Who is Gordon Bennett?

Question

I have always wondered when people say "oh Gordon Bennett" who they are talking about. Does anybody know?

Answer 1

The expletive Gordon Bennett appears to be a minced oath. It is a version of Gor blimey, which is itself a euphemistic version of God blind me. That, combined with Bennett's famously outrageous lifestyle and newsworthy stunts, is sufficient to explain why his name was picked out.

That's why; what is more difficult to explain is how and when. The known printed citations of the use of the name as an expletive date back only to the 1960s - long after Gordon Bennett was dead and almost forgotten by the general public. The earliest I can find is in a 1962 episode of the BBC comedy Steptoe and Son - The Bird:

Harold: Well that's that then. I said "That's that then".
Albert: What's that then?
Harold: That is! I've finished for the day!
Albert: Have you fed the horse?
Harold: Of course I've fed the horse - I wouldn't have said "That's that then" if I hadn't.
Albert: You wrapped him up?
Harold: Yes I have wrapped him up. Look when I say "That's that then" it means I've done it all, it means I've finished. Gordon Bennett, if you don't know that after all these years.

Answer 2

James Gordon Bennett, Jr. (May 10, 1841 – May 14, 1918), was a newspaper publisher and sports enthusiast. In 1877, a few years of taking control of his father's paper, Gordon Bennett left New York after a scandal that ended his engagement to socialite Caroline May. The incident involved Bennett arriving late and drunk to a party at the May family's New York mansion, and urinating in either the living room fireplace or a nearby piano, in full view of his hosts (the location differed in the witnesses' memories). This incident is thought to be the origin of "Gordon Bennett" as an expression of disbelief, common in the southern regions of the United Kingdom.

Answer 3

My mum always used to tell me that Gordon Bennett was a magician who did the trick where you pull the table cloth from under all the plates and cups on the table. However, he was never very good so often used to break them and everyone would say oooohhhh gordon bennett. As a child I believed this to be true, I'm not so sure now lol

Answer 4

he was a very fast living man. In fact, with the expansiveness that is appropriate for this story, two real people.

It is commonly thought that this refers to James Gordon Bennett. The elder James Gordon Bennett was born in Banffshire, Scotland in 1795 and emigrated to the USA, eventually becoming a journalist and founding the New York Herald in 1835. Bennett had a natural talent for journalism and the paper flourished. Bennett's nose for a story, meant that he invented the 'gutter press' methods. In 1836, in a pre-cursor to the chequebook/kiss-and-tell journalism now so popular with tabloid newspapers, he published a notice offering to reward any woman who "will set a trap for a Presbyterian parson, and catch one of them flagrante delicito [sic]". He was unblushing in what was then seen as improper descriptions of his relationship with his wife - describing her 'most magnificent' figure and publishing details of their wedding and the birth of James Gordon Bennett junior in 1841.

James Gordon Bennett Jr. inherited his father's talents for journalism and controversy, not to mention his multi-million dollar estate - and he's the Gordon Bennett that the phrase refers to. He took over control of the New York Herald in 1866, by which time he was well into an enthusiastic and hedonist playboy lifestyle, indulging in spending the family fortune on air and road racing in the USA, England and France.

He was a significant promoter and patron of sports, especially those requiring impressive and expensive equipment, for example international motor racing, ballooning and air racing. He gave several sponsorships in these fields, notably the Isle of Man Bennett Trophy races of 1900 to 1905 (subsequently a trials course on the island was named after him). A long-distance hot-air balloon race (The International Gordon Bennett balloon race), which still continues, was inaugurated by him in 1906.

Bennett lived most of his life in Europe, England in particular. The expletive Gordon Bennett appears to be a minced oath. It is a version of Gor blimey, which is itself a euphemistic version of God blind me. That, combined with Bennett's famously outrageous lifestyle and newsworthy stunts, is sufficient to explain why his name was picked out.

Answer 5

It is commonly believed that this expression has its origins in the popularity of James Gordon-Bennett, Jr..

His father, born in Scotland in 1795, emigrated to the US to become a journalist and subsequently founded the 'New York Herald' in 1835. The many innovations he established within newspaper publishing, including European correspondents, illustrated news articles, the joint founding of The Associated Press (1848) and the first major use of the telegraph for news, led to a successful news empire which amassed considerable wealth.

It was his son, born in 1841 and known as Gordon-Bennett, who really captured the attention of the US and European populace. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he took every opportunity to live life as a playboy; his wild lifestyle and extravagant spending gained him notoriety in high society. On one occasion, at a New Year's party (1877) being held by his fiancee's father, he got so stupifyingly drunk as to mistake the fireplace for a toilet and proceeded to urinate in front of his prospective in-laws and their guests. Other tales include the occasion when, annoyed by the bulky roll of money in his back pocket, he burnt the lot in an impetuous fit. There are many more tales of his outrageous and extravagant behaviour, however not all cast him in a bad light, such as the numerous times he would donate large sums of money to charities.

He took over the management of the Herald in 1867, and proceeded to invest funds in newsworthy ventures. His funding included the expedition by Stanley to Africa, in search of Dr. David Livingstone, and an ill fated attempt to explore the North Pole and Arctic region by G.W. De Long in the years between 1879 and 1881. The 'Jeanette' expedition, as the Arctic trip was known, failed miserably and led to the subsequent death, via starvation, of De Long and 19 fellow crew members. There are several islands in Siberia that bear Bennett's name.

Gordon-Bennett was particularly partial to sports, being credited with introducing polo to the United States, his interests included yachting, in which he established the James Gordon-Bennett Cup for international races. Trophies were similarly given for balloon and aeroplane racing, of which the Gordon-Bennett balloon race still exists. As further testament to his involvement in the various racing arenas, it was in 1904 that the Gordon-Bennett Motor Car Road Racing Trials were first run on the Isle of Man, which was the precursor to the world famous TT races, currently still held there.

From 1877 he lived in Europe, mainly on his 301 foot yacht, the Lysistrata, from where he administered the running of the New York Herald. He died in France in May 1918, aged 78.

The use of James Gordon-Bennett's name as an expletive possibly bears relation to his outrageous lifestyle and involvement in newsworthy stunts. Imagine opening your daily newspaper and reading yet another news item telling you of his latest antics, and as you begin to express incredulity with a "God Almighty", you restrain your publically unacceptable language and instead say..... GORDON-BENNETT!

Answer 6

This is an interjection expressing mild surprise, annoyance, etc.

Answer 7

He used to run our local dairy.

Answer 8

my mates husband

Answer 9

Australian artist.