What does the "H." stand for in Jesus H. Chr*st?

Answer 1

Hopped-up

Jesus Hopped-up Christ!

Answer 2

There have been various theories, but the one that seems most plausible is that it comes from the Greek monogram for Jesus, IHS or IHC. This is formed from the first two letters plus the last letter of His name in Greek (the letters iota, eta, and sigma; in the second instance, the C is a Byzantine Greek form of sigma). The H is actually the capital letter form of eta, but churchgoers who were unfamiliar with Greek took it to be a Latin H.

Answer 3

I have never heard of Jesus H. Christi before but I could guess that it would mean holy. Or if not, it sounds like it is making fun of Christianity by saying Christ was a last name, not a title.

Answer 4

Etymology:

The expression dates to at least the late nineteenth century (although according to Mark Twain it was already old in 1850), and likely originates with the ancient Christian three-letter symbolism IHS (the Christogram).

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".

One factor in the transmutation of the monogram into the expression Jesus H. Christ may be that when the first syllable of the phrase "Jesus Christ" is strongly emphasised (as some speakers of some English accents may do when cursing), the rhythm suggests a missing middle syllable between "Jesus" and "Christ". The H may have been adopted from the monogram to fill this gap.

[edit] Other variations

The phrase "Jesus H. Christ" has been extended in many cases, both as a colloquialism, and in its use in television and film. For example, in the film The Blues Brothers, the character Jake exclaims, "Yes! Yes! Jesus H. tap-dancing Christ, I have seen the light!" in a moment of fervor. In Steven Spielberg’s classic film Jaws, war veteran turned fisherman Quint frequently utters the phrase during the movie, usually in moments of frustration.

The variation "Jesus tapdancing Christ" is also frequently used in the animated series South Park.

In the movie Fletch, they say "Jesus H. Christ on a popsicle stick."

In the TV series Hill Street Blues, SWAT team commander Lt. Hunter can be heard to euphemistically utter, "Judas H. Priest".

Another humorous usage of Jesus H. Christ implies that the H is the abbreviation for the name Harold, a play on words from The Lord's Prayer (the "Our Father") as if Harold is the name of Jesus’ Father: "Our Father, who art in heaven, Harold be thy name …", thus Harold is Jesus’ middle name.

The British situation comedy Bottom features the utterance "Jesus H. Corbett" - a play on words referring to Harry H. Corbett, the British actor who played Harold Steptoe in television's Steptoe and Son.

"Jesus H. Christ on a raft" can sometimes be heard from people from Newfoundland and other Atlantic provinces of Canada. This may be a reference to Christ's walk on water. Or perhaps this variant combines the exclamation with the (archaic) cafe slang term "Adam and Eve on a raft," which described two boiled eggs served on toast.

The phrase in the song "Stuart", by The Dead Milkmen "Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick! Everybody knows that a burrow owl lives in a hole in the ground! Why the hell do you think they call it a burrow owl, anyway?!" in reference about the intelligence of certain persons.

Answer 5

Doesn't stand for anything whatsoever. It's a common blasphemy at Christianity, implying Christ as Jesus' surname.

Answer 6

Jesus H Tapdancing Christ

Answer 7

Halibert... it's a stinky fish...

It could also be homosexual...

Actually, the real name of 'jesus' was Yeshua ben Yoseph, but this just sounds too middle eastern for the cristians... jesus could have been a terrorist!

Answer 8

Howard

Answer 9

Holy

Answer 10

Holy