Bowdlerise

Modified Mercutio’s suggestive puns in Romeo and Juliet to be more "decent". 🏛️ Modern Context & Examples Thomas Bowdler: censor, philanthropist, and doctor

The word is a namesake of (1754–1825), an English physician and philanthropist. bowdlerise

Completely removed characters like Doll Tearsheet, a prostitute, from Henry IV, Part 2 . Modified Mercutio’s suggestive puns in Romeo and Juliet

Changed Lady Macbeth’s "Out, damned spot!" to "Out, crimson spot!". from Henry IV

: In 1807, Bowdler (along with his sister Henrietta) published an edition of William Shakespeare’s plays intended to be appropriate for "a family".