespeare’s plays.  Thanks goodness he was not successful!

The word “bowdlerize,” see the below definition, is derived from his name.

bowd⋅ler⋅ize /bohd-luh-rahyz, boud-/

–verb (used with object), -ized, -izing.

to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.

“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night
the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”  (William Shakespeare)

Tags: Bowdlerize, Censor, Indecent, Objectionable, Thomas Bowdler, Vocabulary, Vulgar, William Shakespeare