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Fri 13 Jun, 2003 09:48 am
A colorful, if archaic expression. Why Jehosaphat? I know he was a King of (Judea? Israel?), but why 'jumping'? I don't recall him jumping in the Bible. Why not Jumping Josiah or Jumping Jeroboam?
Well, I was gonna say alliteration but you already pre-empted that.
Why not Jehosophat? It has a nice flow to it. Better for exclaiming than Josiah or Jerobeam, especially with the fricatives.
I ain't never tried to say none a them words while eatin' a fricasee . . . sides, it's rude to talk with yer mouth full . . .
In the old Superman tv series Perry White the Daily Planet editor was always using that exclamation. If it's good enough for Superman it's good enough for me.
Rather than alliteration, consider mimicry and shock value. "Je" is the first sound in "Jesus" whose name is frequently taken in vain for proper cussing.
I think Perry White of the Daily Planet always said "Great Caesar's Ghost!".
My question came up because I saw a Gabby Hayes movie last weekend and he was saying 'Jumping Jehosaphat' a lot.
Well, that was too easy. What about Murgatroid?
I'd guess that "Murgatroid" is a stand-in for "Mother of God".
Years ago I read that Catholic oaths tend to the blasphemous while Protestant swearing tends to be scatalogical.
From the
Slang Dictionary:
Quote:Heavens to Murgatroid: From the old Snagglepuss cartoon. Nobody knows what a Murgatroid is exactly, but use is simmilar to Heavens to Betsy, or Great Ceasars ghost.
Example: Heavens to Murgatroid, I can't believe you want to watch Dawson's Creek tonight. That's it ... exit, stage left!
Noddy, what's the difference (in words) between a Catholic and a Protestant oath?
"Heavens to Murgatroyd" is a corruption of a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet, "By Heaven and thy mother Gertrude!", spoken by Hamlet's mother, Gertrude in frustration as she realizes Hamlet has stabbed Polonius (falsely thinking it was Claudius) behind a tapestry in her bedchamber.
Not really- I made it all up, but it makes for a nifty story, doesn't it?
You are a dangerous man, Equus.
Beware the tides of marsh.
Walter--
I'm not an authority on solomn oaths, but for just cussin' according to the article I read a Catholic would blaspheme:
"Jesus-fukkin'-H.-Christ
While a Protestant would roar:
You s-eating creep, take a flying fuk on a whateveryoulike.
Euphemisms, in order to be mildly shocking, have to be transparent enough to be related to the original cussing.
Example: Jimminy Cricket, Jeepers Creepers, etc.
I can't come up with any "protestant" euphemisms. Evidently bodily fluids and suchlike can't throw thunderbolts.
origin of the expression jumpin jehosephat
I think I know the origin of this expression. My explanation is based on midrashic commentary. According to midrash most of the Kings of Judea and Israel were pretty rotten and evil (practiced idolatry and so forth). Jehosephat was an exception and is praised as being one of the few Kings of Judea who was close to Hashem. One of the ways this was illustrated was (according to midrash) when he would see or encounter a great Torah scholar or sage he would "jump" off his throne to greet and honor the wise man. Ergo--- Jumpin Jehosephat
In my experience the overwhelming majority of anecdotes that aspire to be etymological origin are merely urban legends. That one's more than a bit of a stretch IMO.
I think it makes sense that Jehoshaphat being used as a swear word (as a euphemism for "Jesus!") is the real origin with "Jumping" added as an alliterative intensifier.
Jehosaphat sounds more like it comes from Jehovah than Jesus to me.
Did I mention I am in love with Snagglepuss? But something tells me he is gay.
Heavens to Murgatroyd and Hamlet just sounds like plain quatsch! But it is, indeed, very nifty.
Like, deep man.....
As far as I can recall it did, but using "Jesus" to swear is something most can more easily relate to.
Craven de Kere wrote:As far as I can recall it did, but using "Jesus" to swear is something most can more easily relate to.
Except Jews and such.
I'm old fashioned and I prefer Yahweh.
Or the asterisks already.
WHO spells "Murgatroyd" with an "i"?
bobsmyth wrote:In the old Superman tv series Perry White the Daily Planet editor was always using that exclamation. If it's good enough for Superman it's good enough for me.
I thought he always said: "Great Caesar's ghost!"
Until said ghost appeared.
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