[ti:Great Scott] [ar:Warren Scheer] [al:WORDS AND THEIR STORIES ] [by:www.51voa.com] [02:19.40]Go to 51voa.com for more... [00:11.85]Now, the VOA Special English program [00:15.17]WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. [00:17.55]Every language has its ways of expressing strong emotions [00:22.79]-- surprise, shock, anger. [00:26.87]The expressions range from mild to strong, [00:30.76]from exclamations and oaths,to curses and swear words. [00:36.35]The ones that are accepted in public speech [00:39.34]change through the years as social rules change. [00:44.10]At times, only very mild expressions are socially accepted. [00:49.93]Some of the most popular expressions are those [00:54.47]that are guaranteed not to offend anyone. [00:58.10]Most of these exclamations have survived from earlier days. [01:02.99]And their original meanings are long since forgotten. [01:08.22]Great Scott! is a good example. [01:13.05]It expresses surprise or shock. [01:16.84]You might say to someone, [01:18.78]"Great Scott! I did not know she was married!" [01:22.92]Language expert Webb Garrison [01:26.05]tells an interesting story about the expression. [01:30.14]Just before the Civil War, [01:32.88]the Whig political party was making a last effort [01:37.37]to remain a part of American political life. [01:41.55]For the election of eighteen fifty-two, [01:44.69]the Whigs wanted to offer a colorful candidate for president. [01:49.97]They thought that Winfield Scott would be the right candidate. [01:55.05]In his thirty years as a general, [01:57.89]Winfield Scott had become one of [02:01.47]the best-known military leaders in the country. [02:05.37]During the war with Mexico, [02:07.95]he had captured Vera Cruz and occupied Mexico City. [02:13.09]So, party leaders thought that if any Whig [02:17.32]could be elected president, it was Winfield Scott. [02:21.21]General Scott quickly accepted the nomination [02:24.75]and began campaigning. [02:27.54]It did not take long for the public to realize [02:31.33]that General Scott really liked General Scott! [02:36.72]His speeches were full of praise for himself. [02:40.86]It was evident that he thought [02:43.30]he was the greatest candidate who had ever lived. [02:46.48]Soon his political opponents began to make fun of him. [02:51.42]They called him, Great Scott. [02:54.45]General Scott did not come close to winning the presidency. [02:59.47]But his name still lives as part of the English language. [03:04.26]Other popular exclamations combine holy with other words. [03:10.03]Holy Mackerel! is one that expresses surprise or wonder. [03:15.86]It comes from earlier days [03:18.20]when the Roman Catholic Church ruled [03:23.51]that Catholics must not eat meat on Fridays. [03:27.31]Since mackerel was a common and cheap fish in the United States, [03:32.10]it was often eaten for dinner on Friday. [03:35.78]Then there is Holy Toledo! [03:39.03]It is another expression of surprise. [03:42.21]It refers to the city of Toledo, Spain, [03:46.04]an important religious centerin in medieval times. [03:50.53]Toledo was a holy city for both the Roman Catholics [03:54.47]and the Muslim Moors of Spain. [03:57.26](MUSIC) [04:07.32]This VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES [04:13.81]was written by Marilyn Christiano. [04:16.45]I'm Warren Scheer.