# Jesus H. Christ! Have you no sense of history? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 16, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-h-christ-have-you-no-sense-of-history/93810 "2001-11-16T20:54:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![danson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@danson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danson)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-h-christ-have-you-no-sense-of-history/93810/1 "2001-11-16T20:54:19Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-h-christ-have-you-no-sense-of-history/93810/2 "2001-11-16T21:06:35Z")
And the column being referenced is, I’m assuming, [Why do folks say “Jesus H. Christ”?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_033.html). ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-h-christ-have-you-no-sense-of-history/93810/3 "2001-11-16T21:17:51Z")
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](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](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? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-h-christ-have-you-no-sense-of-history/93810/4 "2001-11-17T15:40:05Z")
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. To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL). Cecil’s column can be found on-line at the link provided by **Duck Duck Goose**. The column can also be found on pages 33-34 of Cecil Adams’ book «[_The Straight Dope_](http://www.straightdope.com/otheroutlets/books.html)». * * * moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)» ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-h-christ-have-you-no-sense-of-history/93810/5 "2001-11-17T15:44:04Z")
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] ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-h-christ-have-you-no-sense-of-history/93810/6 "2001-11-19T16:47:50Z")
Since there was Jesus and Mary Magdalane, doesn’t that make the Ho ratio 1? ---
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-h-christ-have-you-no-sense-of-history/93810/7 "2001-11-19T18:17:34Z")
All my college buddies told me the “H” stood for Harold. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-h-christ-have-you-no-sense-of-history/93810/8 "2001-11-19T18:58:39Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-h-christ-have-you-no-sense-of-history/93810/9 "2001-11-19T19:36:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-h-christ-have-you-no-sense-of-history/93810/10 "2001-11-20T02:16:16Z")
Everyone _knows_ it stands for “Hallmark”. ---
**Author:** ![BaldingDork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a4c791/32.png) [@BaldingDork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaldingDork)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-h-christ-have-you-no-sense-of-history/93810/11 "2001-11-20T20:46:59Z")
> [@](#): > > 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](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980918.html) gives more info on MM’s Ho status.