blood-and-guts

[Jeff Prucher]

----- Original Message -----
> From: Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Cc:
> Sent: Monday, February 6, 2012 11:41 AM
> Subject: blood-and-guts
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:Â  Â  Â   American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:Â  Â  Â   Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:Â  Â  Â  blood-and-guts
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Most mainline dictionaries now have an entry for "blood-and-guts":
>
> AHD:
>>  1. Depicting or marked by great violence or zeal: /a blood-and-guts
>>  book; blood-and-guts competition./
>>  2. Dealing with fundamental concerns: /blood-and-guts issues./
>
> MWOLD:
>>  marked by great vigor, violence, or fierceness </blood–and–guts/
>>  competition>
>
> Cambridge ALD:
>>  extreme violence
>>  <There was a bit too much blood and guts in the film for my liking.>
>
> RHD2012/RHUD1997:
>>  1.dealing with or depicting war or violence, especially in a lurid
>>  manner: a blood-and-guts movie.
>>  2.concerned with fundamental needs, problems, values, etc.: The
>>  blood-and-guts issues will determine the election.
>
> FarLex:
>>  violence shown on television, film, or in the theatre, where people
>>  are seen being injured or killed <It was all blood and guts. I came
>>  out feeling quite ill.>
>>
>>  1. Fig. strife; acrimony. <There is a lot of blood and guts around
>>  here, but we get our work done anyway. Cut out the blood and guts and
>>  grow up.>
>>  2. Fig. acrimonious. (This is hyphenated before a nominal.) <There are
>>  too many blood-and-guts arguments around here. Old blood-and-guts
>>  Wally is making his threats again.>
>
> The FarLex Idioms entry (the first of the three above) referring to
> cinematic gore appears to be underappreciated by dictionary editors.
>
> OED has but one quote.
>
> body line
>>  1975 /Herald (Melbourne) / 11 Oct. 27/1 It won't be another Bodyline
>>  series, but the Tests between Australia and the West Indies this
>>  summer will be a blood and guts battle of brute speed.
>
> But this one seems to be somewhat different from the definitions above.
> Would I be wrong if I compare it to "all-out effort"? No stone left
> unturned? Or is it just a version of "acrimonious"?

How is it different from the AHD and MW defs quoted above? That is, "marked by great zeal" and "marked by vigor or fierceness". Both even include example quotes involving competitions.

Jeff Prucher

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