blue murder

== English == === Etymology === From French morbleu (“gadzooks, zounds”, interjection) (archaic), from mort bleu (“blue death”), a minced oath of mort Dieu (“death of God”). === Noun === blue murder (uncountable) (usually in phrases such as 'scream/howl/yell/shriek blue murder') A loud protest or angry outburst. 2001, Isabel Wolff, Out of the Blue, London: HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0-00-651341-4; republished Don Mills, Ont.: Mira Books, 2012, ISBN 978-0-7783-1366-3, page 144: And I was going to shout at him. I was going to scream blue murder. I was going to tell him just what I thought of that. ==== Synonyms ==== bloody murder ==== Translations ==== === References ===