# Blue men

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-men/65937>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [May 19, 2001, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-men/65937 "2001-05-19T21:36:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Autarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Autarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autarch)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-men/65937/1 "2001-05-19T21:36:39Z")

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A comment regarding the Irish phrase “fear gorm” (or “fir gorum” in Scots Gaelic, meaning “blue man”). It originated as there was already a term “fear dubh” (black man) which referred to old Nick. Naturally, confusion could have been caused if a literal phrase had been used!

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**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-men/65937/2 "2001-05-19T21:51:13Z")

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[Here](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980724.html) is the link to the column.

And [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=68560) is the link to the thread already posted on the subject.

I remain completely unpersuaded about the “fear dubh” origin.

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-men/65937/3 "2001-05-20T15:26:29Z")

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Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for posting your comment.  
Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site.  
To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL).

Cecil’s column can be found on-line at the link provided by ruadh.

* * *

moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)»

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2001, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-men/65937/4 "2001-05-22T12:24:44Z")

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Did they ever think of forming a “Group” and performing highly commercialized “Performance Art” before selling out to Intel?

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**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2001, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-men/65937/5 "2001-05-24T09:53:41Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \*  
> \*\*Did they ever think of forming a “Group” and performing highly commercialized “Performance Art” before selling out to Intel? \*\*

[Clearly NOT.](http://www.blueman.com/about_bmg/index.shtml)