Green’s Dictionary of Slang

to beat severely, to defeat.

1933		(con. 1860s) R. Bradford Kingdom Coming 187: She gonter beat de Jesus outn me.
1943		W.C. Fields By Himself (1974) 475: We are going to beat the living Jesus out of Hitler, Hirohito and their cohorts.
1950		‘Hal Ellson’ Tomboy (1952) 79: If you raise a punky hand to me, I’ll beat the living Jesus out of you.
1993		C. Hiaasen Strip Tease 41: Beat the living Jesus out of that schmo in the dance club.

see bejazus n.

(US tramp) an excl. of irritation.

1925		G.H. Mullin Adventures of a Scholar Tramp 42: So I says to the nurse: ‘Wot the Jesus! Bring me my clothes’.
1942		H. Miller Roofs of Paris (1983) 78: What the fucking Jesus do you think I am?
1953		S. Bellow Augie March (1996) 277: ‘What the Jesus are you doing!’.

a safety handle placed on a vehicle, usu. above the passenger door.

1993		Mag. Fantasy and Science Fiction 8470: [I] stood on the rear bumper and clung to the Jesus bar while I bounced us down the alley.
2005		S. Koenig They Call Her Ed 2: He held on to the Jesus bar mounted over his window.
2012		G. Johnstone ‘No Through Road’ in Crime Factory: Hard Labour [ebook] My knuckles were white on the Jesus bar.
2019		J.B. Curry Bad Keys: Pianos Wild, Book 1 [ebook] ‘Grab the Jesus handle.’ Esmeralda grinned, gunned the engine, and whipped the car into a tight U-turn [...] ‘Jesus!’ Luke [...] lunged for the handle.
2021		C. Hammer Opal Country 63: She accelerates [...] happy to see Ivan grab hold of the Jesus handle, the city cop uneasy.

(orig. US) footwear, orig. boots, now usu. sandals.

1942		‘Navy Yard Talk’ AS XVII:4 280: Jesus Slippers. Boots.
1969		Current Sl. III:4 7: Jesus Weejuns, n. Sandals.
1983		S. King Christine 80: Dad was parked in front of the TV in his gross purple Bermudas and his Jesus shoes.
1987		R.P. Jhabvala Three Continents (1988) 312: I dropped my eyes to his white feet in Jesus sandals.
1990		Eble Campus Sl. Oct. 3: Jesus gliders – leather sandals.
2001		OnLine Dict. of Playground Sl. 🌐 jesus boots n. sandals.

see dust n. (5a)

(orig. US) a fervent or evangelical Christian; usu. used contemptuously.

1967		M. Braly On the Yard (2002) 207: Turnipseed, the lousy little Jesus freak, had moved into Red’s cell with a Bible.
1971		N.Y. Times 15 June 45: [He] turned from ‘freaked-out motorcycle addict’ to ‘Jesus freak’ when he visited the Love Inn.
1977		J. Sayles Union Dues (1978) 206: This is dedicated to the thousands of Jesus freaks, young and old, throughout our great land.
1987		C. Nolan Under the Eye of the Clock 64: Punks, rockers, Jesus-freaks and beggars strutted, stumbled, posed or minced.
1992		K. Lette Llama Parlour 238: Scrupulously scrubbed jesus freaks; fans of heavy metal, black metal, speed metal, satanic metal.
1993		B. Moore Lex. of Cadet Lang. 200: usage: ‘I’d steer clear of him if I were you, mate — he’s a fucking Jesus freak’.
2001		Indep. Rev. 17 Apr. 8: ‘What are you, a bunch of Jesus freaks?’ Turner exploded.

see mission stiff under mission n.

(US) wine.

[2002		Citizens’ Voice (Wilkes-Barre, PA) 17 July 4/1: [W]olfing down flagons of ‘Purple Jesus’ (grape juice and pure grain alcohol)].
[2003		Salt Lake Trib. (UT) 6 Apr. S5/1: The resulting ‘Jesus Juice’ [a form of ‘sacred water’ involving a copper pipe, gemstones, filtered water and ‘an elaborate prayer’] supposedly heals the immune system and, although colorless, tastes sweeter than wine].
2004		Palm Beach Post (FL) 29 Jan. 14/1: The boy [...] said that ‘all the kids around Michael [Jackson]’ knew about ‘Jesus juice’ and that Jackson told them, ‘Jesus drank it, so it must be good’.
2004		Irish Indep. 30 Jan. 🌐 [headline] Wacko ‘gave Jesus juice to teens’.
2004		Sydney Morn. Herald 30 Jan. 🌐 Michael Jackson reportedly gave ‘Jesus juice’ - his code for wine - in a Coke can to the 13-year-old cancer patient at the centre of the molestation charges he’s battling.
2005		Excite.com.au 16 June 🌐 In the end, after all the lurid accusations - the masturbation, the porn, the ‘Jesus Juice,’ the videotapes, the boys from the past, the tears and recriminations - jurors in Michael Jackson’s sex abuse trial said that it just was not enough.
2006		Google Groups: alt.religion.christian 1 Jan. 🌐 They love Bush, right or wrong. [...] Take another swig of the Jesus Juice and everything will be fine. Ignored Hurricane Katrina victims. No problem, pass the Jesus Juice.
2012		J.P. Walker Boogey Man in the Sky 11: Like he did mankind a good thing by turning the river into wine, a deadly addictive drug (alcohol, firewater, Jesus Juice).
2018		Morn. Bulletin 26 Apr. 🌐 Monk was instructed to order a whole bottle of wine for herself, telling the waiter, ‘mummy loves a Jesus juice.’.

