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Love of "Pete" or "Peat"

Posted by Barney on June 06, 2003

In Reply to: Love of "Pete" or "Peat" posted by ESC on June 05, 2003

: : Does anyone know the origin of the phrase 'Oh for the love of Pete'. I was told recently that it is actually Peat not Pete.

: Pete. Most often I've heard "for the love of Mike" and "for Pete's sake."

: Previous discussion on Pete:
: How did the saying "For Pete's Sake" come from?

: Biblical origins. Think of St Peter. Think of the omnipresent medieval church and think of hitting your thumb with a hammer. You can't swear, else the local priests will have you up before the Bishop and the Lord alone knows what the outcome of that will be, so you exclaim, in appropriate tone of voice, "For Saint Peter's sake" and carry on erecting the shelves. This phrase was amended to "For Pete's Sake" in later, less religiously oppressive, times.

'Love of Peat', on the other hand, is an Irish expression describing the main characteristic of a home loving individual who spent their days crouched around a peat fire.

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