# Holy Mackerel

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mackerel/32075>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 5, 2000, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mackerel/32075 "2000-09-05T13:01:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Holly\_Sweet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Holly\_Sweet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Holly_Sweet)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mackerel/32075/1 "2000-09-05T13:01:29Z")

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I’ve been asked to come up with a “mascot” for the campaign fund at our church. I thought a fish, the “Holy Mackerel” would be appropriate. However, I don’t know where in the tar nation this term originated.

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**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mackerel/32075/2 "2000-09-05T13:33:00Z")

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This won’t get answered here **Holly Sweet**. I suggest you email TubaDiva and ask her to move this thread to General Questions. Welcome to the boards.

picmr

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**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mackerel/32075/3 "2000-09-05T15:08:22Z")

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I can move it. Off ye go, my little roe.

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mackerel/32075/4 "2000-09-06T02:51:39Z")

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I would have guessed “holy Mackerel” and “holy moley” were euphemisms for “Holy Moses,” but [this site](http://www.shu.ac.uk/web-admin/phrases/bulletin_board/5/messages/581.html) say they predate “holy Moses” by a few years.

Some people object to these “holy” expressions because (they say) they take the Lord’s name in vain. They use as evidence Revelation 15:4 which says of God, “Thou only art holy.”