Holy crap!

Question

Holy cow/mackerel/shi t, etc!  (Cambridge) used to show surprise, fear, etc:Holy cow! How did you get that black eye?Can someone explain why 'Holy + cow, shi t, crap' shows surprise, fear?Thanks,

LanguageLover · Accepted Answer

Here are what I found from different resources trying to explain the origins of different expressions starting with "holy -". Hope that it helps.

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holy mackerel - exclamation of surprise - A blasphemous oath from the same 'family' as goddam and darn it, etc. Holy Mackerel dates back at least 200 years and is one of very many blasphemous oaths with the Holy prefix. Holy Mackerel was almost certainly a reference to Catholics eating fish on Fridays (rather like Holy Cow is a reference to Hindus, and Holy Smoke is a jibe at incense burning and funeral pyres; also Holy Moses - shortened to the rhyming Holy Moley - the way that the words trip of the tongue is very significant in how these expressions become widely used and adopted, and Holy Mackerel does have a certain ring to it, in a way that Holy Skate, or Holy Cod do not..... ). As well as being a popularly eaten fish of the times (affordable by Catholics on limited budgets - the insulting term 'mackerel snatchers' was also used for Catholics in the 19th century), the word Mackerel has historically been a strong fish symbol and fish stereotype (the French word maquereau is slang for 'pimp', due to its habit supposedly of leading other fish to their mates). The term Holy Mackerel would also have served as a euphemistic substitute for Holy Mary or Holy Mother of ***, which is why words beginning with M feature commonly in these expressions.

---Example: Holy smokes, that's a big dog.

Origin: (Educated Guess) Reference to Ritual Catholic Incense burning. (Gordon P)

---The exclamations can be untranslatable idioms: Someone in Cairo, Egypt, might yell the Arabic for "*** destroy your house!" in a situation where someone from Cairo, Illinois, would say "Holy mackerel!" Neither makes much literal sense.

---Or as David Letterman said on his show recently: "Holy ****!"

There's evidence that human brains are hard-wired into using taboo words as emotional escape valves -- the more taboo, the more effective. Tourette Syndrome is a brain disorder that includes involuntary shouting of obscenities

--- From the Dictionary of American Slang (1960):
: : "Holy cow!" . . . Equiv. to "Holy cats!" both being euphemisms for "Holy Christ!" . . . Although this term is considered to be very popular among teenagers, no self-respecting, red-blooded teenager would dare use such a weak oath. It is, however, the common oath and popular exclam. put into the mouth of teenagers by all script writers, and is universally heard on radio, television, and in movies. It was first popularized by the "Corliss Archer" series of short stories, television programs, and movies, which attempted to show the humorous, homey side of teenage life.

: : Paul Beale (1985), however, in revising Eric Partridge's "Dictionary of Catch Phrases American and British," cites a different origin:
: : The orig. 'Captain Marvel' and 'Batman' oaths, 'holy (something harmless),' were in turn spoofed in later C20 by whatever seemed relevant to the situation: Nigel Rees, in "Very Interesting . . . But Stupid: Catchphrases from the World of Entertainment," 1980, instances holy flypaper!, holy cow!, holy felony!, holy geography!, holy schizophrenia! holy haberdashery!, etc., and adds, 'The prefix 'holy' to any exclamation was particularly the province of Batman and [his boy assistant] Robin, characters created by Bob Kane and featured in best-selling comic books for over thirty years before they were portrayed by Adam West and Burt Ward in the TV film series.'

Anonymous · Answer

Holy Moley actually comes from Mexico.  A priest sold moley (sp) in surrounding towns to support his church.  I believe this was in Jalapa, Mexico.  Could someone tell me for ssure which town it was?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Interesting suggestion. What leads you to think this is the origin of the expression? Can you perhaps point us to some sort of reference about this?

Best wishes, Clive

Anonymous · Answer

0DITTO!  What is the origin of these words?0-

Clive · Answer

0Hi,02br
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00Have you read the explanations supplied earlier in this thread?02br
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00Best wishes, Clive0-

Anonymous · Answer

i'm a big fan of HOLY JESUS ON A STICK!!

Anonymous · Answer

One theory is that is refers to the Defenestration of Prague in 1618 (full story http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defenestrations_of_Prague ) where a Catholic/Protestant conflict arose leading to two Catholic counts being defenestrated from window about 70 feet up. Luckily, these counts survived the fall by landing in a pile of horse manure below. The Protestants look back to this day laughing, but the Catholics think that the cushion was sent by angels, hence "Holy ****/sh*t"

Clive · Answer

Hi,

With regard to the last post, this seems to me like a very unlikely and contrived explanation.

Please note also that many people consider this particular expression vulgar and offensive.

Clive

Anonymous · Answer

Forgot one Holy Mackerel is about the past Catholic law against eating red meat on Friday. Most chose fish as a replacement so to some  people Catholics became Holy Mackerels. Holy Mackerel was a term of derision. I now the origions of the term. How it became  expression of surprise I have no idea.

Anonymous · Answer

In the dark ages some people where considered so holy there graves where robbed for relics, bones whatever could be found because they held power. Secondary relics being anything that touched them. The hem of a robe, a piece of the true cross, and yes even the food that past through there system.These relics were activly sought and sold, the bellief was they held enough power to have healing properties.Churces since then have forbidden the sellng of relics.So holy **** is very literal.Sometimes the sellers of these relics would mix animal waste into it to have more to sell. Hence the term holy cow ****.

There . is that sanitized enough to get through the moderation process.

Holy crap!

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