2006-07-21 01:15:15 · 15 answers · asked by JT 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
edna is petes cousin 3 tiems removed. so its all the same.
2006-07-21 10:04:55 · answer #1 · answered by Calvin 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Biblical origins. Think of St Peter. Think of the omnipresent medieval church and think of hitting your thumb with a hammer. You can't swear, else the local priests will have you up before the Bishop and the Lord alone knows what the outcome of that will be, so you exclaim, in appropriate tone of voice, "For Saint Peter's sake" and carry on erecting the shelves. This phrase was amended to "For Pete's Sake" in later, less religiously oppressive, times.
2006-07-21 08:20:09 · answer #2 · answered by mom1025 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It always bothered me how exasperation could help Pete's ache ... and indeed, who is this mythical Pete? Maybe there were four of them and they are immortalised by all being in a dentist's waiting room at one time!
I suspect that it's a 'minced oath', much like "Gawd ...on Bennet" or "Holy Moses!" (for "Holy Mary") or "Sugar" in place of a scatological expletive. One also says 'for pity's sake', which is obviously connected, and which came first and which is a 'minced' version of the other, I don't know. One might argue logically that St Peter is traditionally keeper of the keys (to heaven) and one often hears 'For Pete's sake!' uttered when someone is being particularly 'cack-handed' (more scatology, there) and someone else's facility in the action is offended and they step in with the key to dexterity.
2006-07-21 08:58:21 · answer #3 · answered by Owlwings 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Edna's really a man named Pete!
2006-07-21 08:18:54 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a reference to St. Peter.
Saying, "For Pete's sake!"
is like saying, "Aw, Jesus Christ!"
(For all of those Evangelicals out there I used the word "like" not "same")
2006-07-21 08:18:36 · answer #5 · answered by cirestan 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pete is a biblical reference to Fred The Unwashed, although something seems to have been lost in translation.
2006-07-21 08:19:31 · answer #6 · answered by Gallivanting Galactic Gadfly 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think Pete is in reference to Saint Peter?
2006-07-21 08:19:00 · answer #7 · answered by Badkitty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
THe original expressions was, "Oh, for pity's sake."
The speaker would have observed something pitiable, or pitiful.
It would have been equivalent to, "You poor thing, let me staighten that out for you." For the sake of the pity I feel for you, ... For pity's sake.
Well, you know how people misspeak expressions like this - that's how "pity's sake" became "pete's sake".
2006-07-21 08:28:46 · answer #8 · answered by gabluesmanxlt 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If we used Edna ...then everyone would say 'why Edna?'
It has to be someone and it can't be everyone.
"Oh for everyones sake"
2006-07-21 08:19:37 · answer #9 · answered by toe poe gee gee oh 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yea, who was Pete, anyway?
2006-07-21 08:18:33 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