Holy moly

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

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

[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.)

[PF-3] Mayhew, Cari (26 June 2024). "Holy moly". Phrase Finder. Retrieved 2024-07-13.

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