"I'm not a big shopper, but I swear to avocados that once I start roaming the aisles..."I presume it originated as a polite way to avoid taking God's name in vain, but I've never encountered it before, either in conversation or six decades of reading. I wonder if this phrase is a local colloquialism from some part of the country where I've never lived.
I've never encountered that phrase before, but as a French speaker I can say that the word "avocat" in French translates to both lawyer and avocado. So maybe we're onto something.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I found this re Spanish-
Delete"The modern English name is not etymologically related to the similar sounding Spanish word abogado, meaning 'lawyer' (as in advocate), but comes through an English rendering of the Spanish "aguacate" as "avogato"."
Plenty of youngish non-religious people I know fill in phrases like "swear to god" with whatever they like and do believe to be real (e.g., avocados, cheese, stars (though I haven't encountered avocados specifically in this context)).
ReplyDeleteOMLG--for 'Oh my Lady Gaga'--is my favorite
ReplyDeleteI like this! Thanks for the new phrase!
DeleteI just love avocados, so it shows how serious I am. No deeper meaning ;)
ReplyDelete