# origin of B-Jesus as in "I'll knock the B-Jesus out of you!"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-b-jesus-as-in-ill-knock-the-b-jesus-out-of-you/205767>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 5, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-b-jesus-as-in-ill-knock-the-b-jesus-out-of-you/205767 "2003-10-05T22:53:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vickie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a5b964/32.png) [@vickie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vickie)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-b-jesus-as-in-ill-knock-the-b-jesus-out-of-you/205767/1 "2003-10-05T22:53:08Z")

</div>

Cecil’s article on the origin of “Jesus H. Christ” made me wonder about “B-Jesus” or “BuhJesus”…???

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-b-jesus-as-in-ill-knock-the-b-jesus-out-of-you/205767/2 "2003-10-06T01:14:18Z")

</div>

It’s bejesus.

According to [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com), which every good Doper should bookmark:

> [@](#):
>
> ## Used as an intensive: The bear scared the bejesus out of us.
> 
> [Alteration of by Jesus.]

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-b-jesus-as-in-ill-knock-the-b-jesus-out-of-you/205767/3 "2003-10-06T01:14:30Z")

</div>

It’s generally spelled “bejesus” or “bejeezus.” [American Heritage](http://www.panikon.com/phurba/alteng/b.html) and [Merriam-Webster](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=bejesus) say that it’s derived from the interjection, “By Jesus!”