Why Is Dana...

[DanaC]

Well, if By Your lady became bastardised to 'bloody': the word 'ruddy' means a kind of dark pink, and has a similar sound so became a less offensive alternative to 'bloody'.

Had there been any kind of association of 'ruddy' with menses, that word would not have been considered as less offensive.

'Ragged on' is used because 'rag' means to taunt or tease.

'On the rag' does refer to a woman being on her period, but it is a much more modern usage(late 19th/early 20th C). The earlier meaning of taunting predates it by at least two centuries.


[eta] from early 18th C. 'rag' is recorded as meaning to 'scold' as well as to taunt. This apparently might be related to the Danish dialect word 'rag' meaning 'grudge'.