By Ralph Williams, Pasadena, Texas
The following article by Carey P. McCord, M.D., appeared in the March, 1968, "Journal of
Occupational Medicine."
"Long ago there was a famous Sunday Comic strip called 'Yellow Kid.' Children could hardly
wait the coming of Sunday and parents looked on approvingly. Somewhat regularly the ballons
contained the words 'Hully Gee.' Little did these fond parents know that the yellow kids were
shouting 'Holy Jesus.' That is a minced oath.
Over the centuries in Christian lands, much of mankind has been cautious as to his indulgence in out-and-out profanity. Some feared they might be stricken dead in their tracks for not observing the Biblical injunction not to take the name of the Lord in vain. Other needers of expletives were just too decent to stoop to profanity. So in many languages there grew up a rich vocabulary of minced oaths, mild oaths, concealed oaths. These disguised oaths have become part of every day language, but few persons are aware of their real meanings. There now follow some common minced oaths and their real meanings:
"Blimy" God Blind Me
"Bloody" By my lady
"Cripes" Christ
"Darn" Damn
"Doggone" God Rot Them
"Drat" God Rot Them
"Egad" God
"Gad Bodkins" God's Body
"Gosh" God
"Holy Cow" Holy Christ
"Gad" God
"Holy Mackerel" Holy Flesh
"Holy Smoke" Holy Spirit
"Hully Gee" Holy Jesus
"Jimminy Crickets" Jesus Christ
"Lor" Lord
"Lordy" Lord
"Mariah" St. Mary
"Gad Zooks" God's Wounds
"Gee" Jesus
"Gee Whiz" Jesus Christ
"Gee Whillikins" Jesus Christ
"Go to Father" Go to Hell
"Golly" God
"Odds rot it" God Rot Them
"Odds" God
"Odd Bodkins" God's Body
"Odds Fish" God's Flesh
"Odds Zounds" God's Wounds
"Zounds" God's Wounds."
I don't know the source material from which the Doctor compiled his list. Several of these expressions are likely new to some of us. He overlooked some of the common ones of our time: "Heck,"; "Jez,"; "Dang it,"; "Dad Burn," etc.
We ought to be impressed when one who is evidently not a New Testament Christian recognizes that such expressions are merely disguised profanity. Some youngsters, and older folks too think its a mark of strength and manliness to punctuate their speech with these "second-cousin cuss-words." It rather reflects upon the condition of one's heart or lack of spiritual growth and ability to discern between good and evil, cf. (Hebrews 5:14; Matthew 12:34-37). James admonishes: "My brethren, these things ought not so to be." cf. (James 3:9-13).
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