Jesus H. Christ! Have you no sense of history?

[danson]

With regard to what the H. stands for in Jesus H. Christ, Samuel Clemens provides that information.

When he was a youth, he was a printer’s assistant, back in the days when pages were set up of small lead letters carefully placed in a form. This was a very tedious process, and required reading the text backward.

One Friday, he and a friend were setting the church bulletin. It was hot and muggy, and the friends wanted to be done and go down to the river. So, to save time, ever place in the bulletin that it said Jesus Christ, they shortened the text to JC. The printer was furious, and told them that “You never abbreviate the name of our Lord!” and instructed them to rest the bulletin.

Not being particularly compliant fellows, they reset the bulletin. And every where the orginal said “Jesus Christ,” the miscreants put in the full name of our Lord, “Jesus Horatio Christ.”

They didn’t actually get to print the bulletin until about midnight, but they did get a laugh or two.

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

And the column being referenced is, I’m assuming, Why do folks say “Jesus H. Christ”?.

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Cute story. But not true, that these guys single-handedly came up with the idea of the “H”.

http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/10/messages/698.html

Mark Twain wrote in his autobiography that even in his childhood the oath was considered old.

http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-jes1.htm

The oath does indeed seem to be American, first recorded in print at the end of the nineteenth century, although around 1910 Mark Twain wrote in his Autobiography that the expression had been in use about 1850 and was considered old even then. Its long survival must have a lot to do with its cadence, and the way that an especially strong emphasis can be placed on the H.

And–I can’t find that Mark Twain even told that particular story. Got a cite? An attribution? Where’s it from?

'Cause I sure don’t see it anywhere on the Web. Google, “Mark Twain printer boy jesus” and variations thereof–zip. Nada.

So?

[Arnold_Winkelried]

Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for posting your comment.
Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site.
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The column can also be found on pages 33-34 of Cecil Adams’ book «The Straight Dope».

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moderator, «Comments on Cecil’s Columns»

[Arnold_Winkelried]

danson, it sounds to me that they chose the name Horatio because of the common expression “Jesus H. Christ”. Nonetheless, this anecdote may give us valuable information on the significance of that mysterious H. Could it be that Mr. Clemens and his fellow prankster, while trying to play a joke, could have unbeknownst to themselves, been working under divine guidance? Perhaps Jesus was named Horatio, but the information was lost in the mists of time.

[Edited by Arnold Winkelried on 11-19-2001 at 12:53 PM]

[DanBlather]

Since there was Jesus and Mary Magdalane, doesn’t that make the Ho ratio 1?

[jebert]

All my college buddies told me the “H” stood for Harold.

[Arnold_Winkelried]

jebert - the justification for “Harold” can be found in the Straight Dope column.

DanBlather - I don’t get it, unless you’re using the word “ho” to mean prostitute?

[DanBlather]

*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried *
**
DanBlather - I don’t get it, unless you’re using the word “ho” to mean prostitute? **

Yes. I guess if I have to explain it, it wasn’t funny.

[Czarcasm]

Everyone knows it stands for “Hallmark”.

[BaldingDork]

DanBlather - I don’t get it, unless you’re using the word “ho” to mean prostitute?

I thought the joke was hilarious. Cecil’s column on Mary Magdalene gives more info on MM’s Ho status.