Holy moly

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Holy moly (also spelled holy moley) is an exclamation of surprise that dates from at least 1892. [1] It is a reduplication of 'holy', perhaps as a minced oath, a cleaned-up version of a taboo phrase such as "Holy Moses", [2] or "Holy Mary". There is no evidence connecting the phrase to Moly, a sacred herb of Greek mythology. [3]

It was popularized in the U.S. as an expression often used by Billy Batson, the alter ego of Captain Marvel, a superhero created for Fawcett Publications.[ citation needed ]

References

  1. ↑ Gould, Nat (1892). Running it Off; or, Hard Hit. London: George Routledge and Sons. p.  217. Holy moley, what a game.
  2. ↑ "holy moly!" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/OED/2395747940.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  3. ↑ Mayhew, Cari (26 June 2024). "Holy moly". Phrase Finder. Retrieved 2024-07-13.


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