working blue
Telling adult jokes
Working blue describes a comedian or performer who relies heavily on vulgar, obscene, or sexually explicit material in their act.
The phrase comes from the entertainment industry, where "blue" has long been slang for risqué or indecent content.
A comic who works blue peppers their routine with profanity, crude jokes, and taboo subjects.
He's hilarious but works blue, so don't bring the kids.
Some venues or audiences specifically request—or forbid—performers working blue.
- artistic freedomRight to create unrestrained
- double entendrePhrase with hidden lewdness
- stand-up comedyLive solo comedic performance
- comedy clubLive humor venue
- dirty jokesCrude comedic remarks
profanity · four-letter words · censorship · shock value · pushing buttons · innuendo · locker room talk · free speech · satire · counterculture · vulgarity · euphemism · societal critique · taboo language · boundaries · rated R · dark comedy · moral standards
working blueclean comedy
Humor without vulgarity
family-friendly · squeaky clean · kid-friendly · wholesome · G-rated
working bluewitty
Cleverly humorous
clever · sophisticated · observational comedy · dry wit · intellectual humor
work, working, works, worked, worker, workers, workable, unworkable, workings