holy moley
English
Alternative forms
- holy moly
Etymology
c. 1892 as a euphemism for "Holy Mary", Molly being a nickname for Mary. Compare holy Moses.
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Interjection
holy moley!
- (idiomatic, dated, humorous or euphemistic) An expression of surprise
- 1892, Nathaniel Gould, Running it off; or, Hard hit:
- "Whew !" he whistled, softly; "that's curious. Same name as the lady at our place. Suppose he should be her husband. Holy moley, what a game. I've made a discovery.
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Synonyms
- See Thesaurus:wow
Translations
holy smoke — see holy smoke