pete

For Pete's sake! and For pity's sake!; For the love of Mike!; For goodness sake!; For gosh sake!; For heaven('s) sake!

a mild exclamation of surprise or shock. For Pete's sake! How've ya been? For pity's sake! Ask the man in out of the cold!

Honest to goodness. and Honest to God.; Honest to Pete.

I speak the truth. (Some people may object to the use of God in this phrase.) Did he really say that? Honest to goodness? Honest to Pete, I've been to the South Pole.

See also: goodness, honest

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for Pete's sake (spoken)

I am annoyed or surprised by this for goodness' sake She has a huge salary and gets a bonus, too - how much money does she need, for Pete's sake?

Usage notes: used for emphasis and often used instead of the more offensive idioms for God's sake and for Christ's sake

Related vocabulary: for crying out loud

See also: sake

honest to goodness (spoken)

this is really true honest to God I'll be there on Tuesday, honest to goodness!

See also: goodness, honest