English Explanatory Dictionary

as the actress said to the bishop

English dictionary entry

Meanings

phrase
  1. Used to highlight a sexual ambiguity in an innocent remark.

Pronunciation

En-us-as_the_actress_said_to_the_bishop.ogg

Word forms

as the actress said to the bishop as the bishop said to the actress said the actress to the bishop said the bishop to the actress

Etymology

In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the occupation of actress was commonly associated with prostitute. The phrase plays on the contrasting natures of an actress or prostitute on one hand and a presumably (although possibly not actually) chaste bishop on the other.

Related words

double entendre double-entendre euphemism innuendo oo-er ooh, matron nudge nudge wink wink that's what she said
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