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Holmes tore it open, and then with a bitter curse hurled it into the grate.

With a bitter curse I shook my fist at it as I gazed.

“With an oath Miss Winter darted forward,

“That will do,” said he, with an oath.

These are all taken from the Sherlock Holmes canon.

The question is what would the curses and oaths actually be. I don't expect them to have said "oh, for f***'s sake", but I wonder about the general range of themes that would be used by a swear.

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  • 2
    Where is your attempt to look you Victorian swear words and profanity? :)
    – Lambie
    Commented Feb 28 at 19:30
  • 1
    english.stackexchange.com/help/dont-ask
    – Lambie
    Commented Feb 28 at 21:13
  • 1
    What are "swears"?
    – tchrist ♦
    Commented Feb 29 at 1:27
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    It's going to depend a lot on region, social class, social setting, etc, and probably personal preference. I assume you're asking about Conan Doyle's Late Victorian London middle class? Googling Victorian profanity gets a lot of results but the quality is variable.
    – Stuart F
    Commented Feb 29 at 10:11
  • 1
    salon.com/2013/05/11/…
    – Stuart F
    Commented Feb 29 at 14:02

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