[Ads-l] Holy cow! 1905; "by the holy cow" 1826

[Stephen Goranson]

1905, Nov. 24, Fri. Minneapolis Journal, 24/1-2, newspapers.com.
[start] A lover of the cow writes to this column to protest against a certain variety of Hindoo oath having to do with the vain use of the name of the milk producer. There is profane exclamations, "holy cow! " and, "By the stomach of the eternal cow!" These are Hindoo cuss words of great fierceness and antiquity and probably correspond to the American farmer's hostile invective, "by hen." Then there's grandma's blasphemy in times of great stress: "Cat's foot!" [end]

1826,  January to March. The Oriental Herald and Journal of General Literature, Pandurang Hari..., London, vol. VIII, 74. Google books.
[start] The Musulman swears by "Allah," and the Hindoo by "the holy cow;" [end]

1826. Pandurang Hari, Or, Memoirs of a Hindoo, by William Browne Hockley, London, I:307 gb.
[start] I heard him swear by the holy cow he would have my life [end]

sg

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