Not so bloody severe...

[Tommy R]

Link..... (http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbloody.html)

“As to how offensive the word actually is, well, that depends on whom you ask, or say it in front of. It's fair to compare it to the "F-word," in that it may cause your mum to faint, but may cause scarcely a raised eyebrow amongst the gang at the pub.”

Just a bit of a correction here. as a proud Brit myself, the word ‘Bloody’ would probably not even cause your great grandmother to raise an eyebrow, let alone your mother to faint.

It is even used on daytime TV and only this morning, I told my boss that he had been ‘a bit bloody stupid’ and have yet to be fired!

Good site though. Some really interesting stuff.

[Colophon]

Quite right - comparing it to the f-word is ridiculous. "Bloody" is the Diet Coke of evil... er, I mean insults.

[APB]

Wot, no mention of Pygmalion?

It could even be argued that 'bloody' is the classic example of a British swearword that was once incredibly rude but which has now lost all its shock value.

[Rube E. Tewesday]

Sigh...I'm old enough to remember when Princess Anne saying "bloody" was what counted as a Royal scandal. Times have changed, and I'm not sure for the better.

[RM Mentock]

What was the date on that mailbag item? JOOC

[C K Dexter Haven]

I'd have to do some digging to date that Staff Report, but it's got to be at least five years back, and perhaps longer.

Language does change with the times. Times have changed since the Puritans got a shock when they landed on Plymouth Rock. ... and something about authors who "use four letter words writing prose", but I guess "bloody" isn't exactly a four-letter word.