History UnusualEuphemism / Literature

* The dialog in the ''Literature/CodexAlera'' series involves a lot of creative variations on "crows" and "furies." Among other things, this has led to one character earning the FanNickname "the Crowbegotten {{Batman}}."

* In some LarryNiven stories, the characters use "TANJ", which stands for "There Ain't No Justice". There may also be an occasional TANSTAAFL ("There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch").

* The old Wizard in TerryGoodkind's ''Wizard's First Rule'' swore, "Bags!".

* ''The Gripping Hand'' (The sequel to ''A Mote in God's Eye'') by LarryNiven and Jerry Pournelle uses an UnusualEuphemism as a plot point. In order to prove they haven't been replaced by master-psychologist aliens (who haven't been in contact with humans in years) some characters use the recently invented curse "rape my lizard!", with the justification that profanity-evolution is essentially random, and won't be predicted by the aliens.

* "Dirty Pillows" is a euphemism for breasts in ''Carrie''.

* In Frank Mccourt's memoir, ''Angela's Ashes'', his teenage self refers to sexual relations as "the excitement". He and other members of his family refer to his conception (which was up against a wall) as a "knee trembler".

* Literary/film example: The first time we ever see Hermione in the ''HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', she says "Holy cricket, you're HarryPotter!" A more direct example would be the insult "Mudblood", relating to pureness of blood, which seems to be analogous to a racial slur and is considered very offensive in the Wizarding World. Another way this is avoided is to have a character's dialog stated indirectly in the narrator's voice - as in, "Ron cursed loudly."

** ''HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' has Hermione shouting the wonderful expletive "Merlin's Pants!". It's a {{lampshade}} on one of the more common Unusual Euphemisms, Merlin's beard.

* The outdoor humorist PatrickMcManus sometimes details adventures with his (fictional) neighbor, who calls people he dislikes "crude anatomical names." Like "elbow", or "kneecap". [=McManus=] also sometimes uses "bleep" in a humorous fashion, as in this example from his (again, fictionalized) childhood: "'Bleeping bleep of bleep!' he screamed, introducing me to that quaint phrase for the first time."

* TanyaHuff's space marine novels ''[[Literature/ConfederationOfValor Valor's Choice]]'' and ''The Better Part of Valor'' have Fuk.

* In ''StationeryVoyagers'', Stationery sex is described by some as ''thripping.'' It isn't nearly as offensive a word to them as its alternative form is to us.
** Since male genitals are hidden behind a fold and must be revealed, and since they don't have legs to spread, both genders have to curve their bodies into "S" shapes or their genitals can't make contact.
** It also makes them prone to hugging either left cheek to left cheek or right to right.
** The actual "thrip" refers to their bending into the S-shape in preparation for sex, not necessarily for the sex itself. So it doesn't carry the domination and degradation connotations that the word's human counterpart term carries.

** MattStover has Han mock unusual euphemisms in ''LukeSkywalkerAndTheShadowsOfMindor'', apparently unaware that ''Han'' has said more awkward things than "By the Emperor's Black Bones!" before.

* In ''Literature/{{A Song of Ice and Fire}}'', characters say "Seven hells," referencing the seven new gods. Also, swearing "by the old gods and the new."

** "Spast" is a fun one but "stang" is one of the oldest ones, showing up VERY early on, as a popular Alderaanian swear word. "Mudcrutch" is popular too, for "bastard" or such words, and "Kath hound", a Star Wars-universe animal, works for "bitch". "Kark" seems to be another substitute for various curses, and was notably used more in the Old Republic. e.g.: "Kark on you, Jedi," and "We're karked!" We've also got "scragged" and the rather inexplicable modifier "milking", as in "[[DeathStar We're milking scragged!]]"

* Anthony Buckeridge's {{Jennings}} schoolboys swear very politely. "Fossilized Fish-hooks!" and the like.

* The publisher of Norman Mailer's ''TheNakedAndTheDead'' famously persuaded him to replace all occurrences of the f-word with "fug." In an apocryphal story, Dorothy Parker (or Tallulah Bankhead, in some versions) introduced herself to Mailer later with, "So you're the young man who can't spell 'fuck.'"[[note]]The use of "fug" in ''The Naked and the Dead'' inspired the name of the '60s rock band The Fugs, who preferred the uncensored version of the word in many of their songs.[[/note]]

** The ''Literature/PrinceRoger'' series, co-authored with Creator/DavidWeber, uses "maulk" for [[spoiler: shit]] and "grap" for [[spoiler: fuck]]. Poertena, the Pinopan armorer from PrinceRoger whose characteristic tool is his "pick pocking wrench". While "pock" is his FunetikAksent , the rest of the company adopts the term as well.

** The ''CouncilWars'' series uses the word "fisk" to replace a similar word starting and ending the same way.
** The PrinceRoger series co-authored with DavidWeber uses "maulk" for [[spoiler: shit]] and "grap" for [[spoiler: fuck]]. Poertena, the Pinopan armorer from PrinceRoger whose characteristic tool is his "pick pocking wrench". While "pock" is his FunetikAksent , the rest of the company adopts the term as well.
** The terms and Poertena are borrowed by another Ringo series, ''IntoTheLookingGlass'', co-authored with TravisSTaylor.

