Minced oath

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Minced Oaths - what they are and why they were formed

The English, being a restrained lot, have a long list of euphemistic phrases, many of which became part of the language before it spread to other parts of the world. The root cause of these is a wish to communicate without being explicit. This is something the English are particularly fond of, hence their long tradition of double-entendre comedy.

Minced oaths are a sub-group of euphemisms used to avoid swearing when expressing surprise or annoyance. If you hit your thumb with a hammer when great aunt Edith is in the room what do you say? It's probably going to be a minced oath. Shakespeare might have resorted to 'gadzooks' (God's hooks - referring to the nails in the cross), we might try 'shoot' or 'freaking heck'.

They are usually, although not exclusively, religious in nature and date from the days when it wasn't acceptable to use the name of God, Jesus or other religious notables in everyday speech. To mince your words, or mince matters, means to choose words so as not to offend anyone. Some example are 'Jiminy Cricket' (Jesus Christ), 'dagnamit' (God damn it'), 'for Pete's sake' (for St. Peter's sake).

It's interesting that, while we continue to generate new euphemisms, new minced oaths are few and far between. Perhaps that's because, while there are still taboos about discussing death, disability, homosexuality etc, the restrictions on swearing out loud when surprised or annoyed have slackened somewhat.

There are many examples:

Begorrah --> By God

Bejabbers --> By Jesus

Bleeding heck --> Bloody Hell

Blimey --> Blind me

Blinking heck --> Bloody Hell

By George --> By God

By golly --> By God's body

By gosh --> By God

By gum --> By God

By Jove --> By God

Cheese and Rice --> Jesus Christ

Chrissakes --> For Christ's sake

Christmas --> Christ

Cor blimey --> God blind me

Crikey --> Christ

Criminy --> Christ

Cripes --> Christ



Crivvens --> Christ defend us

Dad gum --> God damn

Dagnabbit --> God damn it

Dagnammit --> God damn it

Dang --> Damn

Dangnabbit --> God damn it

Dangnation --> Damnation

Darn --> Damn

Darnation --> Damnation

Doggone --> God damn

Drat --> God rot it

Egad --> A God

Figs --> Fuck

Fink --> Fuck

Flaming heck --> Fucking Hell

Flipping heck --> Fucking Hell

For crying out loud --> For Christ's sake

For Pete's sake --> For St. Peter's sake

For the love of Mike --> For St. Michael's sake

Freaking --> fucking

Gadzooks --> God's hooks

Gat Dangit --> God damn it

Gee --> Jesus

Gee whizz --> Jesus

Gee willikers --> Jesus

Godfrey Daniel --> God

Golly Gee willikers --> Jesus

Good garden party --> Good God

Good grief --> Good God

Goodness gracious --> Good God

Gorblimey --> God blind me

Gosh --> God

Gosh darned --> God damned

Heck --> Hell

Holy spit --> Holy shit

Jason Crisp --> Jesus Christ

Jebus --> Jesus

Jeepers Creepers --> Jesus Christ

Jeez --> Jesus

Jeezy Creezy --> Jesus Christ

Jehosaphat --> Jesus

Jiminy Christmas --> Jesus Christ

Jiminy Cricket --> Jesus Christ

Judas Priest --> Jesus Christ

Land sakes --> For the Lord's sake

Lawks a mercy --> Lord have mercy

My goodness --> My God

My gosh --> My God

Odds-bodkins --> God's sweet body

Sacré bleu --> Sang de Dieu (God's blood)

Sam Hill --> Hell

Shoot --> shit

Shucks --> shit

Strewth --> God's Truth

Suffering succotash --> Suffering Saviour

Sugar --> shit

Tarnation --> Damnation

What in Sam Hill? --> What in damn Hell?

Wish to goodness --> Wish to God

Zounds --> God's wounds