The bowdlerized version of the novel, while free of vulgarity, was also free of flavor.

Mr. Stanley decided to treat that as irrelevant. "There ought to be a Censorship of Books." . . .
Ogilvy pursued his own topic. "I'm inclined to think, Stanley, myself that as a matter of fact it was the expurgated Romeo and Juliet did the mischief. . . . All they left it was the moon and stars. And the balcony and ‘My Romeo!’"
"Shakespeare is altogether different from the modern stuff. Altogether different. I'm not discussing Shakespeare. I don't want to Bowdlerize Shakespeare."

His critics take alarm only when it becomes apparent that he would bowdlerize Homer and exclude from his state the great tragedians.

Let me tell you about Madicken. (Mardie in English. Or Meg, but that’s in the American translation and that’s bowdlerized and you should never read it.)

Bowdlerize

Meaning

Verb

Synonyms