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59 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, April 20, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 20, 2005 Since You Asked Holy smoke, Batman! The phrase isn’t heaven-sent What’s the origin of the expression "holy smoke"? Does it have anything to do with the puffs of smoke associated with the cardinals’ election of a new pope? — Scott S., Medford That’s a tough one, Scott, but the word gurus contacted by the etymology staff here at stately Since You Asked World Headquarters agree that the expression has nothing to do with cardinals and popes. In its form as an exclamation, it seems to be an Americanism from the late 1800s. There are references to ceremonial (holy?) smoke in the Bible. And according to the Oxford English Dictionary, Sir John Beaumont, a contemporary of Shakespeare, wrote this passage: "Who lift to God for us the holy smoke / Of fervent prayers," suggesting incense or offerings as a metaphor for prayer. But according to Michael Quinion of our favorite Web site, worldwidewords.org, it’s likely that "holy smoke" came about as a mild, all-American oath like "holy Moses," which dates to the 1850s. In an era of delicate ears and gentler language than today, many such expressions were coined, including "dang" and "gosh darn" and "gol-danged" and, well, make your list. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Tatoos Advertisement s