Adult films have been called “Blue Movies” almost as long as they’ve been around, but do you know why? Apparently, the origin of the phrase is something of a mystery, but there are a few educated guesses that may shed light on this colorful phrase.
In 1781, in a historical book about Connecticut, a man named (Reverend) Samuel Peters noted that the harsh puritanical law often called for use of force or brutality to ensure that rulebreakers were not merely chastised, but served as an example to all. In his book, the Reverend calls these “blue laws”, with blue meaning bloody in the parlance of the times. Today, we use the phrase blue laws to describe any laws or rules that seem overly restrictive or puritanical, such as requiring businesses (notably liquor-serving establishments) to close early on Sunday, for Sunday’s sake.
