From the rhythm of it, "Judas Priest" sounds to me like a substitute for "Jesus Christ".
I've heard that quite often, too, when I stayed in Britain in the 60's.
Quote:"Judas Priest!" is an interjection used as a mild curse word, as in: "Judas Priest, I could write poetry myself if I had a whole year for it." (Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt (1922), chapter 9.)
According to the Oxford English Dictionary (entry "Judas"), the expression is first attested in 1914 (see also Barnhart Dictionary of American Slang). It probably originated as a euphemistic substitution for the less acceptable "Jesus Christ!" - Like "Jesus", "Judas" begins with a "J" and has two syllables. "Priest" has one syllable and ends in "st" as does "Christ".
source:
Wikipedia
oops, didn't see your post, Thomas.
Thomas wrote:Actual people also say "shoot". I suspect there are substitutes for all forbidden words on TV, and they all have made their way into everyday language. Apparently they appeal to people who want it both ways: who want the effect of expletives without appearing to be the kind of person who uses expletives. (I have little respect for them.)
I say 'shoot' and '****' both. Depends on who is in the room at the time.
username wrote:My dad always said "Judas Priest". I'm still not sure what it was supposed to substitute for. As a kid I always thought it was a pretty bad swear. Not sure when I learned it wasn't anything. Probably not til I was 30 or so.
We used 'Jesum Crow'. I think 'Jimminy Cricket' had a couple meanings as well.
Sozlet says "pickles!" I seem to be picking up that usage.
I'm still amazed people say "freaking." I guess it's one of those things where the inability to overhear things makes a difference. I'm not sure anyone has ever used "freaking" in conversation with me, but maybe I just didn't catch that specific word because I didn't expect to see it.
JPB wrote:I say 'shoot' and '****' both. Depends on who is in the room at the time.
As a side remark, I'm waiting for some psychoanalyst to write a book about "shoot" being the more permissible word. It must be saying
something interesting about Americans as a society that they shun skatological and sexual references as indecent, but readily substitute them with a reference to gun violence.
Is bad language really that big of a deal? im so glad i dont care about stupid **** like that.
OGIONIK wrote:Is bad language really that big of a deal? im so glad i dont care about stupid **** like that.
No, not all a big deal.
It just makes it a lot easier to learn something about a person.
Okay. I confess. I cuss. I don't cuss in anger or at people but .... I don't know.... it is often just a part of my speech pattern. I really have to watch myself because Mo the Baptist calls me on it.
I don't know where I picked it up but I do know that I don't want Mo to pick it up so I'm pretty careful.
I say "freaking" and "flipping" and "blasted". I say "Jiminy Christmas" and "holy mackerel". I don't feel bad about those.
I have a pretty good education but it was art school so maybe that doesn't count.
Eorlette frquently seems to be using the very common Australian semi-expletive "Bugger!"
...but it always turns out that she was saying "Bother!" (as a very large part of her vocabulary comes directly from the "Hundred Acre Wood")
I don't care what my kids say amongst themselves. I do let them know that f*** isn't an attractive word coming from a teen girl's mouth and goddamn isn't generally socially acceptable coming from anyone's mouth. As far as the word "****." well, sometimes that is the only appropriate word and usually the first one out of someone's mouth when something goes wrong.
But as far as other expletives, have you ever watched Dane Cook, Chris Rock, or for that matter, any popular comedian that the kids love?
Face it, kids today have grown up hearing this type of language in all media and it doesn't even phase them.
How old was the mother in this incident? She probably grew up talking like that and it just comes out automatically. Since when is "freakin'" an expletive anyway?
"Freaking" is an expletive in place of "f..king". Doesn't sound quite as nasty somehow in 'mixed' company.
JPB wrote:
We used 'Jesum Crow'. I think 'Jimminy Cricket' had a couple meanings as well.
I say Jesum Crow all the time-- it bothers Mr C no end, which is why I do it
And of course I always Gomer it up real good, you know-- "
Jeeeezum
Crow!!" And "Jee-muh-
nee!" slips out sometimes too...
