Use of "Blue" meaning naughty

Question

I read an article where an old vaudevillian was interviewed. She made a passing reference to working on the Keith Circuit, where they would be handed blue envelopes that would contain notes and deletions to make to their act in order to conform to "polite" vaudeville standards. She said that this was where the expression "blue" humour came from.
I haven't been able to confirm this anywhere. I had previously assumed that the expression was somehow tied to the blue laws, but can't find a usage of "blue" meaning naughty before the turn of the century, so the vaudeville story may be true.
Can anyone shed light on the use of "blue" as in suggestive, crude and racy?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]I read an article where an old vaudevillian was interviewed. She made a passing reference to working on the Keith ... vaudeville story may be true. Can anyone shed light on the use of "blue" as in suggestive, crude and racy?[/nq]
Is it possible that your original assumption (that the expression 'blue humor' was connected to the 'blue laws') was indeed correct? 'Blue law' is defined as:
(1) one of the highly restrictive laws, published
bound in blue paper, adopted by the Puritans
to regulate virtue in colonial New England or
(2) any laws then or now that restrict or prohibit dancing, drinking, swearing, cardplaying,
fornication, contraception, working on Sundays,
or other behavior considered unseemly by those
in power.
(source: http://www.bartleby.com/68/97/897.html)
It does seem to fit the Vaudevillian context you mention, though I certainly make no claim to being an expert. It'll be interesting to see what other contributors have to say about this.

Christopher
My e-mail address is not 'munged' in any way and is fully replyable!

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I read an article where an old vaudevillian was interviewed. She made a passing reference to working on the Keith ... vaudeville story may be true. Can anyone shed light on the use of "blue" as in suggestive, crude and racy?[/nq]
This may be the passage you're referring to, but if not, it's confirming evidence:
In Sophie Tucker's autobiography, she explains that Keith's theater managers assessed every act during the first performance of the week's engagement Between the (Monday) matinee and the night show the blue envelopes began to appear in the performers mailboxes backstage . . . Inside would be a curt order to cut out a blue line of a song, or piece of business. Sometimes there was a suggestion of something you could substitute for the material the manager ordered out . . . There was no arguing about the orders in the blue envelopes. They were final.

You obeyed them or quit. And if you quit, you got a black mark against your name in the head office and you didn't work on the Keith Circuit anymore. During my early years on the Keith Circuit, I took my orders from my blue envelope and - no matter what I said or did backstage (and it was plenty) - I went on for the Monday night show, I was careful to keep within bounds.

- Some of These Days, pp.148-149.
Thanks to the tint of those dreaded envelopes, anything risqué came to be known as "blue" material.
http://www.musicals101.com/vaude1.htm

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I read an article where an old vaudevillian was interviewed. She made a passing reference to working on the Keith ... vaudeville story may be true. Can anyone shed light on the use of "blue" as in suggestive, crude and racy?[/nq]
OED has a cite from 1864 - >
There are two other C19 cites under 'blue' as noun: > And a couple for blueness = indelicacy, indecency >

John Dean
Oxford

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I read an article where an old vaudevillian was interviewed. ... the use of "blue" as in suggestive, crude and racy?[/nq]
[nq:1]Is it possible that your original assumption (that the expression 'blue humor' was connected to the 'blue laws') was indeed correct?[/nq]
Possible? Anything is possible. But correct? Very small chance.

Both CJ and the OP should find these articles helpful: and . This article:
specifically debunks the connection between "blue" as "smutty" and blue laws. I found these articles by using the search feature at and searching for "blue." Several other interesting articles came up, but they don't deal directly with the specific meaning of "blue" under discussion.

Bob Lieblich
Going to blue blazes?

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Is it possible that your original assumption (that the expression 'blue humor' was connected to the 'blue laws') was indeed correct?[/nq]
[nq:1]Possible? Anything is possible. But correct? Very small chance.[/nq]
A very small chance is better than no chance at all. Besides, I did qualify what I said by adding:
"It does seem to fit the Vaudevillian context
you mention, though I certainly make no claim
to being an expert."
[nq:1]Both CJ and the OP should find these articles helpful: and . This article: specifically debunks the connection between "blue" as "smutty" and blue laws.[/nq]
"There appears* to be no *direct connection
between the two "blues"."
(My asterisks for emphasis)
I very much doubt one could legitimately argue that that statement "specifically debunks" the possible connection, assuming the definition of 'debunk' is 'to expose the falseness of something'.
[nq:1]I found these articles by using the search feature at and searching for "blue." Several other interesting articles came up, but they don't deal directly with the specific meaning of "blue" under discussion. Bob Lieblich Going to blue blazes?[/nq]
So what else is new?

Christopher
My e-mail address is not 'munged' in any way and is fully replyable!

Usenet · Answer

I've only seen the one reference to the connection between the vaudeville "blue" envelopes and "blue" humour which is why I posted the original question. If there is one thing about the stories of vaudevillians, it is that the accuracy of the story is second to the "tale well told". ;-)
I'm interested in theatre slang, which is why I would to confirm the origin of the usage.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I've only seen the one reference to the connection between the vaudeville "blue" envelopes and "blue" humour which is why ... well told". ;-) I'm interested in theatre slang, which is why I would to confirm the origin of the usage.[/nq]
I posted the links once. If you want to go through them again, you'll find my earlier post at . I don't think the history of the usage is going to change. It seems to me that if you doubt the "blue envelope" explanation, and you can't find anything that confirms it, and well-recognized sources offer entirely different explanations well, then. you shouldn't have much trouble rejecting it.
And it's such a pretty tale, innit?

Bob Lieblich
Too bad

Use of "Blue" meaning naughty

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