blue-penciled

Raymond ChandlerのPLYABACKを読み終えました。続いて同じ作家のTROUBLE IS MY BUSINESSを読むことにしました。そのIntroductionに "blue-penciled" が次の様に出てきました。日本語では赤ペンはありますが、青ペンと言うのは聞いたことがありません。
I don't think this power was entirely a matter of violence, although far too many people got killed in these stories and their passing was celebrated with a rather too loving attention to detail. It certainly was not a matter of fine writing, since any attempt at that would have been ruthlessly blue-penciled by the editorial staff.
"blue-penciled" の意味は赤ペンと同じだと思いますが、辞書で確認します。
・Oxford English Dictionary: Edit or make cuts in (a manuscript, movie, or other work).: Also, true excellence in writing will be quickly blue-penciled into oblivion.
・Dictionary.com: to alter, abridge, or cancel with or as with a pencil that has blue lead, as in editing a manuscript.
英語でも勿論赤ペン（red-pencil）を使いますが、Merrium-Websterによると、
red-pencil: first known use 1946
blue-pencil: first known use 1888
で "blue-pencil" の方が古くから使われているそうです。