HEAVENS TO MURGATROYD

LRM wished to ascertain the provenance of the phrase "Heavens to Murgatroid". Here are the results of my web investigation.

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"'Heavens to Murgatroid' is a catchphrase of a cartoon character, Snagglepuss."

Source: http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/20/messages/1394.html

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"While the cartoon character, Snagglepuss, did utter this on Saturday mornings, he was doing an imitation of commedian [sic] Red Skelton who said it frequently on his show in the mid-50's."

Source: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/WORDS/1997-10/0876394992

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Daws Butler, who voiced Snagglepuss (and Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound) in the late 50s and early 60s, would have been quite familiar with Skelton's Klem Kadiddlehopper, who used the phrase in question in the mid 1950s.

Various Sources

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None of my www investigations answer *why* the phrase came to be. If I *had* to try to solve this mystery (which would use much more time than I have already "wasted"), I would first consider Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore and, failing to find anything there, would delve into the Murgatroyd family stories from 1371 forward. Then again, perhaps Skelton or one of his compatriots was simply playing on "heavens to Betsy," itself shown to be untraceable by more powerful people than I.

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"Murgatroyd : English (Yorkshire) surname derived from the place of residence. In 1371 the records show that a Johanus de Morgateroyde was appointed the chief constable of Warley. The surname was derived from the area where the clan lived : moor-gate-royd. Literally, the clearing by the gate to the moor. There are many variations on the spelling, Murgittroyd, Morgatroyd and Margetroyd being the commonest."

Source: http://users.actrix.co.nz/murgatroyd/genlgy.htm

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As to G&S, the following excerpt and explanation pique my interest:

"'Sir Rupert Murgatroyd, his leisure and his riches
He ruthlessly employed in persecuting witches.'"

"But one of his victims while being burned at the stake laid a dreadful curse upon him: that he and all his line must commit at least one deadly crime each day or perish in agony. And so it has come to pass."

Source: http://www.theatrehistory.com/british/musical004.html

Wouldn't that inspire someone clever (Skelton, for example) to link heaven and Murgatroyd, even comedically?

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I think Sarah should adopt the phrase to drive her mother crazy.