We might say that someone who is exceptionally chatty can "talk a blue streak." What is the origin and meaning of this phrase? Is it generally insulting, or a nice way of saying someone is a chatterbox?
- Anybody can ask a question
- Anybody can answer
- The best answers are voted up and rise to the top
According to The Word Detective in all likelihood, the term did arise by analogy to the speed and force of a bolt of lightning, especially in “talk a blue streak,” meaning to speak rapidly and excitedly. The “blue” in “curse a blue streak” probably also invokes “blue” in the sense of “obscene.” So it it is not really insulting when you say that somebody talks a blue streak, it is just an informal way of saying that he/she talks very fast and endlessly and very often aimlessly.
To curse/swear a blue streak means to speak rapidly, too, but using swear/curse words. Cursing/swearing a blue streak is usually an outburst-- a retort or angry reaction, and short-lived. However, it can also mean using a lot of swear words repeatedly over a period of time: My teenager has been cursing a blue streak during the past month means that he/she has been using a lot of swear words, and often.
Talking or cursing a blue streak is when somebody is so wound up in something they're talking and talking and talking or cussing or cussing or cussing so hard they run clear out of breath and keep on talking and talking and talking or cussing and cussing and -- until their face starts turning blue from lack of oxygen and they just can't seem to stop until they see stars from lack of oxygen and maybe even pass clear out on the ground. Now, that's a 'blue streak'.
Tony Pastor's vaudeville theater used to give actors warnings in blue envelopes when their acts included language he found objectionable. That's where we get the phrase "blue language". Is "blue streak" just an extension of that idea?
protected by Mitch Oct 6 '15 at 11:47
Thank you for your interest in this question.
Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site.
Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead?