# Jesus, Mary and Joseph

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/jesus-mary-and-joseph
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Expletive, used in surprise, in disgust, or to add emphasis, particularly by Catholics.

## Examples

- Jesus, Mary and Joseph, you scared me!
- Jesus, Mary and Joseph, please stop making that loud noise with your pen.
- Jesus, Mary and Joseph, it is freezing outside today.
- Jesus, Mary and Joseph, look at the size of that bill for just one dinner.
- Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the traffic is so bad that we might miss the start of the wedding.
- Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I just realized I left the oven on before we drove away from the house.
- Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the basement is completely flooded and all of our old photo albums are ruined.
- Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I cannot believe you actually agreed to work on such a dangerous project.

## Origin

The expression derives from the traditional practice of reciting the names of the Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—during prayer. It was originally employed as a formal appeal for intercession, calling upon these figures for spiritual assistance before the sequence was adopted into the vernacular as a general exclamation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.