For Pete's Sake (1915)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   I was asked about this, for Pete's sake.  It's clearly related to "for the
love of Mike" and "for the love of Pete," which we have from the 1890s.  It's
a euphemism for "Heaven" or "God," for heaven's sake.
   The OED's first citation is 1924 DIALECT NOTES.
   My  HISTORICAL DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN SLANG ends at the letter "O."
   There is the CASSELL DICTIONARY OF SLANG, by someone named Jonathon Green.
 "For Pete's sake!" is "(1920s+)(orig. US) a euph. excl. used to indicate
one's mild annoyance."
   Here goes:


   10 May 1915, EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER (Edwardsville, Illinois), pg.2,
col. 5:
   "For Pete's sake!  Much of the back porch?" gasped Mr. Townsend.


   10 October 1923, CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM (Elyria, Ohio), pg.3, col. 2:
   "For Pete's sake," Dick growled, "don't begin any of that imitation
trained nurse dope!"