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Holy moly

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Holy Moly (also spelled Holy Moley) is an exclamation of surprise that dates from at least 1892.[1] It is most likely a minced oath, a cleaned-up version of a taboo phrase such as "Holy Moses".[2]

It was popularized in the U.S. as an expression often used by Billy Batson, the alter ego of Captain Marvel, a superhero created for Fawcett Publications.

Holy Moly was a celebrity gossip website in the United Kingdom,[3] which closed in 2015.

References

  1. ^ Nathaniel Gould (1892). Running it off; or, Hard hit. George Routledge and Sons. p. 217. holy moly.
  2. ^ PHrases.org.uk
  3. ^ Staff, Guardian (18 July 2005). "99. Holy Moly". the Guardian. Retrieved 5 June 2020.