Smeggy

Synonyms:
See also:
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Smeggy (plural "Smeggies") is a widely used term for fans of Red Dwarf. It is also an example of creative swearing meant to skirt by the censors.

As a Term for Fans

Like all fannish labels, it had its detractors:

I find it very amusing drat Red Dwarf fans refer to themselves as "smeggies". I, though I am an avid fan of RD, would not be amused to be called a smeggie (sic), and any scudball that does gets a napalm enema! I can only recall two instances in Red Dwarf where people refer to themselves as smeg-somethings. The first is Bodyswap where Rimmer says "Because I am that smeghead Rimmer" and The second is the name of Lister's band - Smeg and the Heads. But with all data examined, no one can argue that the resounding message in RD is to be insulted. As Rummer so nicely put it, "Better dead than smeg". Why then do RD fans refer to themselves in this way? Do they have lower self esteem than Rimmer? Or less intelligence than Cat? I think not! I realise that when this term was coined we didn't have the benefit of Rimmer's inspirational speech to Legion, but now that we do, kindly refer to me a as "Dwarfer", not "smeggie" (sic), or find yourself on the receiving end of a large polo mallet.

CMA [editor of Better Than Life] interjects: Smeggy is spelt "smeggy," or in the plural it becomes "smeggies" - I agee lady or baby. Secondly, I agree totally with your argument and pointed this out when the Red Dwarf Magazine became The Smegazine, however Rob and Doug dubbed us smeggies, so maybe they're trying to tell us something...)

Examples of Use as a Term for Fans

• "I’m not only a smeggy, but a trekker, leaper, all rounder when it comes to SF. so what do you call someone who is really into 60s-70s media from The Champions to Planet of the Apes? How about OLD...
• "I want everyone is smegdom to know I'm a smeggy, and I'm proud of it!"
• "Do you know what torture it is to be a VCR-less smeggy?"
• "I noticed most conventions like Dimension Jump and Constitution II and others are all held in England. I've never been to a convention, and being a total smeggy I would like to, but they are so far away!"
• "Debbie's bit The ad was not in vain. Today's the day I encountered my first smeggy and what a total nutter he turned out to be!"
• "Does anyone else out there find times when you go up to someone wearing a Red Dwarf T-shirt and say, "Hello, fellow smeggy," and they punch you because they don't know what you're on about?

An Example of Sci-Fi Swearing

The term is also an example of made-up swear words.

A line from the show: "Why don't you smegging well smeg off, you annoying little smeggy smegging smegger?"

Other examples of creative profanity are Replonza (Star Wars), Frak (Battlestar Galactica), Shazbot (Mork and Mindy), Flup (Ringworld), and Gorram (Firefly).

Further Reading

• Smeg and the art of sci-fi swearing, ^{Archived version} ("From Red Dwarf’s ‘smeg’ to Battlestar Galactica’s ‘frak’, made-up swear words are not only stupidly good fun, but a genuinely useful device in keeping sci-fi accessible and happily uncensored…") by Mike Rampton (December 27, 2021)