# What does the H stand for in the saying Jesus H Christ **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610 "2014-07-20T17:33:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/1 "2014-07-20T17:33:57Z")
Hello Everyone, Today I was pissed at something and I muttered the phrase Jesus H Christ. Thinking back I can remember my parents saying this on occasion so I guess that’s where I pickled it up from. I have heard others use it, so I know my parents didn’t come up with it. But what does the H stand for? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/2 "2014-07-20T17:38:02Z")
Probably “Holy,” but if you’re a biologist, you can substitute “Haploid” See Cecil’s article here [Why do folks say “Jesus H. Christ”? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/30/why-do-folks-say-jesus-h-christ) (which provides a couple of other serious answers). ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/3 "2014-07-20T17:45:39Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Probably “Holy,” but if you’re a biologist, you can substitute “Haploid” > > See Cecil’s article here [Why do folks say “Jesus H. Christ”? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/30/why-do-folks-say-jesus-h-christ) (which provides a couple of other serious answers). Thanks for the quick reply. It never occurred to me to search. I’m not the sharpest crayon in the 64 pack at times. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/4 "2014-07-20T17:51:50Z")
Aw, I’d always heard Harold. As in; “Hark! The Harold angels sing.” ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/5 "2014-07-20T18:00:08Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > Aw, I’d always heard Harold. As in; “Hark! The Harold angels sing.” Harold be thy name. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Cashless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Johnny\_Cashless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Cashless)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/6 "2014-07-20T18:06:23Z")
Horatio! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/7 "2014-07-20T18:12:16Z")
Hey, Zeus ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/8 "2014-07-20T18:44:28Z")
Hopping, which is why we also have the sayings “Christ on a pogo stick…”, “Christ on a crutch”, and “Jesus Jumping Christ.” ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/9 "2014-07-20T18:52:48Z")
Walter (the “H” is silent) with apologies to Maynard G. Krebbs ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/10 "2014-07-20T19:06:35Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Hey, Zeus Not “Hey, Jew’d”? (I lean towards “Haploid” myself.) ---
**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:** [July 20, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/11 "2014-07-20T19:07:00Z")
Hamish, same as the H in John H. Watson. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/12 "2014-07-20T19:13:18Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > Thanks for the quick reply. It never occurred to me to search. I’m not the sharpest crayon in the 64 pack at times. :smack: I wrote my first answer, and then had the sneaking suspicion that Cecil had written on the topic, leading me to do the search. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/13 "2014-07-20T19:22:41Z")
From my post in one of many [previous threads on this subject](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=107808&highlight=jesus+christ) > [@samclem](#): > > Arnold You always were a trusting soul. > > Lighter, Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang says that it first appears in print in 1892. Cited by one A. Lomax as in a folk song. That may indicate it does go back a bit farther than that date. > > The Mark Twain reference is mentioned in his autobiography(written in 1910) in which Clemens says, referring to ca. 1850 “In that day the common swearers of the region has a way of their own of emphasizing the Saviour’s name when they were using it profanely…He enlarged the offending J.C. into Jesus H. Christ.” > > Whether this truly happened as early as 1850, we will probably never know. > > Lighter suggests that “the H. is probably from Greek. epigram for Jesus, IHS or IHC, with the H(the Greek letter eta) reinterpreted as the E letter H.” > > Trust in Lighter. All others pay cash. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/14 "2014-07-20T20:22:27Z")
My Ma says it stands for '_Hallmark_" because “God cared enough to send the very best”. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Drummond\_Bays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@Drummond\_Bays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drummond_Bays)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/15 "2014-07-20T22:55:00Z")
“Hammering.” He was a carpenter, after all. 8) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/16 "2014-07-21T02:50:29Z")
Hamantaschen. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/17 "2014-07-21T03:51:21Z")
Nothing. It’s like BJ Hunnicutt from MASH. He was just named Jesus H. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/18 "2014-07-21T03:53:29Z")
It’s for his middle name, Howard. Don’t you remember that prayer (or is it a psalm?) that goes “Our Father, who art in heaven, Howard be thy name”? ---
**Author:** ![SGT42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@SGT42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SGT42)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/19 "2014-07-21T13:22:03Z")
Homo (Latin for Man) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610/20 "2014-07-21T16:19:17Z")
Herman, according to my father-in-law, whose name it was. Good enough for me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-h-stand-for-in-the-saying-jesus-h-christ/693610.md?page=2)