Snagglepuss frequently said, “Heavens to Mergatroid!” I don’t know if I’m spelling it correctly. Who or what was Mergatroid? (Mergetroid?)
I believe it’s spelled Murgatroyd, but I don’t know where I know that from, or who it’s supposed to be. Since it’s almost certainly a “cleaned-up” phrase, like “For Pete’s sake” or “Heavens to Betsy”, it makes no more sense to ask who Murgatroyd is than it does to ask about Betsy or Pete. I suspect that Hanna-Barbera folks used it because it sounded different and slightly upper-crusty.
Asked and answered, as they say, in an earlier thread. Run a search and you should find it. It didn’t have anything to do with Hanna-Barbera, IIRC.
Here’s one previous thread on this subject.
Murgatroyd: The name comes from Yorkshire , and represents an unidentified place-name that itself means Margaret’s clearing, with the latter part of the name derived from the dialect word royd, ‘clearing’.
From Brewer’s Names.
Actually, asked and NOT answered.
from http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=8905
see also
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=27007 (mentioned above)
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=13171
Sure could use Cecil’s help on this one.
I think Cafe Society is a better place for this thread, so I’ll move it.
bibliophage
moderator GQ
Stoid’s long-lost brother, perhaps?