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USF Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary

holy hell

Holy hell
Holy sh*t
Holy cr*p
Holy idiot

Hell! Yes.

I've been hearing 'holy', which originally means saint, as a word to stress on the second word, and 'hell', which means not heaven or paradise, for expressing excitement. I was wondering if you could help me to know the origin and relation of those words to their imputed meanings. (Is 'imputed' the correct adjective?)
  

Top answer

Hi, Holy **** Holy sh*t Holy cr*p Holy idiot <<< I haven't heard this one ****! Yes. My guess is this.

— Clive

  • Hi, Holy **** Holy sh*t Holy cr*p Holy idiot <<< I haven't heard this one ****!
  • Yes.
  • My guess is this.
  • The original expressions were a simple appeal to religion, eg Holy Jesus!
  • Holy Mary!
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13 Answers
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Hi,

Holy ****
Holy sh*t
Holy cr*p
Holy idiot <<< I haven't heard this one

****! Yes.

My guess is this.
The original expressions were a simple appeal to religion, eg Holy Jesus! Holy Mary! Good heavens!
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CliveBut of course a lot of people today say these things without thinking much about what they are saying. Note also that plenty of people are offended by these expressions. Be careful with them.
The British English equivalent of "holy" is "******" and it can be equally offensive.
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Thank you for the explanation, but the parts that you have mentioned are still unclear to me. Do you have any guess why it's going like that?
But some people gradually came to prefer (why?) the more striking shock value of the versions you mention.
Some people also have a fascination with excrement, and like the juxtaposition of that with the idea of holiness.
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Thank you Alphecca Stars, but why they are offensive? Especially "******", which in Harry Potter the students say it even in front of professors.
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Hi,

I think the evolution of these expressions from eg 'Holy Jesus' to eg 'Holy ***' is related to the decline of the power of religion.
There was a time when people would have been afraid of making *** angry by such blasphemy.
Today, on the other hand, people tend to feel they can say anything they want to.

The term '******' evolved from the longer expression
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USFThank you Alphecca Stars, but why they are offensive?
Here is some historical context: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=******&allowed_in_frame=0

The onset of the taboo against ****** coincides with the increase in lingu
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Very good explanation, thank you Clive.
However, I didn't understand what 'By our Lady' means. I would appreciate it if you could tell me what does that mean? And by offensive, you meant that it is offensive to religious people?
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By our Lady' = referring to Christ's mother, Mary. Mary is revered in Christianity.
USFAnd by offensive, you meant that it is offensive to religious people?
No, generally offensive, as a mild expletive. It's probably much more offensive to older women. They've lost their shock value among the younger generation.
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Thanks for the link and this reply, those were very helpful. Emotion: smile Yes, I know Mary. But I always wondered why people say such things "By
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USFBy our Lady", and even more confusing when it turns into "******",
The one expression did not turn into the other. They were talking about "swearing" and oaths.

Swear used to be only an honorable act, as in "I swear allegiance to the flag."
Generally you swore on a Bible, or "by" a religious symbol. It is similar to a witness watching yo
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