# Strewth!  It's another etymology question!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewth-its-another-etymology-question/178940>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 1, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewth-its-another-etymology-question/178940 "2003-06-01T14:30:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewth-its-another-etymology-question/178940/1 "2003-06-01T14:30:51Z")

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What’s the origin of the exclamation, “Strewth!”? I have a feeling it comes from “God’s truth!”, but that’s only a guess.

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**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewth-its-another-etymology-question/178940/2 "2003-06-01T15:26:35Z")

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Not the very best source, but…  
I have an annotated edition of “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” scripts, and the annotation to “strewth” indeed says it’s a corruption of “God’s truth.”

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewth-its-another-etymology-question/178940/3 "2003-06-01T15:36:42Z")

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Thanks. I was watching _Battle of Britain_ last night, and one of the pilot’s exclaimed “God’s truth!” It sounded like “God, strewth!” (and I remembered that “Zounds!” was from “God’s wounds!”) so I thought I’d ask for the Straight Dope. 😉

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**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewth-its-another-etymology-question/178940/4 "2003-06-01T17:26:11Z")

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The “God’s truth” is the explanation I’ve heard. I probably got it from the Word Detective, a very interesting sight in its own right. IIRC, other words coming from “God’s wounds” are “Gadzooks!” and “Wow”.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewth-its-another-etymology-question/178940/5 "2003-06-01T17:47:23Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Greg Charles \*  
> \*\*The “God’s truth” is the explanation I’ve heard. I probably got it from the Word Detective, a very interesting sight in its own right. IIRC, other words coming from “God’s wounds” are “Gadzooks!” and “Wow”. \*\*

“God’s wounds” --\> “zounds”  
“God’s hooks” (hands) --\> “Gadzooks”

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewth-its-another-etymology-question/178940/6 "2003-06-01T17:56:40Z")

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Exactly as others have posted.

OED cites first used by Kipling, 1892.