When I think of the phrase “for Pete’s sake,” I hear it with a tone of exasperation. Perhaps that’s why I thought the “Pete” in question might be Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn’t grow up. After all, who hasn’t been exasperated by a childish prank? But it turns out “Pete” may not refer to a person at all.
“For Pete’s sake” is an idiom, or an expression whose meaning cannot be derived from the literal meaning of individual words in the phrase. Let’s give it a try here anyway. The word “sake” comes from the Old English word sacu, meaning “a cause or dispute.” These days, “sake” refers to a purpose or motive, and it almost always appears in a clause such as “for the sake of time” or “for my sake.” So, if we go back to “for Pete’s sake,” we have something that means “for the benefit of Pete.”
“For Pete’s sake” is often used as a euphemism (a literary device we covered in a recent edition), a less vulgar replacement for a curse word or, in this case, a religious word. For example, “oh my gosh” is a euphemism to avoid saying “Oh my God.” There’s a popular theory that the “Pete” in question” was St. Peter; however, this is likely a folk etymology, as there is no evidence anyone purposely chose Peter to refer to the saint. A folk etymology is when a plausible origin is adopted to match a current usage, similar to a backronym (also discussed in a recent edition), yet there’s no basis in fact.
The first citation of “for Pete’s sake” in the Oxford English Dictionary is in 1903, but the similar-sounding phrase “for pity’s sake” is much older. It has been around since at least the early 1600s, and it appeared in Shakespeare’s Othello. The phrase “for peace’s sake” has also been used sporadically since the 1600s, although “for the sake of peace” is more common. It’s not a stretch to assume that “for Pete’s sake evolved out of the similar pronunciation of “Pete” and “peace.”
“For Pete’s sake,” isn’t the only idiom named after no one. We can’t forget “heavens to Betsy” and “by George” — and although there have been several notable individuals named “Sam Hill” in American history (such as the abolitionist), the phrase “What in Sam Hill?” predates all of them. In all of these idioms, the name in question could refer to any Tom, Dick, or Harry — who also were not specific people.