* In Ysabeau Wilce's second novel of the [[FloraSegunda Flora]] series, ''Flora's Dare'', it becomes clear that the Republic of Califa's preferred four-letter word is "fike". This is a disappointment after the first book's more imaginative exclamations, such as "Pigface Psychopomp!"

* ''TheDresdenFiles'' has a few of these; Harry typically uses "Stars and stones" or "Hell's bells" when exasperated/surprised/frustrated, and the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent incubi and succubi]] of the White Court tend to use, "Empty night..." in the same context.\\

* ''TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy''
** In the original radio play and the American version of ''Life, the Universe, and Everything'', the word "Belgium" is recognized everywhere in the Universe except on a certain InsignificantLittleBluePlanet as such a rude word that it's only used in serious screenplays (one character has an award for Most Gratuitous Use of "Belgium" in a Serious Screenplay). The UK version of the book simply used "Fuck", but the "Belgium" joke seems to be more popular with many readers. For the same reason, the American edition of ''Life, the Universe, and Everything'' borrowed "swut" from the radio series, and changed an insult for Arthur Dent from "arsehole" to "kneebiter" (again, some readers prefer the latter).
** The name of The Great Prophet Zarquon is also [[OhMyGods taken in vain]] occasionally. The term "zark", used in similar contexts as "fuck" (e.g. "zarking", "zark off"), was said by Douglas Adams to have been derived from this.

* TanyaHuff's space marine novels ''[[ConfederationOfValor Valor's Choice]]'' and ''The Better Part of Valor'' have Fuk.

* Characters in AlanDeanFoster novels sometimes swear by "Patrick O'Morion," whoever he may be.

* The dialog in the ''CodexAlera'' series involves a lot of creative variations on "crows" and "furies." Among other things, this has led to one character earning the FanNickname "the Crowbegotten {{Batman}}."

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' has quite a few, most commonly used by Mat, including "Light", "Burn me", and "Blood and ashes" (and once "may the Light burn me to blood and ashes if it is not so").
** These curses are quite consistent with the philosophy and cultures depicted. One which was rather vulgar was "Mother's milk in a cup" (said by Elaine, who is noted to try to remember the courser language she hears).

** When Mat's angry with someone, he might call them a "son of spavined goat". When he's ''really'' upset, he says "Sheep swallop and bloody buttered onions!" -- a phrase that Elaine carefully memorizes.

* Ellie Arroway, protagonist of ''Film/{{Contact}}'', says "Holy Toledo!" when she's shocked but other people are around. When they're not, as in when the Very Large Array has picked up what looks like a genuine message from extraterrestrial intelligences, she carefully sequesters herself for just a moment and whispers "Holy [[PrecisionFStrike shit!]]"

** This one originated with GoreVidal's ''Myron''. In the original version of the book, Vidal replaces all the swear words with the names of Supreme Court Justices who had just voted in favour of some pro-censorship measure or other. So we have Burger = bugger, Father Hill = tit, Rehnquist = dick and so on.

* Used in some ''MagicTheGathering'' novels. Most notably, one minor character in The Eternal Ice uses the phrase "What the phrex?", obviously short for Phyrexia. Unlike most Unusual Euphemisms, this one was only used once. Sometimes other curses are used that refer to Phyrexia, such as "the nine hells."
** Also, characters in Clayton Emery's novels tend to use names of cards and characters, such as "Eye of Orms-by-Gore!"
* An amusing example in the {{Ripliad}} book ''Ripley Under Water''. Earlier in the novel, he is looking at travel advertisements and is amused by the actual Thai island, Phuket. Later, when really angry, he thinks out loud Phuket!
** This is actually used incorrectly in the story. It is actually pronounced 'Poo-ket', rather than like the profanity it resembles. Whether this falls in to Aversion or Subversion is up to others, and may depend on if the author knew how to pronounce it.

* Creator/AnneMcCaffrey seems to be fond of the word "Fardling". And the common use of "shards" in her ''DragonridersOfPern'' novels. From The Dragonlover's Guide:

* [[TeenageWorrier Letty Chubb]] suffers panic attacks upon merely seeing the word "de-", oops, "the word about dying that rhymes with breath" written down, and in her diaries she always uses "banana" instead. She mentions that she tries to find creative ways to avoid it in essays, but "phrases like 'hurtling into the chasm of doom' not appropriate for life cycle of tadpole". She also uses the term "pluke" both to refer to her pimples and as an expletive.

** These curses are quite consistent with the philosophy and cultures depicted. One which was rather vulgar that I remember was "Mother's milk in a cup" (said by Elaine, who is noted to try to remember the courser language she hears). One of the Forsaken does use a curse word, ''tsag'', which another Forsaken finds strong, although it is meaningless to us.
** Not sure if it really counts, but saying the Dark One's name (Shai'tan) (which is actually a slight corruption of the Arabic word for the devil) "draws his attention" and causes nasty bad luck, leading to rather strong reaction from any other characters present.

