General
jings, crivens, help ma boab
What does jings, crivens, help ma boab mean?
A full-throated cry of shock, used when something properly takes you by surprise. Three old minced oaths in one — the comic-strip Scots version of 'oh my god, what the hell, help'. Forever associated with Oor Wullie sitting on his upturned bucket.
"Jings, crivens, help ma boab — have ye seen the price o' a pint these days?"
Origin
Catchphrase of Oor Wullie, the DC Thomson comic-strip character running in The Sunday Post since 1936. Three minced oaths stacked: 'jings' = by jingo, 'crivens' = a corruption of 'Christ fend us' (attested from 1891), 'help ma Boab' = help my God (Boab being a softening of God/Bob).
Frequently asked questions
Where does it come from?
Oor Wullie, the Sunday Post comic strip that's been running since 1936. The three exclamations existed separately in older Scots but Wullie cemented them as a unit.
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