AboutTed Nesbitt Expertise I have an interest in the meanings of words and phrases, as well as how and when they became part of the English language. I enjoy
researching idioms, colloquialisms, dialects, and obscurities of
all kinds. I prefer short questions on a particular subject, and
I will not accept lengthy research projects or term papers. NOTE: ALLEXPERTS CLAIMS THAT I TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LATIN AND FROM LATIN TO ENGLISH. I DO NOT. ALLEXPERTS REFUSES TO DELETE THE LATIN-TO-ENGLISH SERVICE -- ONE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE.
TRUST ME ON THIS: ALLEXPERTS IS WRONG. I DO NOT TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LANGUAGE. LOOK FOR A LANGUAGE EXPERT INSTEAD. ETYMOLOGY AND TRANSLATING SERVICES ARE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. ALLEXPERTS SHOULD KNOW THAT. ALLEXPERTS DOES NOT KNOW THAT. I HAVE TRIED FOR MANY YEARS TO GET THEM TO CHANGE. THEY WILL NOT. SORRY, BUT I DO NOT TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LATIN.
Experience I am the bibliographic instruction and reference librarian at a public
college. My master's thesis concerns William Faulkner's tragic novels. I formerly taught advanced placement English at two schools in the Philadelphia area.
I have been a member of the grammar and writing section of Allexperts
for more than a year.
Education/Credentials Masters degrees in English, philosophy, and library science.
Question Could you please tell me where the Australian slang erm "crikey" came from, and what is it's meaning? It was a word used by Steve Irwin on his television shows.
Regards,
Eddie
Answer Eddie:
"Crikey" is Australian slang, which some people find offensive, since it is a variation of "Christ."
I am pasting in below information from The Oxford English Dictionary -- the world's foremost authority of word and phrase origins. According to the OED, the frist WRITTEN appearance of the word in the English language was in 1838.
Ted Nesbitt
[As this alliterates with Christ, or L. Christe! it was perh. originally one of the alliterative or assonant substitutes for sacred names, used to avoid the appearance of profanity: cf. CRIMINE.]
An exclamation of astonishment.
1838 Actors by Daylight I. 24 Crikey, oh crikey! How very flat, stale and abominable Seem to me all the acting of this world. 1842 BARHAM Ingol. Leg., Auto-da-fé, It would make you exclaim..if an Englishman, Crikey! 1884 Harper's Mag. Oct. 693/1 Cricky! didn't she go it, though! 1922 JOYCE Ulysses 223 Crickey, is there nothing for us to eat? 1924 D. H. LAWRENCE & SKINNER Boy in Bush 85 Crickey! Stop up another night! It'ud make ye sawney. 1960 J. RAE Custard Boys I. i. 16 Crikey, I thought, he's tough.
