2006-09-28 15:11:20 · 5 answers · asked by Jacks036 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
"Pete" refers to St. Peter, one of Jesus's disciples and a leader of the early Christian church. A similar expression is "For the love of Pete." A mild kind of expletive, kind of a watered-down form of "For God's sake."
2006-09-28 15:22:29 · answer #1 · answered by just♪wondering 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
This is used to express frustration with a situation, as in “For Pete’s sake, stop fooling around!”
This phrase, and phrases like “For the love of Pete” are euphemisms for the phrases “for the love of God/Christ” or “for God’s/Christ’s sake” and probably date back to at least late 19th century America, a time when those phrases were considered blasphemous.
Pete most likely is in reference to the catholic Saint Peter.
2006-09-28 23:00:33 · answer #2 · answered by reformed_witch 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's an euphemism used "to avoid blasphemy" by substituting Pete, the diminutive of Peter, the "first Pope", for Christ in the expression "for Christ's sake" when the expression is used to express frustration rather than exhortation.
2006-09-28 22:41:50 · answer #3 · answered by Helmut 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
also " for the love of Pete!"...who knows? My personal favorite : " What in the name of Sam Hill..."
2006-09-28 22:13:53 · answer #4 · answered by alanc_59 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
maybe Saint Peter?
2006-09-28 22:19:33 · answer #5 · answered by Leela 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