(US) a preacher.

1939		J. Steinbeck Grapes of Wrath (1951) 28: He figgers he’s the bes’ Jesus-jumper in these parts.
2015		S. King Finders Keepers (2016) 205: I never thought you’d get out of jail. Not with that Jesus-jumper you nailed ridin you like a mother fuckin pony.

(US) a street preacher.

1925		J. Tully Beggars of Life 154: You are charged wit’ bein’ a Jesus-shouter when little kids ’re hungry.
1970		G.V. Higgins ‘Dillon Explained That He Was Frightened’ in N. Amer. Rev. Fall 42/2: A couple of Jesus screamers were working a moderate crowd.

see Jesus boots

1. (US Und.) a religious tramp.

1927		‘Jargon of the Und.’ in DN V 435: Oddest of all, and not uncommon, is the ‘Jesus-stiff’ who attempts to paint signs for an evil and adulterous generation.
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 109: Jesus Stiff. – A tramp who travels about the country painting exhortations on boulders and fences along the way : ‘Jesus saves, come to Jesus,’ and the like. A mental twist, seldom a paid job, is to be blamed for this occupation.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 110/2: Jesus stiff. 1. A tramp who specializes in living off missions, the clergy, etc. (a term of opprobrium).

2. (US prison) a prisoner who adopts religious beliefs while serving a sentence.

1950

Goldin et al. DAUL 110/2: Jesus stiff. 2. (P) A convict who seeks to ease his living conditions and increase parole chances by insincere religious display.

see Jesus boots

(US) used as not little Jesus Christ to meto characterise as worthless.

1945

C. Himes If He Hollers 138: ‘The whole movement ain’t little Jesus Christ to me,’ I said.

see under sweet adj.¹

(US tramp) a request to be quiet.

1936

K. Mackenzie Living Rough 239: Shouts of ‘Dry-up,’ ‘Pipe-down,’ ‘Tell it to Jesus,’ [...] coming from all over the box-car, soon caused them to shut up.

(US tramp) an excl. of despair.

1935

J. Conroy World to Win 64: ‘He’s gone! Jesus Christ and the cows got out! Like as not I’ll never see him again,’ he shouted despairingly.

a mild excl.

1836		K.P. Kempton Old Man Greenlaw 71: ‘Swear,’ Mahlon told him. ’Jesus Christ on a raft,’ Albro said.
1938		J. Weidman I Can Get It for You Wholesale 34: ‘Jesus Christ on a raft!’ I said. ‘[...] Don’t you know any other songs?’.
1953		J. Weidman Third Angel 35: Jesus Christ on a raft, all the poor son of a bitch had was May.
1961		(con. early 1950s) J. Peacock Valhalla 30: Oh Jesus Christ on a wobbly crutch!
1968		D. Pearson Senator 77: Jesus Christ on a raft. You must be smarter than that. You were once a newspaperman.
1976		W.H. Gass On Being Blue 48: ‘Jesus Christ on a raft,’ an expostulation of my youth, did not catch on.
1986		S. King It (1987) 321: Jay-sus Christ on a jumped-up chariot-driven crutch! Look at this mess!
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 6: Exclamations such as damn, goddamn, hell, Jesus, Jesus H. Christ and Jesus Christ on a bicycle (or crutch) are seen and heard frequently.
2000		T. Udo Vatican Bloodbath 81: Jesus muthafucken Christ on a fucken pogo stick, boy!
2003		R. Bean Honeymoon Suite 47: irene: Have you got any johnnies? eddie: Jesus Christ on a raft! Johnnies? You do want kids don’t yer?

a mild oath; an excl. of surprise.

