an expression of astonishment

Etymology:

  • A stylized exclamation of surprise, similar to 'Heavens to Betsy'.
  • The expression "Heavens to Murgatroyd" was coined by the writers of the Yogi Bear cartoon series in 1961. It is a variant of the earlier expression "Heavens to Betsy". The first recorded use of the phrase in print was in an advertisement in the Ohio newspaper The Akron Beacon Journal in March 1961.
  • The phrase is often mistakenly attributed to Bert Lahr's character in the 1944 film Meet the People. The Snagglepuss character, who popularized the phrase, is very similar to the persona that Bert Lahr adopted on-screen, but the phrase doesn't appear in the film and was not coined until 17 years after the film was released.
  • The name "Murgatroyd" is a real surname, but it is not common in the United States. It is likely that the Yogi Bear writers chose this name because it sounded wacky to American ears.
  • https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/heavens-to-murgatroyd.html#google_vignette
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Did you hear Alice's son got in another fight last night? You would reply: Heaven's to Murgatroyd!

Submitted by TriplePurple on November 22, 2023

Modified by TriplePurple on December 06, 2023

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    "heavens to murgatroyd." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/heavens-to-murgatroyd_63962>.

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