Bowdler for Dummies
noun
What does Bowdler really mean?
Bowdler is not a word that we commonly hear, so it's completely understandable that you might be unfamiliar with it. But don't worry, I'm here to explain it in the simplest way possible so that it makes sense to you.
When we talk about "bowdler," it actually refers to a person who removes or changes parts of a text, like a book or a play, to make it less offensive or inappropriate. Imagine you have a cupcake, and you want to take off some of the icing because it's too sweet for you. Well, the person who "bowdles" a text is like someone who does the same thing, but with words instead of icing. They remove or change certain words or even whole sentences to make the text more appropriate or less offensive for people to read.
One thing to keep in mind is that this term "Bowdler" comes from the name of a man called Thomas Bowdler, who was famous for doing exactly that. He published a book called "The Family Shakespeare" in the early 19th century in which he removed all the "inappropriate" parts of the original Shakespeare plays, believing he was making them more suitable for families. So, when we say "bowdler," we are referring to the action of removing or changing parts of a text to make it more appropriate or less offensive.
But that's not the only meaning of "bowdler." It can also refer to the act of censoring or sanitizing any kind of media, like movies, TV shows, or even music, to make them more suitable for a certain audience. Just like how a chef might remove certain spicy ingredients from a dish to make it milder for people who can't handle spice, the person who "bowdles" media is like a chef who changes certain parts of it to make it more suitable or less offensive.
So, in a nutshell, a "bowdler" is someone who removes or changes parts of a text, play, movie, or any type of media to make it more suitable or less offensive for a specific audience. It's like a personal editor, deciding what parts of a piece of work should be left out or modified. And the word "bowdler" actually originated from the name of a man named Thomas Bowdler, who became well-known for doing this kind of work with Shakespeare's plays.
When we talk about "bowdler," it actually refers to a person who removes or changes parts of a text, like a book or a play, to make it less offensive or inappropriate. Imagine you have a cupcake, and you want to take off some of the icing because it's too sweet for you. Well, the person who "bowdles" a text is like someone who does the same thing, but with words instead of icing. They remove or change certain words or even whole sentences to make the text more appropriate or less offensive for people to read.
One thing to keep in mind is that this term "Bowdler" comes from the name of a man called Thomas Bowdler, who was famous for doing exactly that. He published a book called "The Family Shakespeare" in the early 19th century in which he removed all the "inappropriate" parts of the original Shakespeare plays, believing he was making them more suitable for families. So, when we say "bowdler," we are referring to the action of removing or changing parts of a text to make it more appropriate or less offensive.
But that's not the only meaning of "bowdler." It can also refer to the act of censoring or sanitizing any kind of media, like movies, TV shows, or even music, to make them more suitable for a certain audience. Just like how a chef might remove certain spicy ingredients from a dish to make it milder for people who can't handle spice, the person who "bowdles" media is like a chef who changes certain parts of it to make it more suitable or less offensive.
So, in a nutshell, a "bowdler" is someone who removes or changes parts of a text, play, movie, or any type of media to make it more suitable or less offensive for a specific audience. It's like a personal editor, deciding what parts of a piece of work should be left out or modified. And the word "bowdler" actually originated from the name of a man named Thomas Bowdler, who became well-known for doing this kind of work with Shakespeare's plays.
Revised and Fact checked by Olivia Martin on 2023-10-28 10:22:41
Bowdler In a sentece
Learn how to use Bowdler inside a sentece
- When my little brother was reading a book, he asked me what a bad word meant. So, I quickly bowdlerized the sentence by replacing the bad word with a mild word.
- In the movie, the director decided to bowdlerize a violent scene by cutting out some intense parts and making it less scary.
- The newspaper article was too explicit for young readers, so the editor bowdlerized certain paragraphs to make it suitable for all ages.
- Before the play was performed at the school, the teacher bowdlerized some lines in the script that contained inappropriate language.
- The classic novel was revised to be a children's version, and the author bowdlerized some scenes that were too mature for young readers.
Bowdler Synonyms
Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.
Bowdler Instances
Words that the original word is an example of.