"jeezum crow"

[Michael McKernan]

I have also personally heard jeezum in a "by Jesus" taboo-avoidance:  "by
jeezum" (and I seem to remember one "by the jeezum"), during my years living
in Vermont (1972-2005).

Michael McKernan
Benson, Arizona

On Fri, Oct 29, 2010 at 7:53 AM, Arnold Zwicky <zwicky at stanford.edu> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Arnold Zwicky <zwicky at STANFORD.EDU>
> Subject:      "jeezum crow"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> taboo-avoidance form for "jesus christ"; it appeared in a comment from a
> Facebook friend who grew up in Maine. googling pulls up Vermont and New
> Brunswick as well, and another Facebook friend added northern NY. DARE has
> it for Vermont and Northern NY, but it's clear that the distribution is
> wider, and almost surely takes in New Hampshire as well.
>
> though apparently still geographically restricted. does anyone have reports
> of the form from speakers without a history in this region?  (the friend who
> first used it now lives in California, and before that in Boston, but she
> picked it up in her Maine childhood.)  Jon, do you have it in your files?
>
> almost surely it was innovated by people in a very small group -- since
> it's fairly distant from the model -- and then spread, but this is the sort
> of history we'll probably never be able to unearth.
>
> arnold
>
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