Herbert, Humphrey, Harvey? anyone know?
2007-03-13 19:30:15 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Using the name of "Jesus Christ" as an oath has been common for many centuries, but the precise origins of the letter H in the expression Jesus H. Christ are obscure. While many explanations have been proposed, some serious and many humorous, the most widely accepted derivation is from the divine monogram of Christian symbolism. The symbol, derived from the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus, is transliterated "IHS," "IHC," "JHS," or "JHC." Since the transliteration "IHS" gave rise to the backronym Iesus Hominum Salvator (Latin for "Jesus savior of men"), it is plausible that "JHC" similarly led to "Jesus H. Christ".
2007-03-13 19:55:48 · answer #1 · answered by Spike 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The "H" stands for "Harold," from the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father, who art in heaven, Harold be thy name." (just kidding)
Actually nobody knows what the "H" stands for.
But the most reasonable theory seems to be "Holy" as in Jesus Holy Christ. This is a common blasphemy in the South which was then shortened to H by fast-talking Northerners.
With love in Christ.
2007-03-14 15:15:59 · answer #2 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You know, I've wondered that a lot. I guessed it was Harold, but others say Harvey.
who knows?
2007-03-14 21:53:46 · answer #3 · answered by filledesarcenciel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IDK, maybe holy?
2007-03-14 20:25:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