Heavens to Murgatroyd (Meaning, Origin, Examples)

What does heavens to murgatroyd mean? Murgatroyd is an old-fashioned exclamation typically used to express surprise or incredulity. While the expression may be considered old-fashioned by some, it still enjoys considerable popularity and remains a common fixture in both speech and writing. In this post, let’s look at the meaning of heavens to Murgatroyd in detail.

Heavens to Murgatroyd Meaning

The phrase “heavens to Murgatroyd” may be used to express surprise or shock, and it was made famous by the character Snagglepuss in Hanna-Barbera’s Yogi Bear series. Regardless of its precise origins, “heavens to Murgatroyd” continues to be a playful exclamation for expressing surprise in modern language.

What Does the Name Murgatroyd Mean?

Although the name Murgatroyd might make you think of Snagglepuss from The Yogi Show, it actually originated in the 20th century. Specifically, it can be traced back to Ruddigore (1887), a Gilbert and Sullivan comic operetta. In that story, there were around ten or more baronets with that surname.

This phrase plays on the earlier and more well-known exclamation, “heavens to Betsy.”

However, it is unknown who either Betsy or Murgatroyd was or if they ever existed.

How to Use the Phrase “Heavens to Murgatroyd”

In various shows and movies, characters exclaim, “Heavens to Murgatroyd!” when they encounter something unexpected or unbelievable. In everyday conversation, the phrase can be used in the same manner for emphasis. For example, you might say: 

• Heavens to Murgatroyd, that’s a huge spider!
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, I never expected to win the lottery.
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, I can’t believe you did that!
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, I’ve never seen such a mess! 
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, what on earth are you doing? 
• Oh no, not again! Heavens to Murgatroyd!
• Heavens to Murgatroyd! This is the last straw.
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, I’m at my wit’s end!
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, I don’t believe it! 
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, That’s the last time I will ever do that! 
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, I’m not going through that again! 
• Heavens to Murgatroyd! I’ve had enough of this! 
• Heavens to Murgatroyd Jane, we’ve already talked about this! 
• Heavens to Murgatroyd Jacob, what do you even want me to do about this! 
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, I’ve had enough of this
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, That’s it; I’m out of here
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, I’ve had it up to here
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, This is not happening
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, No way, no how! Heavens to Murgatroyd
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, Absolutely not! 
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, Over my dead body
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, Hell no! 
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, Not in a million years!
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, When pigs fly! 
• Heavens to Murgatroyd, Fat chance!

Whether you’re a Looney Tunes fan or not, adding this entertaining exclamation to your vocabulary will surely add some flair to your speech.

Heavens to Murgatroyd Synonyms

Here are some possible synonyms for the phrase “Heavens to Murgatroyd”:

• Holy cow/moses!
• Goodness gracious!
• Gosh darn it!
• Heck!
• Lawsy mercy me!
• Oh my goodness!
• Good heavens!
• What in the world?
• Jeepers
• Woah
• Heavens to Betsy
• OMG
• Golly
• Wow
• Heavens
• Whoa

In Summary

Though its meaning may be lost to time, the phrase “heavens to murgatroyd” is a fun one to say. It can be used to express surprise, disbelief, or excitement. Though its origins are unknown, the phrase will surely add some flavor to your language repertoire. Give it a try next time you want to mix things up and spice up your speech!