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Why IS Dickens used in What the Dickens?

Updated: 8/17/2019
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14y ago

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Most people were still very credulous in their religion at that time and found many substitutes for the word "devil." The superstition went if you name the devil, he will appear, so dickens (not connected in any way with Charles Dickens or any of his family) was used as one of those substitute words. Rather than saying "What the devil" they would instead say "What the dickens."

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Q: Why IS Dickens used in What the Dickens?
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What is the pseudonym Charles Dickens used in a Christmas carol?

The only pseudonym Dickens ever used was Boz, and he only used that at the beginning of his career.


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