Phrase meaning

Posted by ESC on September 19, 2002

In Reply to: Phrase meaning posted by Ruth Drummond on September 19, 2002

: Does anyone know where the phrase, "jumping jehosephat" comes from?

Here's all I know. For more discussion, search the archives under "jumping."

Jehoshaphat is a Biblical king -- the son of Asa and fourth king of Judah (873-849 BC) but no one knows the origin of the phrase. Or, at least, it's not in any of my reference books. The phrase is just alliterative and the words sound good together. Probably the phrase started out as Jumping Jesus and someone thought that was too blasphemous and substituted Jehoshaphat. That's a "Minced oath."