Minced Oaths and What They Mean

  • Begorrah = By God
  • Bejabbers = By Jesus
  • Bleeding = Bloody (see note)
  • Blimey = [God] Blind me
  • Blinking = Bloody
  • Bloody = By Our Lady
  • Blooming = Bloody
  • By George = By God
  • By golly = By God, or God's body
  • By gosh = By God
  • By gum = By God
  • By Jove = By Jehovah, or Jupiter (also known as Jove)
  • Cheese and crackers = Jesus Christ
  • Chrissakes = For Christ's sake
  • Christmas = Christ
  • Christopher Columbus = Christ
  • Cor blimey = God blind me
  • Crackey = Christ
  • Crikey = Christ
  • Criminy = Christ
  • Cripes = Christ
  • Crivvens = Christ defend us
  • Dad gum = God d--n
  • Dad blame = God d--n
  • Dad blast = God d--n
  • Dad burn = God d--n
  • Dagnammit = D--nation, God d--n it
  • Dagnabbit = D--nation, God d--n it
  • Dang = D--n
  • Dangnabbit = D--nation, God d--n it
  • Dangnation = D--nation
  • Darn = D--n
  • Darnation = D--nation
  • Deuce = Satan
  • Doggone = God d--n it
  • Drat = God rot it
  • Egad = Oh God
  • For crying out loud = For Christ's sake
  • For the love of Mike = For (the archangel) Michael’s sake
  • For Pete’s sake = For (the apostle) Peter’s sake
  • Gad = God
  • Gadzooks = God's hooks (referring to the nails in Jesus on the cross)
  • Gat Dangit = God d--n it
  • G. D. = God d--n
  • Gee = Jesus
  • Gee whiz = Jesus’ whiskers
  • Gee willikers = Jesus’ whiskers
  • Godfrey = God
  • Goldamn = God d--n
  • Goldang = God d--n
  • Gol’darn = God d--n
  • Gorblimey = God blind me
  • Good gravy = Good God
  • Good grief = Good God
  • Goodness gracious = Good God
  • Goodness sakes alive = Good God
  • Gosh = God
  • Gosh Almighty = God Almighty
  • Gosh awful = God awful
  • Gosh darned = God d--ned
  • Gosh darn it = God d--n it
  • Great guns = Great God
  • Great Scot = Great God
  • Heck = H--l
  • Holy Cats = Holy Christ
  • Holy Cow = Holy Christ, or the golden calf, or from Hindu religion
  • Holy mackerel = Holy Michael, or Mary, or Mary Mother of God
  • Holy Mike = Holy Christ, or (the archangel) Michael
  • Jason Crisp = Jesus Christ
  • Jebus = Jesus
  • Jeepers Creepers = Jesus Christ
  • Jeez = Jesus
  • Jeezy Creezy = Jesus Christ
  • Jehoshaphat = Jesus
  • Jiminy Christmas = Jesus Christ
  • Jiminy Cricket = Jesus Christ
  • Judas Priest = Jesus Christ
  • Jumping Jehoshaphat = Jumping Jesus
  • My goodness = My God
  • Odds Bodkins = God’s sweet body
  • Ohmigosh = Oh my God
  • Sacré bleu = "sacred blue" = Sang de Dieu ("God's blood")
  • Sam Hill = H--l
  • Shoot = sh--
  • Shucks = sh--
  • S. O. B. = son of a b----
  • Son of a gun = son of a b----
  • Son of a sea cook = son of a b----
  • Suffering succotash = Suffering Savior
  • Swounds = God’s wounds
  • Tarnation = D--nation
  • Yumping Yiminy = Jumping Jesus
  • Zounds = God's wounds

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