smeg v.

in the British TV series Red Dwarf: (used as a mild expletive)

Also as interj.

[apparently an arbitrary coinage; the series creators have stated this in several interviews, e.g. in ‘Smeg Me Up, Scotty’ in The Guardian 13 Jan. 1997, and an interview included in a box set, quoted in the Red Dwarf FAQ. However, Wikipedia cites an interview (which could not be retrieved at the time this article was edited) with Robert Llewellen, one of the main actors, claiming that the term is short for smegma.]

  • ca1988 R. Grant & D. Naylor Kryten in Son of Soup (1996) 126

    Smeg off, dogfood face.

  • 1989 ‘G. Naylor’ Red Dwarf 114

    Oh, do smeg off.

  • 1989 ‘˜G. Naylor’™ Red Dwarf 142

    ‘Smeg!’™ Lister got up and kicked the navicomp.

  • 1989 ‘˜G. Naylor’™ Red Dwarf 194

    Rimmer, will you just smeg off and leave me to it?

  • 1992 P. David Imzadi vii. 52 page image Peter David bibliography

    ‘He, um... well, the child seemed to be under the confused impression that the Cordian was, in fact, an accordion. He asked the ambassador to play “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star” on himself.’ Picard moaned softly. ‘How did the ambassador react?’ ‘He took it in stride, actually. He said it’s happened to him on several occasions in the past and suggested that it might be time, and I quote, “to learn how to play the smegging thing.”’

Research requirements

antedating 1988
Research History
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 1992 cite from Peter David's "Imzadi".

Last modified 2021-09-09 14:41:04
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.