"Jiminetty", Jiminetly", etc.

Question

My German/Swedish grandfather used to utter a phrase like "jiminetty", and my mother-in-law from St. Louis says something like "jiminetly". Both words can be found with Google, but there's nothing about how they came about. Corruption of Jiminy Cricket?
Anyone?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]My German/Swedish grandfather used to utter a phrase like "jiminetty", and my mother-in-law from St. Louis says something like "jiminetly". Both words can be found with Google, but there's nothing about how they came about. Corruption of Jiminy Cricket?[/nq]
Criminently! Who would say anything like that?

john

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]My German/Swedish grandfather used to utter a phrase like "jiminetty", and my mother-in-law from St. Louis says something like "jiminetly". Both words can be found with Google, but there's nothing about how they came about. Corruption of Jiminy Cricket?[/nq]
I think that is probably right. While I have never heard that usage, I can recall at least 2 of my aunts saying "criminently" (i as in crime). I have seen or heard "criminy", (i as in crimson), both words stressed on the first syllable, and of course the former having a strong secondary stress on the penultimate.
(others: Jeepers creepers, Pat! Were you raised in a barn?) (Also, "jeezus, Pat", etc.)
(Oh, and "Fer cry-eye!" as well as innumerable other such epithets, not necessarily related to the name of the Lord.)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]My German/Swedish grandfather used to utter a phrase like "jiminetty", and my mother-in-law from St. Louis says something like "jiminetly". Both words can be found with Google, but there's nothing about how they came about. Corruption of Jiminy Cricket?[/nq]
Geeminently, and criminently, and criminy, and Jiminy Cricket, too, are all nonsensical euphemisms for "Jesus Christ" as an exclamation. The Ten Commandments prohibit "using the Lord's name in vain," so people came up with alternative, safe ways to finish off those words when they began to say them in haste.
I've got a list somewhere of several dozen such terms. Gee whillikers. Jehosaphat. I'd better dig it out or else people will feel obliged to supply them all again.
Ones like "gee-minently" don't have any standard spelling, as they are primarily part of oral tradition.
Here's the list as I had in it April of 2002, with some additions:

THE JEEPERS CREEPERS LIST
Euphemisms for Jesus Christ
Expressions of surprise, disbelief, strong emotion

Cheese and crackers, got all muddy (=Jesus Christ, *** almighty) Cheese and rice and all his apostles
cheese 'n' crackers
cheese 'n' quackers
Cheez Whiz (tm)
Gee
Gee whiz
Gee willikers (whilikers, etc)
Geeminently
geez, jeez
Geez Louise, Jeez Louise
jeepers
jeepers creepers
Jehosaphat
Jesus Frog! ( New Zealand)
Jesus H. Christ (or Aitch or Age or Henry)
Jesus Mahogany Christ
Jesus Murphy
Jesus wept (the shortest Bible verse)
Jiminetty, jiminently (var. geeminently)
Jiminy Christmas
Jiminy Cricket
Jings (Scottish)
Jinkies (said on TV cartoon "Scooby-doo")
Judas Priest!
Jumpin' Jehosaphat
Sheesh (Origin uncertain. Expresses exasperated disbelief) Yiminy, or Yumpin' Yiminy (stereotypical Swedish)

Euphemisms for & expressions with Christ, only
Chrissakes (stronger than the others), fer Chrissakes Christ on a bicycle
Christ on a bike
crikey
Criminently
Criminy, criminey, crimony
cripes
cripey
for crying in the sink
for crying out loud
SOME NOTES ON USE AND ORIGINS
Jesus (H.) Christ is often on a:
bicycle
pogo stick
popsicle stick
or roller skates.
Judas Priest is typically found on a pony.
'I had a great uncle who often used the expression, "He was so cheap he wouldn't pay a dime to see Christ on a bicycle."' George K1912

'I recall reading something of Mark Twain's wherein he said he got in trouble with his editor for using "Jesus H. Christ" in a newspaper article. So he changed it to "Jesus T. Christ," figuring the middle initial stood for "The."' Maria Conlon
In 1999, Michael Quinion of World Wide Words wrote about "crimony":
[nq:1]Most dictionaries that include it spell it 'criminy', or sometimes 'criminey'. It's certainly a mild exclamation or cry of astonishment, ... This was possibly a modified form of 'Gemini', but was equally likely to be based on the Latin 'Jesu domine'.[/nq]
Best Donna Richoux

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]My German/Swedish grandfather used to utter a phrase like "jiminetty", ... nothing about how they came about. Corruption of Jiminy Cricket?[/nq]
[nq:1]Geeminently, and criminently, and criminy, and Jiminy Cricket, too, are all nonsensical euphemisms for "Jesus Christ" as an exclamation. The ... the middle initial stood for "The."' Maria Conlon In 1999, Michael Quinion of World Wide Words wrote about "crimony":[/nq]
[nq:2]Most dictionaries that include it spell it 'criminy', or sometimes ... equally likely to be based on the Latin 'Jesu domine'.[/nq]
Great list, Donna.
Don't know if you want to add to it, but in my list (supposing I had one) would be Jesus Christ on a crutch.
Glad to see "Cheese and crackers, got all muddy (=Jesus Christ, *** almighty)" there. That was told to me as the punch line in my first "dirty joke", about a boy carrying groceries home, and stumbling on a muddy street just as the priest walked by. "What did you say, young man?"

I don't recall what profanity I may have been using, to have earned that mild reproach.

"Jiminetty", Jiminetly", etc.

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions