Whats the origin of the phrase “bleeding deacons”?
Sgt.serenity, you may have to accept that the answers you already have been given are the correct ones. There seem to be several definitions in play beyond the textbook definition given in “12×12,” which could all be combined into something like, “A person with a negative, moralizing character, who acts like the sole source of wisdom.” “Bleeding deacon” may very well have its origins in AA; at least, it is tied in there now, and the earliest cite I could find, from 1988, is specifically connected to AA. Almost all cites come directly from AA discusion forums or topics. It is not a common term, and I would consider it more likely, given the evidence on and off the Internet, that it started in AA and has only rarely drifted into the mainstream. This Usenet post gives us a clue as to its possible origin
