'Sblood

'Sblood, a contraction of "God's blood", is an archaic interjection often used as an oath. In medieval and Renaissance times, swearing by God's body or parts thereof was rather common. The term is used twelve times in William Shakespeare's works, for example.

Similar oaths include:

• God's bodkin (God's body)
• gadzooks (God's hooks, i.e. the nails used in the crucifixion)
• zounds (God's wounds)
• 'sdeath (God's death)
• 'struth (God's truth)

See also

• profanity
• bloody

External links

• Essay on profanity