# Why do we say 'Holy Cow!' ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2003, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299 "2003-12-16T12:02:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wolfette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Wolfette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfette)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/1 "2003-12-16T12:02:39Z")
Why do we say ‘holy cow’ when surprised… is it just a nicer way of saying holy cr@p? ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/2 "2003-12-16T12:18:32Z")
A reference to the “Golden Calf” perhaps? ``` Exodus 32:2-4 (molten calf made from gold). ``` * * * “Beware of the Cog” ---
**Author:** ![ricin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@ricin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/3 "2003-12-16T12:34:13Z")
probably for the same reasons we say heck and darn, it is simply a sound that is mnemonically similar to a word we use in place of a word we do not want to use. The fact that it is also the name of an animal could be coincidental or it could have been chosen from amongst the slew of possible replacements for “crap” because of its status as an actual word. that is just a guess though. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/4 "2003-12-16T12:42:25Z")
It was used as an expression on some 1930s-1940s radio show as a mild oath. I’ve always suspected it was based on Indian “holy” cows. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/5 "2003-12-16T13:33:54Z")
In addition – I’ve heard that the first appearance of "How Cow’ was on that show (justr as Captain Marvel gave us “Holy Moly”), and that it caught on in popularity from there. Can’t recall the show, though. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/6 "2003-12-16T16:11:02Z")
spingears: > [@](#): > > A reference to the “Golden Calf” perhaps? The Golden Calf would be UNholy. If there’s any Biblical origin to the phrase, it more likely comes from the Red Heifer (Numbers 19). ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/7 "2003-12-16T21:43:57Z")
I believe the original term was “[Holy Chao](http://www.ology.org/principia/)” (or “Sacred Chao”) but philistines just assumed that the enlightened ones were discussing barnyard animals again. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/8 "2003-12-16T21:59:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmkeller \* > \*\*spingears: > > The Golden Calf would be UNholy. If there’s any Biblical origin to the phrase, it more likely comes from the Red Heifer (Numbers 19). \*\* The unholy “Holy Cow” was made as a substitute for the real and the apostate Israelites considered it as “Holy.” An unacceptable by-word or exclamation. Not to be used by a dedicated servant of Jehovah God. * * * “Beware of the Cog” ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/9 "2003-12-16T22:06:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > \*\*It was used as an expression on some 1930s-1940s radio show as a mild oath. I’ve always suspected it was based on Indian “holy” cows. \*\* As featured in the movie “Angus of God.” ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/10 "2003-12-17T00:43:03Z")
> [@](#): > > In addition – I’ve heard that the first appearance of "How Cow’ was on that show (justr as Captain Marvel gave us “Holy Moly”), Only Capt. Marvel DIDN’T give us “Holy Moly” but merely popularized an expression already in use. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/11 "2003-12-17T00:55:12Z")
“Holy Cow!” Phil Rizzuto, N.Y. Yankee hall of famer, and, Yankee play by play announcer. When the Yankees gave him a day at Yankee stadium, one of the gifts was a cow, which, while turning, knocked Phil on his butt…Holy Cow! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/12 "2003-12-17T01:43:25Z")
And, while “holy cow!” is usually associated with Harry Carey or Phil Rizzuto, Barry Popik found a non-baseball cite in the 1923 Washington Post. So I doubt that it first appeared on that mid-1930’s radio show. But the radio show probably helped to popularize an existing exclamation. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/13 "2003-12-17T03:04:19Z")
What??? You mean to tell me snopes doesn’t know??? My my my, and here I thought snopes knew everything. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/14 "2003-12-17T03:34:32Z")
Because in mixed company, Holy Cow/Jeeez/crap/wow/poo/etc… is a lot more acceptable than the standard, which is Holy You Know What. Holy Cow, IMO, is a way for people who don’t believe in swearing on bodily functions to swear without swearing. It may be just me, but I don’t think it is much deeper than that. I’d eat a holy cow… but I wouldn’t eat “you know what”, holy or sinner, unless I was on Fear Factor. Just my theory. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/15 "2003-12-17T05:46:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ccwaterback \* > \*\*What??? You mean to tell me snopes doesn’t know??? My my my, and here I thought snopes knew everything. \*\* Perhaps _they_ know their limitations. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/16 "2003-12-17T12:31:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Only Capt. Marvel DIDN’T give us “Holy Moly” but merely popularized an expression already in use. Only the way I heard it, Captain Marvel _did_ introduce the term. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/17 "2003-12-18T03:50:35Z")
I believe that Captain Marvel appeared in 1940. The Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang cites it in the comic only from 1949. Coincidentally, this came up over at the American Dialect Society mailing list just a few months back. William Woolfolk had just died and his obituary in the NYTimes had a piece about him inventing the phrase for the Captain to say when he was astonished. It took only a few minutes to find a newpaper cite from before that, which used the phrase in a football context: From ancestry, Coshocton County Democrat (OH), March 13, 1946: > [@](#): > > The pudgy-cheeked, wild-haired Jimmy sat back at his familiar desk yesterday > > “Holy Moly, what we’re going to do with this team! Look at that list of > backs–Pat Harder, Chief Johnson, Elmer Angeman, Paul Christman, \” > > (A story about the Chicago Cardinals football team.) But now you have me MORE interested. Perhaps the phrase DID appear before 1949 in the comic. Off to search. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-say-holy-cow/219299/18 "2003-12-18T13:51:31Z")
I’ll have to go through my books. I think that I read that Captain Marvel originated the phrase in Steranko’s **History of Comics**. It would have been well before 1949 – IIRC, Billy Batston says it in the story of Cap’s origin , right in the first issue.