Jesus H Christ

[CWLandorf]

I know this was a topic befor but I cant find it. What does the H stand for in Jesus H Christ?

[ruadh]

I can't find it either, but I seem to recall that Cecil couldn't really answer this question, and just guessed that it sounded good.

Personally I preferred the response a TM came back with - it stands for Hallmark, because God cared enough to send the very best.

[Revtim]

My favorite was "Haploid"

[dlv]

If I had make a bet, I'd say H stands for "hell".

My 4-year-old is in his cursing phase... Every once in a while I hear interesting variations of "Jesus {Goddamned | Godf@cking | Motherf@cking | F@cking } Christ."

(I try to discourage it, but he really sounds so cute when he says it :-)

[LongHrn99]

My friends and I always say Herald.

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"There are many sweeping generalizations that are always true" -Space Ghost

[AWB]

The H is for Harold, as in:

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, Harold be thy name." :) :) :)

[Court Jester]

Hark! Old Harold's Angels Sing?



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A hat with bells on is not funny, it is the jester underneath.

[Kat]

The "H" is for Howard (...Howard be thy name...), Harold is the angel's name (...Hark, the Harold Angel sings...).

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Your Official Cat Goddess since 10/20/99.

Semper Ubi Sub Ubi

[Fyodor]

In my humble opinion this "H" was added in simpler times when people used words like darn and heck and shoot instead of the real shocking swear words. If someone was overcome by excitement enough to exclaim "Jesus Christ" they got in the habit of saying "Jesus H Christ". If they were then overheard committing blasphemy there is a chance the person overhearing might be deceived by the addition of the H. By adding some sounds - "ay" "ch" - that aren't in "Jesus Christ" the exclamation is made less distinctive.

[omni-not]

Believe that's what you were looking for:

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_033.html

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omniscientnot, in a previous incarnation.
The hyphen says it all...

[Whammo]

Yeah... nothing is cuter then when a 4 year old exclaims "Jesus Godf@cking Christ woman could I get some breakfast here?!?!". NOTHING!

Whatever...

ahhh... the state of the world today.

[yosemite]

My dad, the good church-going man that he was, would say "Jesus H. Christ on a crutch!" when he was really mad - it just appalled my mom so. (That was the whole point of saying it!)

The "H" stands for "Howard". My dad would add the middle name when he really wanted to upset my mom. ;)

I was raised to never curse using Jesus' name (despite the example my dad gave me!) and I never have said "Jeesus!" It makes me squirm a little when I hear it. But - thanks to dad, I do know what the "H" stands for!

[heretic]

When were these simpler times, when people didn't swear, exactly?

[Whammo]

People have always sworn... they just havent always thought it was cute when there 4 year old lets out with a string of swear words.

[heretic]

I'd say no more do now then ever did.

[omni-not]

Frankly (and more seriously...), I thought that it came, albeit somewhat "indirectly" :), from the Latin "Iesus Hominorum Salvator". Which could be more or less litterally translated by "Jesus, Saviour of Mankind".

Either that or Howard.

[NanoByte]

Maybe it stands for 'hasbeen'. Check it out comes January 1?

Ray

[tracer]

Doesn't it stand for "Holy"?

[Mr. Sheepshead]

I thought Tommy Lee Jones settled this for us in Natural Born Killers. He exclaims with much vigor that it is indeed "Harold".

[mr john]

What was the date on Cecil's column? I'da sworn I posted that INRI thing on here somewheres. Any way the H does stand for HENRY. Cece is operating under the misconception that it is from folks using INRH ( king of Hebrews) instead of the actual INRI ( king of Jews). Neither is correct it is for Henry, the roman soldier that made the sign was a Cockney from Londinium.

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"Pardon me while I have a strange interlude."-Marx

[Coldfire]

Slightly off-topicly, I'd like to share the following joke regarding kids & swearing:

*warning: profanity ahead !*

A 7 year old and a 5 year old are upstairs in their bedroom. "You know what?", says the 7 year old, "I think it's about time we start
swearing."

The 5 year old nods his head in approval. "When we go downstairs for breakfast I'm gonna swear first, then you swear after me, ok?"

"Ok" the 5 year old agrees with enthusiasm.

The mother walks into the kitchen and asks the 7 year old what he wants for breakfast.

"Oh, shit mum, I guess I'll have some Coco Pops"

WHACK!! He flew out of his chair, tumbled across the kitchen floor, got up, and ran upstairs crying his eyes out. She looked at the 5 year old and asked with a stern voice, "And what do YOU want for breakfast, young
man?!"

"I don't know," he blubbers, "but you can bet your fuckin' ass it won't be Coco Pops."

;)


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Coldfire
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"You know how complex women are"
- Neil Peart, Rush (1993)

[Jois]

Thank you for starting this thread! I've laughed every time I checked it and sent it on to my older brothers. Our dad was a mild mannered man but if you could make his blood boil - JHC was what he said. And we never dared ask.

[handy]

A slang dictionary gives:
Jesus H. Christ (name)
+ An expletive, considered offensive by the religious. The source of the middle initial is
uncertain. 'Jesus H. Christ! You can't be pregnant!'