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billingsgate

noun

  1. Profane, abusive language; coarse words.

    You wouldn't have believed the billingsgate which poured forth from that boy's mouth.

Where it comes from

From the London, England fishmarket Billingsgate: "Billingsgate is the market where the fishwomen assemble to purchase fish; and where, in their dealings and disputes they are somewhat apt to leave decency and good manners a little on the left hand." (Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 1811).

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry billingsgate (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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