Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Christopher! excl.

a euph. for Christ! excl.

1830		J.B. Skillman N.Y. Police Reports 20: [H]is face was red and his nose (Christopher what a nose!) looked as if it had been dipped in Tyrean die.
1834		W.A. Caruthers Kentuckian in N.Y. I 188: O Christopher! what a stump speech he could make.
1890		Sporting Times 12 Apr. 1/5: I wish to Christopher they’d give me twopence for the four I was fool enough to envelope yesterday.
1892		H. Nisbet Bushranger’s Sweetheart 64: By Christopher, but that old man could run.
1909		‘O. Henry’ Roads of Destiny 97: Jeeming Christopher!
1927		(con. 1917–18) J.M. Saunders Wings (1928) 187: Holy Christopher! Lieutenant Armstrong had gone off without his mascot.
1939		‘Flann O’Brien’ At Swim-Two-Birds 105: But by Christopher it’s not every man could see it, I’m bloody sure of that, one in a thousand.
1942		Orchestra Wives [film script] ‘She’s a little red around the eyes.’ ‘Oh, Christopher, a weeper. If there’s anything I hate, it’s a leaky dame.’.
c.1943		S .J. Baker Aus. Vulgarisms [t/s] 6: Christ: cripes, crikey, christawmitey, by kri', crumbs, crummy, crummies, christopher, by Christchurch, by Christmas.
1982		R. Dahl Revolting Rhymes n.p.: ‘By Christopher!’ Jack cried. ‘By gum! / The Giant’s eaten up my mum!’.