What's with all of the Judas Priest's? The father said, Kitty said, it started getting annoying after awhile. I'm not regilious, so don't think of it as a regilious nut complaining.
Gabriel Krichinsky when he arrives late for the family Thanksgiving dinner: Vy didja cud da TOIKEY?
It was a common expression at the time, said to avoid saying "Jesus Christ!" or "God!" It was used by Sinclair Lewis in his 1922 book "Babbitt":
"Judas Priest, I could write poetry myself if I had a whole year for it."
The Barnhart Dictionary of American Slang says it was in common usage by 1914.
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That was the reason. To avoid saying JC. I tried to get used to saying it, but JFC came out more naturally.
sharePerhaps if you saw the film in 1940 rather than 2010, the phrase would not have bothered you. I thought her father was a non-entity anyway in the film, so whatever he said had little impact on my enjoyment of the film.
shareThat was my mom's favorite oath when I was a kid in the '50s and '60s. She probably picked it up from her dad in the '30s and '40s. Both of them were against real cussing, so I assume it was a euphemism for stronger words.
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