* PeterDavid gave his Xenexian ''Franchise/StarTrek'' captain the curse word "grozit", which is about what you'd expect.
** Also, David is one of quite a few to use "Kolker" as a swear word on par with "Jesus Christ" or "God". Apparently a lot of writers revere Robert Kolker.
* The publisher of Norman Mailer's ''TheNakedAndTheDead'' famously persuaded him to replace all occurrences of the f-word with "fug." In an apocryphal story, Dorothy Parker (or Tallulah Bankhead, in some versions) introduced herself to Mailer later with, "So you're the young man who can't spell 'fuck.'"
** The use of "fug" in ''The Naked and the Dead'' inspired the name of the '60s rock band The Fugs, who preferred the uncensored version of the word in many of their songs.

* ''Literature/AClockworkOrange''. The book was written almost entirely in unusual euphemisma, even for ordinary, every day words. (Well, it was more like butchered Russian.)
** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadsat Nadsat]], a language invented by the author, which based many words on Russian.

* ''TheDresdenFiles'' has a few of these; Harry typically uses "Stars and stones" or "Hell's bells" when exasperated/surprised/frustrated, and the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent incubi and succubi]] of the White Court tend to use, "Empty night..." in the same context.
** WordOfGod states that the last three books in the series will be an apocolyptic trilogy titled "Stars and Stones," "Hell's Bells" and "Empty Night." Jim Butcher has gone on the record stating "They're swears for a reason."

* In some of TamoraPierce's young-adult fantasy novels, including the recent ''[[TortallUniverse Bloodhound]],'' characters use "swive" and "swiving" in place of "fuck" and "fucking." ''Bloodhound'' is full of made-up slang, but "swive" is a real medieval English word (used frequently and with glee by Geoffrey Chaucer, among others). It is possible that Pierce managed to get this word past the censors simply by virtue of using so many other actual Unusual Euphemisms in the book.
** Sandry, the stitch witch in the "Circle of Magic" books says "Cat dirt!" when sorely vexed.
* At least one Franchise/StarTrek novel has a rather amusing case of this trope: to the Ferengi, "Charity" is the equivalant of dropping an F-Bomb.
** Philanthropist!

* Several of SpiderRobinson's stories have "slot" as an insulting epithet for a woman, often in the phrase "taken slot" (substituting for "fuckin' slut").
** Robinson also uses the word "kark" in place of "fuck," even in stories set five minutes in the future.

* An amusing example or two from ''Literature/GoodOmens'': The demon Crowley, being a demon, finds religious swears to be inappropriate, but doesn't want to use the Devil's name for fear of getting his attention, leading to phrases like 'oh, for Someone's sake'.
** A line in the book claims that 'angels are sexless unless they really want to make an effort', leading to fandom adopting 'effort' as a euphemism for [[HetIsEw (usually male)]] genitalia, and 'making an effort' for arousal.
* Ellie Arroway, protagonist of Film/{{Contact}}, says "Holy Toledo!" when she's shocked but other people are around. When they're not, as in when the Very Large Array has picked up what looks like a genuine message from extraterrestrial intelligences, she carefully sequesters herself for just a moment and whispers "Holy [[PrecisionFStrike shit!]]"
* When we finally see Grood in [[{{Redwall}} Lord Brocktree]] use the bad language Jukka has repeatedly berated him for, it's apparently in squirrel dialect: "Gorokkah! How'd that splitten flitten gurgletwip get up so high?"

* All of the swearing in ''Literature/WarriorCats'' is made up of either "mouse dung" (mild) or "fox dung" (more severe).
** "Mouse-brain" is a mild insult meaning "stupid" or "silly". A group of cats from the mountains uses "beetle-brain" instead.
** The cats really don't seem to like foxes: "foxhearted" is apparently a heavy insult (based on the reactions when it's used), which makes the cat actually named Foxheart have an UnfortunateName.

* In ''[[Literature/GarrettPI Deadly Quicksilver Lies]]'', Winger describes her employer's gang as "the kind of guys who wear earrings", and Garrett semi-sarcastically remarks that they might be ferocious pirates. For the rest of the novel, Garrett refers to the Rainmaker's mooks and associates as "pirates", even when it's clear that, yes, this particular crime boss operates through [=TunFaire=]'s homosexual community.
* Characters in AlanDeanFoster novels sometimes swear by 'Patrick O'Morion' whoever he may be.

* In the world of David Eddings' {{Belgariad}} and {{Malloreon}}, Angaraks have taken to refer to their maimed god, Torak, when making curses. "Torak's teeth!" and "By Torak's boiling eye!" are pretty common among them, even after Torak was slain at the end of the Belgariad.

* ''BookOfTheShortSun''- after the protagonist has come home from a very long trip, the local priest wishes to know if he engaged his wife in the-hum-"warm commerce".

* [[VoidTrilogy The Temporal Void]] has [[http://books.google.com/books?id=ldH2BM3vs_EC&pg=PA128&lpg=PA128#v=onepage&q&f=false this]] rather chilling reference to (the 39th century's hyper-advanced) torture techniques as "today's medical techniques".