Lexpert Magazine

LEXPERT MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016 67 WORDS | DETOURS | Howard Richler's book Wordplay: Arranged & Deranged Wit was published in May 2016. Heavens to Betsy, where did all these name expressions come from? HAVE YOU EVER come across an expres- sion that you haven't encountered in de- cades? is happened to me some months ago while watching a German movie with English subtitles that featured a concentra- tion camp scene with some horrific goings- on. To my astonishment, the subtitle trans- lated the German ejaculation of despair with an understated, rather comical "Heav- ens to Betsy!" For those not familiar with the expression, it is a mild exclamation of surprise or shock, and thus hardly adequate to describe the situation. My interest aroused, I found the origin of this phrase is shrouded in mystery. It rep- resents one of the euphemistic non-curses that was prevalent more than 50 years ago and whose usage has all but vanished. e OED's first citation of the phrase is in 1857 from Frederick W. Saunders's short story Serenade, found in Ballou's Dollar Monthly Magazine: "'Heavens to Betsy!' he ex- claims, clapping his hand to his throat, 'I've cut my head off.'" It seems the selection of the name Betsy was arbitrary. According to Charles Earle Funk, who in 1955 used the phrase Heavens to Betsy as the title of his book on interesting phrases, its origin is "completely unsolvable." On the other hand, we do have a leading candidate for "Bob's your uncle" — used to express the ease with which a particular task can be achieved. e most popular By George! George? as God or Jesus by using a name with the same letter. So in the case of God, George represents one of the many G substitutes for God (such as golly, gosh or Godfrey). For those people who prefer onomas- tic certainty, I am pleased to relate that at least in one instance we are positive about the identity of a person referenced in an expression. In the expression "Sweet Fanny Adams" we have detailed knowledge about the subject. While this expression is popu- lar in Britain and Australia, it's not widely known in North America. I'm only aware of it because it's one of my British-born partner Carol's favourite expressions. Officially, "Sweet Fanny Adams" means "nothing" and it is oen used as a euphe- mism for the expression "sweet fuck all." Fanny Adams was an eight-year-old who was murdered in England in August 1867 by Frederick Baker, a 24-year-old solicitor's clerk. Her mutilated body was found in a field near Alton. is heinous crime was widely reported and drew much sympathy due to the victim's age. A ballad about the murder described the victim as having a sweet nature and before long British sailors turned this tragedy into sick comedy as the expression "Sweet Fanny Adams" came to refer to the inedible meat rations the sailors were served, likening the meat to the dead girl's remains. In fact, in 1889, a diction- ary of slang defines Fanny Adams as "navy, tinned mutton." Eventually, the phrase "Sweet Fanny Adams" became a substitute for the aforementioned obscene expression oen rendered initially as SFA given that both expressions sport the same initials. So whether you're a known or unknown Bob, George or Fanny, you may be immor- talized in an expression. Such is the egali- tarian nature of the English language. theory relates it to an act of nepotism in the 1880s. British political pundits were bemused when the young and inexperi- enced Arthur Balfour (to become Prime Minister in 1902) was appointed as Chief Secretary for Ireland by his uncle Robert (Bob) Gascoyne-Cecil, then Prime Minis- ter. Hence, the theory suggests that, if Bob is your uncle, anything is possible. Some etymologists believe there is no ba- sis for this origin and that it represents an example of a back-formation (i.e., an expla- nation that is invented aer the event). An alternate theory points out that in 18th- century slang there was an expression "all is bob" that meant "all is well" and some ety- mologists see this as the expression's origin. e problem with both these theories is that the expression is only found in print in the 1920s. is makes the latter origin theory appear particularly dubious. It also seems somewhat odd that an expression connected to the nepotism of an uncle to his nephew would only surface aer both men were well out of office. So it would appear that there exists rea- sonable doubt about the true identity of our aforementioned Betsy and Bob. But what about the George found in the mild excla- mation "By George!" According to Robert Hendrickson in Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, this George is none other than Saint George who has been the patron saint of England since the institution of the Order of the Garter in 1348. Little, however, is known about this can- onized George. It has been speculated that he was a soldier in the Roman army who was martyred for his Christian faith in Asia Minor. is theory, however, is specious. Most etymologists believe that George represents a substitute for God and follows the old Hebraic and English traditions of avoiding the use of sacred words such PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

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