From the medieval period until the nineteenth century, the use of blasphemous speech was perceived as extremely debauched behaviour. To say "God!" in 1350 was considered so offensive that euphemisms such as "gog" arose. It is believed that this taboo probably derived from the commandment not to take the Lord's name in vain. By comparison, sexual words and words connected with bodily functions were used openly in medieval times. By the Victorian era, the opposite had become true and these phrases which were previously admissible became unacceptable in polite speech.

In "Night of the Reaper," the three main characters (Nasty, Podge and Dim) often display their lack of good breeding through the exclamation of saints' names. It's a game for them. Patron saints are chosen as special protectors or guardians over areas of life, so they normally refer to the appropriate saint depending on the given situation, but Dim finds this all a bit difficult and often cheats. The other two take liberties also by creating fictitious saints.

Here are the true saints which get a mention in the story, listed in the order in which they appear: