From: glevy-AT-acnet.pratt.edu
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 09:24:00 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Holy ... who/what?


LR: " Holy Mackerel! <snip>

Jukka: Holy Spinoza! Who is Mackarel?

Jerry: Mackerel are a species of fish commonly available off the Eastern 
seaboard of North America. Judging by Jukka's question, those "near" the 
Northeastern end of the North Atlantic are unfamiliar with the fish or 
the saying. I do not know the genesis of the adjective "holy" for mackerel.

Mackerel taste very "fishy" and are a traditional meal for 
working class Christians in  N.A. on Fridays (perhaps that is the genesis 
of the "holy").I prefer flounder (sometimes also called  flatfish) or 
swordfish, but can't afford swordfish -- holy or otherwise.  I've been 
told that Japanese buyers off Montauk Point (on Long Island) 
regularly pay $25,000 or more to fishermen (sic) for a single sword and 
then ship the fish by air to Japan! 

Jukka and Adam might be familiar with the over-fishing of herring. In New 
England, there is a "overfishing" of lobsters (a crustacean, not a fish) 
causing the price of lobster (cook stuffed and baked and dip in melted 
butter) to increase dramatically.

BTW, why is Spinoza "holy"?


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