1927		P. O’Donnell Islanders (1933) 126: ‘Oh, Mother of God, Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Charlie’s dead,’ Sally screamed.
1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 839: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. First the sweetheart tells me she’s having a baby. Then the father and son come in drunk.
1945		(con. 1900s) S. O’Casey Drums Under the Windows 233: Jesus, Mary, an’ Joseph be with us now! burst from the voice beside Sean.
1955		J.P. Donleavy Ginger Man (1958) 135: No. Jesus, Mary and Joseph I won’t make a peep.
1969		T. Murphy Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer’s Assistant (1978) Scene v: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, isn’t it terrible!
1976		P. O’Farrell Book of Irish Soldiers’ Jokes 23: ‘Oh Jesus, Mary and Joseph,’ exclaimed the startled wife.
1978		S. King Stand (1990) 975: Jesus Mary and Joseph, I’m going to have a baby.
1987		(con. 1920s) L. Redmond Emerald Square 27: ‘Jesus, Mary and Joseph!’ My mother’s face was drained of all colour.
2001		P. McCabe Emerald Germs of Ireland 367: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Pat! You gave me a fright!

a general excl., a euph. for Jesus (and) Mary!

1944		J.E. Thompson Take Away the Darkness 191: ‘It’s not that. It’s just that I’m getting married in a couple of weeks.’ [...] ‘Jesus Murphy!’.
1949		Flying Mag. (US) Nov. 54/3: ‘Jeepers murphy . . . for 120 bucks the least it could do is fit!’.
1961		P.B. Young Anythiing Could Happen! 47: ‘Jesus Murphy! You kids don’t look human’.
1971		A.C. Thomas Munchmeyer & Prospero 75: ‘Jesus Murphy!’ she exclaimed.
1973		S.D. Cameron (ed.) Conversations with Canadian Novelists 56: Jesus Murphy, I’m not a humble man, but one thing I know is the difference between role or label and actuality.
1984		A. Wiebe Salvation of Yasch Siemens 140: [H]e started to say worse things like ‘Jesus Murphy!’ and ‘Jesus H. Christ!’.
1984		L. Choyce Cape Breton Coll. 15: ‘Jesus, Murphy and Joseph!’.
1996		Google Groups: alt.showbiz.gossip 15 Aug. 🌐 Jesus H. Murphy, I’ve never seen such a lame-ass collection of fraidy cats.
2000		Sun (Vancouver, BC) 11 Mar. E5/1: Jesus H. Murphy! he would yell at the bonnie colleen.
2009		Twitter 19 June 🌐 Jesus fuckin Murphy these people r fucked in the head.
2012		Twitter 12 Aug. 🌐 Jesus frickin Murphy.
2016		Twitter 2 Sept. 🌐 Jesus friggin’ Murphy. What the hell is that thing, anyway?
2016		Reddit-Etymology 18 Dec. 🌐 I know midwesterners (especially people born around the great depression) who use the phrase ‘Jeepers Murphy’ as an interjection, but I can’t find much usage online.
2017		Twitter 17 June 🌐 And you support this swine Jesus flipping Murphy how bad are you!
2018		Twitter 16 Apr. 🌐 Jesus Murphy and Joseph, has the hockey world gone mad?
2023		B. Popik https://www.barrypopik.com 16 Feb. 🌐 ‘Jesus Christ!’ is an expletive interjection expressing anger, surprise or frustration. ‘Jesus Murphy!’ is a variation of this that has been popularly used in Canada.

an excl. of exasperation or astonishment.

1969		J. Crumley One to Count Cadence (1987) 94: Jesus shit. I thought I was having a visitation.
1972		D. Jenkins Semi-Tough 253: I remember thinking instinctively, ‘Uh-oh, Jesus shit a nail.’.
1989		Viz June–July 26: Oh Jesus shit Prior, just give us the eighty-five pence.
2009		L. McIlvanney All the Colours 292: ‘Jesus fuck!’.
2012		J. Fagan Panopticon (2013) 306: ‘Ooh, you swore!’ [...] ‘Jesus fuck!’.
2018		‘Aidan Truhen’ Price You Pay 53: Jesus fucking shitstick Price. Oh Jesus is that an ear?

(Irish) a general excl., a euph. for Jesus Christ!

1997

Share Slanguage.

see separate entry.

Jesus Fucking Christ!

2014

C. Eble (ed.) UNC-CH Campus Sl. Spring 2014.

see under sweet adj.¹

(US) a facetious statement of mock-gratitude to Christ for a stroke of good luck.

1969		U. Hannerz Soulside 85: ‘Thank you, Jesus,’ Fats says mockingly, imitating a storefront church preacher.
1979		E. Torres After Hours 37: I’m in an aisle seat and this bandit with long black hair whiffs her tight-assed jeans right by my face and lands in the seat next to me. Thank you, Lord.