Victorian prudery

Victorian prudery refers to the exaggerated modesty and sexual repression associated with nineteenth-century Britain under Queen Victoria.

The term evokes a culture that covered piano legs for decency, avoided words like "leg" in favor of "limb," and treated any acknowledgment of sexuality as scandalous.

Whether historically accurate or caricatured, Victorian prudery now serves as shorthand for any excessive squeamishness about bodies or sex: The film rating system reflects a Victorian prudery about nudity that doesn't extend to violence.