the mind boggles

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where does this come from? me older sister used to say it when she were kid. its common lingo, eh? i just heard electric sound of jim say it.

where does it come from? is it some 70's telly catchphrase or wotnot?

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Friday, 13 October 2006 07:59 (nineteen years ago)

It's an old expression - my parents (and grandparents) used it, and they were never ones for repeating telly catchphrases.

I've had a quick look in the OED, which says that the first record of it was from the American Journal of Philology in 1899 :

k. the mind boggles: one becomes astonished or overwhelmed when trying to contemplate something, or at the prospect of contemplating something (cf. BOGGLE v. 1).

1899 Amer. Jrnl. Philol. 20 439 If the MSS, in attributing works to ancient authors, only furnish us with a thesis to prove, there is opened a vista of scepticism and material for dissertations at which the mind boggles. 1942 Econ. Jrnl. 52 281 The mind boggles at the thought of one after another of the statutory monopolies, after a similar survey, coming to similar conclusions. 1971 N.Z. Listener 16 Aug. 50/3 The mind boggles. The dreadful deeds the little monkeys might perpetrate. Tch tch. 1999 Machine Knitting Monthly Dec. 15/1 The mind boggles at the thought of knitting any intarsia design that requires 32 colours across a row!

― C J (C J), Friday, 13 October 2006 08:07 (nineteen years ago)

theres lineage! i wonder how it passed into common phrase?

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Friday, 13 October 2006 08:09 (nineteen years ago)

Well I'll go to the foot of our stairs.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 13 October 2006 08:12 (nineteen years ago)

http://weboggle.shackworks.com/

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 13 October 2006 11:47 (nineteen years ago)

Isn't boggling what you do when you wear a pair of batty riders?

― Ed (dali), Friday, 13 October 2006 11:49 (nineteen years ago)

"Would ye credit it?"

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 13 October 2006 11:52 (nineteen years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000IWCZ.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.gif

― C J (C J), Friday, 13 October 2006 11:52 (nineteen years ago)

You could have knocked me down with a feather.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 13 October 2006 11:53 (nineteen years ago)

well, i'll be blowed.

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 13 October 2006 12:15 (nineteen years ago)

My sainted aunt.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 13 October 2006 12:16 (nineteen years ago)

Heavens to Betsy.

― C J (C J), Friday, 13 October 2006 12:18 (nineteen years ago)

Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 13 October 2006 12:21 (nineteen years ago)

Judas Priest!

― aimurchie (aimurchie), Friday, 13 October 2006 12:28 (nineteen years ago)

Bloody hellfire!

― Ben Dot (1977), Friday, 13 October 2006 14:22 (nineteen years ago)

Egad!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 13 October 2006 14:23 (nineteen years ago)

Sweet Gene Vincent!

― Orgy of Pragmatism (Charles McCain), Friday, 13 October 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

Saints preserve us! Have you ever seen the like?

― Diddumsismus (Dada), Friday, 13 October 2006 14:26 (nineteen years ago)

I ain't not never seen nuffink like it in all me natural neither!

― Duchess of Duke Street (nostudium), Friday, 13 October 2006 14:28 (nineteen years ago)

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