¿Where does the expression "holly cow" come from?and meaning..?

Question

Spanish confused boy ask?

Answer 1

I believe that it comes from the Old Testament, and the worship of the golden calf.

Answer 2

It's actually 'Holy Cow'. There was a Sports Caster for the Chicago Cubs (Baseball) named Harry Carry - that was his catch phrase, especially when the Home Team hit a Home Run....basically it's like 'Oh, My God'.

Answer 3

Maybe it comes from India since the cows are considered sacred there.?

Answer 4

in the hindu religion cows are considered sacred so instead of saying "jesus Christ!" and being blasphimous people say "holy cow!" instead. thas how it all started.

Answer 5

the hindus. the cow is a sacred animal to them.
so we decided to pick it up as a "swear word."

Answer 6

One key to appreciating this expression (whatever its precise origin) is to appreciate that the use of "cow" is NOT meant terribly seriously, but as an odd or silly or at least harmless idea.

So for starters, let's not get confused -- the expression "Holy cow!" is NOT the equivalent of the idiom "sacred cow" (though I won't completely dismiss the notion that it might have some connection)
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/cow

Nor is there any reason to link it to the golden calf episode in the Old Testament.

Seeing that the key word starts with a C, it may well be that it began as a "minced oath", a milder substitute for "Holy Christ" (Such expressions frequently use a harmless or even meaningless substitute including some of the same sounds, esp BEGINNING with the same sounds -- cf. "Jeepers Creepers", "Jees", "Jiminy Cricket" and "Judas Priest" for "Jesus (Christ)"; also Gosh, darn, heck.... 'the dickens' for 'the devil', etc.)

In any case, "Holy cow" is one of a group relatively recent, and very AMERICAN expressions.

For the date several of them are first attested in print:
"Holy smoke!, 1889; Holy cats!, Holy mackerel!, both 1803; Holy Moses!, 1906, Holy cow!, 1942."
From "I Hear America Talking" by Stuart Berg Flexner (Von Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 1976). "
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/22/messages/23.html

Of this whole group the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms writes:
'Holy cow,' 'holy mackerel' or 'Moses' or 'moly' or 'smoke.' An exclamation of surprise, astonishment, delight, or dismay, as in Holy cow, I forgot the wine, or Holy mackerel, you won! or Holy Moses, here comes the teacher! or Holy smoke, I didn't know you were here too. The oldest of these slangy expletives uses mackerel, dating from about 1800; the one with 'Moses' dates from about 1850 and 'cow' from about 1920. None has any literal significance, and moly is a neologism devised to rhyme with “holy” and possibly a euphemism for “Moses.”
http://www.wordwizard.com/ch_forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3735

Compare the following on "holy smoke" --
It seems more likely that holy smoke was invented anew as a mock-religious exclamation and mild oath on the model of the older holy Moses (from the 1850s), and holy terror and Holy Joe (both from the 1880s). In turn these probably served as the model for others of similar type that came later, such as holy cow from the early 1940s.
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-hol1.htm

Note that date for the first printed attestaion of "holy cow!" (1942/early 1940s). This does not necessarily mean that was it's first use, but it apparently is much later than many of the others. But it DOES suggest that it might not be so closely connected with the 19th century forms. Rather it might be part of a wave of mid 20th century expressions of this type, esp in popular media (comic books, TV, movies). On these, note the following:

: : From the Dictionary of American Slang (1960):
"Holy cow!" . . . Equiv. to "Holy cats!" both being euphemisms for "Holy Christ!" . . .the common oath and popular exclam. put into the mouth of teenagers by all script writers ... universally heard on radio, television, and in movies. It was first popularized by the "Corliss Archer" series of short stories, television programs, and movies, which attempted to show the humorous, homey side of teenage life.

: : Paul Beale (1985), however, in revising Eric Partridge's "Dictionary of Catch Phrases American and British," cites a different origin:
The orig. 'Captain Marvel' and 'Batman' oaths, 'holy (something harmless),' were in turn spoofed in later C20 by whatever seemed relevant to the situation: Nigel Rees, in "Very Interesting . . . But Stupid: Catchphrases from the World of Entertainment," 1980, instances holy flypaper!, holy cow!, holy felony!, holy geography!, holy schizophrenia! holy haberdashery!, etc., and adds, 'The prefix 'holy' to any exclamation was particularly the province of Batman and [his boy assistant] Robin, characters created by Bob Kane and featured in best-selling comic books for over thirty years before they were portrayed by Adam West and Burt Ward in the TV film series.'
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/22/messages/23.html

Since all of this was done as silliness. It's POSSIBLE the notion was suggested by the Hindus "sacred cow", base on the idea that a cow itself is a rather silly thing to be regarded holy/sacred. At any rate, the idea seems to be that the word is supposed to refer to something harmless (which also applies if it was chosen as a substitute for "Christ").

One remotely possible parallel (my own idea) I will toss in:

The early 19th century expression 'holy mackerel' was apparently related to the expression 'mackerel-snappers', a mock term of derision used against Catholics immigrants. This was based on their eating fish on Friday -- why mackerels? It may be influenced by the fact that mackerels are very cheap [what these immigrants could afford] and not highly regarded. But the suggestion that "mackerel" was suggested by (the archangel) Michael seems very likely.
http://www.takeourword.com/TOW180/page2.html

Though it was originally derisive, there may again be the idea of silliness, viz, the notion that a fish (esp. the mackerel) is rather a silly thing to be regarded as holy.