Bugger

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For other uses, see Bugger (disambiguation).

Bugger is an expletive used in vernacular British English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Sri Lankan English. When used in context it still retains its original meaning, implying sodomy; specifically, anal sex. However it is now more generally used to imply dissatisfaction (bugger, I've missed the bus [i.e. Shit!, I've missed the bus], also cf. Unlucky Alf, a character in The Fast Show, who says 'bugger' every time something happens to him) or used to describe someone whose behaviour is in some way displeasing (the bugger has given me the wrong change). The word is also used amongst friends in an affectionate way (you old bugger) and is used as a noun in Welsh English vernacular to imply that one is very fond of something (I'm a bugger for Welsh cakes). It can also imply a negative tendancy (He's a bugger for losing his keys) [i.e He loses his keys often]. The character Unlucky Alf from The Fast Show always said "Oh, bugger" whenever something went wrong. A colloquial phrase in the north of England to denote an unexpected (and possibly unwanted) occurrence is "Bugger me, here's my bus". The word is generally used in place of a more serious expletive.

The phrase bugger off means to run away; when used as a command it means "go away" ["piss off"] or "leave me alone", which is generally considered one of the more offensive usage contexts. Bugger all means "Nothing".

It is famously alleged that the last words of King George V were "bugger Bognor", in response to a suggestion that he might recover from his illness and visit Bognor Regis.

As with most other expletives its continued use has reduced its shock value and offensiveness, to the extent the Toyota car company in Australia and New Zealand ran a popular series of advertisements where "Bugger!" was the only spoken word. The term is generally not used in the United States, but it is recognised, although inoffensive there. It is also used in Canada more frequently than in the United States but with less stigma than in other parts of the world.

The word is derived from the French word Boulgre, derived from "Bulgarian" (meaning the Bogomils of Bulgaria), who Catholic propagandists said were practicing 'buggery'. Writings by Puritan authors such as Cotton Mather refer to "buggery" when talking about bestiality among their congregations.

In Victorian and Edwardian England, bugger was often used as an identity label; for example, "a bugger", meaning an active homosexual.