Original artwork, not a still
The all-purpose curse of Battlestar Galactica
Frak!
— Battlestar Galactica ‧ 2003
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Frak means exactly what you think it means, and nobody in the fleet ever has to say anything else. It lets a grim, adult war drama sound like real soldiers without a single bleeped word, and the invented spelling became a badge of fandom: saying frak marks you as someone who has watched the show.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Battlestar GalacticaShow the scene
Frak is the stand-in curse of Battlestar Galactica. Writer Glen A. Larson coined it for the original 1978 series, where it was spelled 'frack', so that characters could swear on a Sunday evening network slot without falling foul of the censors. When the series was reimagined in 2004 the producers respelled it 'frak', which made it a real four-letter word on the page. It now peppers the dialogue constantly, from 'frakking toasters' for the Cylons to the all-purpose exclamation. Outside the show it spread into other science fiction, comic strips such as Dilbert and everyday speech.
Sources (2)
- Wikipedia: Profanity in science fiction'In other contexts' sectionReference checked
- Wikipedia: Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)Reception sectionReference checked
Context reviewed
