
Heavens to Betsy! My weekend has been totally transformed by an email from Zazzle telling me I’ve sold 25 of these Give Thanks Postcards.
The main image is a photograph of our garden – they’re actually Cretan olive trees in the background – and a couple of textures. I’ve used Photoshop to create a Thanksgiving scene with a pumpkin from The Graphics Fairy and an open book from The Cottage Market.

Are you wondering about the phrase ‘Heavens to Betsy’? I have to acknowledge that it’s one of my favourite sayings. I learn, however, that it’s fallen out of use and considered far too anachronistic. Tough. I shall never stop using it. It seems it originated in America in the late 19th century. No one knows who Betsy was and the etymologist Charles Earle Funk said the origins of the phrase were ‘completely unsolvable’. [#1]
The Oxford English Dictionary gives the first written use as from a short-story collection by Rose Terry Cooke, Huckleberries Gathered From New England Hills published in 1892. [#1; #2]
I’m also very fond of ‘Heavens to Murgatroyd!’ but I’ll leave that lovely for another day.
Available at the following galleries:
Redbubble
Crated
Zazzle US
Zazzle UK
Fine Art America
Fine Art England
Saatchi Art
Take care and keep laughing!
Wonderful! congrats and it is lovely!
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Much thanks!
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🙂
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I also love the phrase Heavens to Betsy, and I don’t care of some consider it anachronistic. I’m going to keep using it! 🙂 Lovely cards, too.
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Good for you! Thank you.
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Hurrah! Jolly good. Pip, pip. It all means congratulations in English colloquialisms.
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Thank you, chattykerry. Hate to be a party pooper but ‘pip, pip’ is a greeting like ‘what ho’ and doesn’t mean congratulations! I’m British, don’t yer know!
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Congratulations on a great success, and it’s no wonder, these cards are really beautiful.
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Aw, thanks, Jet.
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Congratulations. It’s a great image and I’m very envious of your garden. 🙂
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Thanks, Olga. It’s not as enviable as it might appear because there are so many huge rocks sticking up everywhere that are impossible to remove!
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Congratulations. Love your garden. And yes, I did wonder about the origins of Heavens to Betsy, an expression I remember hearing, though not for a while.
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Much thanks, Mary. I’m quite certain I’ve used it in previous posts. My mother used it a lot and I picked it up from her and I’m sure my grandmother also used it!
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I know this is an older article but I found you via @RobertHughes05 and had to comment. What a nice surprise! I was an English major in college with an emphasis on etymology.
Thanks for the fun read!
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My pleasure, Chris. Thank you for visiting. I actually only posted it this morning. Don’t be confused by the sticky post at the top!
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CONGRATULATIONS….what fantastic new…heavens to Betsey….bet there’s lots more to come:) Love the image…and I love olive trees. xx
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Thanks, Janet. xx
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Very cool news Sarah – congratulations! And, wow I just love the scene – can’t imagine seeing such a beautiful place every day. Wonderful results in your layering.
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As I’ve said to Olga, the garden is not quite so lovely in reality but I do love the gnarled trunks of olive trees. Thank you for the compliment!
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They make for great interest in paintings.
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Heavens to Betsy what great sales you had on Dazzle – congratulations! 🙂
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Thank you, my friend. 🙂
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Bravo Sarah – for the card sales and the olive garden! Hope your week continues in the same heavenly vein! 🙂
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Much thanks, Jane. You too. 🙂
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Reblogged this on perfectlyfadeddelusions.
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Lovely cards, Sarah, perfect for the US Thanksgiving market. Well done!
(I was always rather fond of ‘Suffering Succotash’ as an exclamation.)
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Bless you, Pete. Now there’s a phrase I’ve not heard for a very long time! x
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Heavens to Murgatriod is one of my favourite expressions. The first time I heard it was in a cartoon. The most wonderful Snagglepuss! 😀
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Oh, yes!
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