What epithet would John Quincy Adams use?
score:14
Very astute question. One of the amusing bits I read about the old HBO western series Deadwood was that its copious cursing was purposely not period, but translated. Their researchers reported that cursing in the 19th Century was largely profane (religious in nature), and they made the decision to translate it into modern sexual cursing so it would have the same impact on the audience as it would have to listeners at the time.
According to John Spurr, professor of history at Swansea University, this was in fact the case from the 15th-18th centuries as well, but even moreso. My favorite quote from in there
It was said that Thames bargemen had only ever heard the name of their saviour as part of a profane oath.
Jesse Shiedlower, author of The F-Word, was quite insistent that this went for most of 19th Century America as well.
the evidence that we have is that they were using more religious blasphemy than the sexual insults which are popular today
So most likely what was uttered was some form of suggestion that God should damn the person in question (or perhaps that he should take the initiative and go there on his own). However, the Deadwood writers would argue that this should probably be "translated" into modern English using something sexual* to have the same reaction out of a modern audience.
* - Likely using the F-word, but perhaps instead suggesting some inclination out of heterosexuality or into incest. Watch an episode of Deadwood, or go drive slow in New Jersey if you need inspiration.
More post
- 📝 What were the effective dates of this 1968 Delaware law and this 1967 Nevada law?
- 📝 Non-Italian European mafias in USA?
- 📝 Did the Yamnaya have a particular breed of dog? Did that breed spread with them?
- 📝 Where can I find this paper by Jean Buridan?
- 📝 What was the range of round shot on level ground?
- 📝 Why were French maids apparently so common outside France?
- 📝 Quesnay, Adam Smith, and Pitt
- 📝 What were the religious effects of the initial Arab conquests in the Byzantine Empire?
- 📝 Why is Matgenus, king of Tyre, sometimes called Mattan?
- 📝 What is the earliest reference to "space aliens"?
- 📝 Did the Romans know about China?
- 📝 What is the location of August Ferdinand Möbius' grave?
- 📝 What where historic influences on US unemployment rate from 1949 to 2014?
- 📝 Where is it recorded that Spartan common meals were followed by a recounting of noble deeds?
- 📝 Why didn't Asian countries expand and trade with Europe?
- 📝 How did the ancient Greeks synchronize time?
- 📝 How is it possible to be a baronet and not a peer?
- 📝 Which fortress east of Ancient Megiddo did Thutmose III go to during the siege?
- 📝 Was there anyone involved in the negotiations of New Territories (Hong Kong) lease still alive at the time of the negotiations of its return to China?
- 📝 Did the Huns contribute to the Great Migration of Germanic Peoples into the Western Empire?
- 📝 Why didn't Thailand have to pay more for its involvement in WW2?
- 📝 Do we know how much alcohol Vikings drank?
- 📝 Was African slave trade ever directed towards Europe? If not, why?
- 📝 Why did European alchemists seek metal transmutation in addition to the Elixir Of Life?
- 📝 How have European countries affected the caste system in India?
- 📝 Were there any tests or prerequisites for Blacks and Indians to be admitted to the University of Cape Town during Apartheid?
- 📝 What were Argentina's intentions for the Falkland Islanders?
- 📝 When did private fighting become a capital offense in Japan?
- 📝 In historical slave societies, what jobs were left over for poor free laborers?
- 📝 Why might one think that Australia gained independence from the UK in December 1920?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What epithet would John Quincy Adams use?
- 📝 Circa 1000, what name would locals in England use for invaders?
- 📝 What is the source for John Adams Sr. writing about Hamilton taking blame for Washington?
- 📝 What type of provisions would seafarers use in the mid 19th century?
- 📝 If WW2 trench warfare really was a poor use of outdated tactics then what what would have been more appropriate tactics to employ?
- 📝 What pretext did Hitler use to justify Operation Barbarossa?
- 📝 What would have been the typical drinks for a US farmer in the late 18th/early 19th century?
- 📝 How would you accurately use older British currencies when writing a story?
- 📝 What / When was the first use of concentration camps in history?
- 📝 What tactical situations made the use of traditional horse cavalry effective in World War II?
- 📝 What would have been the price of a loaf of bread in 1645 Amsterdam?
- 📝 What courses would have been required to get a B.A. in America in the 1930s?
- 📝 What did ancient Romans use instead of shampoo?
- 📝 What would a Roman slave be legally required to do if his master vanished?
- 📝 What would a Norseman in the early 11th century have worn as daily clothing?
- 📝 Did King George III turn his back on John Adams and Thomas Jefferson?
- 📝 What reasons did the Confederacy have for believing they would have a quick victory?
- 📝 What numerals did the people of Ireland use before Roman Numerals? (aka, did Ogham include numbers?)
- 📝 What would the Arch of Titus have looked like painted?
- 📝 What is the context of Lincoln saying: "if I could save the union without freeing any slave I would do it"
- 📝 What would people have been smoking in 700 AD Central / Eastern Asia?
- 📝 What would be accurate illustrations of vikings and viking culture?
- 📝 What household servants would a Tudor gentleman have had?
- 📝 Where did John Adams write of the night he shared a bed and an argument with Benjamin Franklin? Did Franklin write of it as well?
- 📝 What ships did pirates use in ancient Greece and Rome?
- 📝 What profession(s) would have used this folding 'ruler'?
- 📝 What did Canadians use to pay for goods or services between 1871 and 1935?
- 📝 What kind of armor did the soldiers use in pre-gunpowder Southeast Asia?
- 📝 What kind of education would a 12th/13th century English knight get?
- 📝 What would have been the carrying capacity for 11th-13th century backpacks?