gospel truth
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the gospel truth
The absolute or indisputable truth. I was home all night, and that's the gospel truth—Mom can confirm it.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
(the) gospel truth
Fig. the undeniable truth. The witness swore he was telling the gospel truth. I told my parents the gospel truth about how the vase broke.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
gospel truth
Something that is unquestionably true. For example, Every word he uttered was the gospel truth. The word gospel, which comes from the Old English god spel, "good news," has been used to describe something that is thought to be as true as the biblical gospel (that is, undeniably true) since the 13th century. The current idiom originated in the 1600s, when it referred to biblical truths, and has been applied to truth of a more general nature since the late 1800s. Also see take as gospel.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
gospel truth
the absolute truth. informal 1998 Mirror Any research that puts down men is accepted as gospel truth these days.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
gospel (truth)
n. the honest truth. You gotta believe me. It’s the gospel truth!
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
gospel truth
Something that may safely be believed. This term dates from the Middle Ages, when Christianity was almost universally accepted in Western civilization. Thus Chaucer used “gospel” in numerous places to mean incontrovertible truth. The word “gospel” is actually a corruption of the Old English godspel, meaning “good tidings,” and was used to signify the glad tidings preached by Jesus, the life of Jesus as told in the New Testament (whose first four books are generally referred to as the Gospels), and the religious doctrine set forth there. Thus gospel truth literally means something as true as what is contained in the Gospels, which once were believed to be literally true, and the term has survived universal belief in that faith by a good many years.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer