ghost and mrs. muir

i heard two words in this movie, words my parents used and still use: fiddlesticks (mom) and blasted (dad).

one dictionary has fiddlesticks used as an interjection, or to refer to something trivial, beginning in 1621.

both can be replacements for stronger curse words. although in the movie the ghost's use of "blast" and "blasted" (blast your eyes!) scandalizes mrs. muir and her servant. eventually, of course, the lady herself uses the word.

another note: caterpillar comes from an old French word meaning "hairy cat." the Latin is "catta" "pilosus" (cat - hair), the old French is "chatepelose."

a hairy cat?