Cripes & crikey

Posted by James Briggs on May 16, 2003

In Reply to: Cripes & crikey posted by TheFallen on May 16, 2003

: : I looked up the archives and found that both cripes & crikey are euphemisms for Christ which is fine and logical.

: : However, does anyone know where it originated? I've only ever heard it used in Australia (and more in my youth in a country town, nowadays in the city, I'd probably be the only person I know who'd say it). But are they actually Australian terms or did they originate in the UK somewhere, as so many of our slang words did?

: Yes, they're both known in the UK, though both are by now very dated, and you'd never hear them in modern speech.

Often used by that notorious school glutton, Billy Bunter - 'crickey, here comes Queech!!', Queech being one of the masters who was good with the cane!