The exclamation “Oh my stars and garters!” likely arose from a reference to the British Order of the Garter. The award for this highest level of knighthood includes an elaborate medal in the shape of a star. The expression was probably reinforced by “Bless my stars!”, a phrase stemming from the idea that the stars influence one’s well-being. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Oh My Stars and Garters”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi.
Hi, who’s this?
This is Margie.
Hi, Margie. Welcome to the show.
Where are you calling us from?
Thank you very much. I’m from Kemp, Texas.
What can we help you with, Margie?
When I was a kid, I grew up in southern Georgia, but my mom actually grew up in New England.
She was back in our car out the drive one day, and she accidentally bumped a little pine tree and said, stars and garter belts, which I’ve always wondered about.
She never said it since.
Just the one time?
Just the one time.
Yes, just that one time.
She never ever said any type of expressions or anything, so I remembered it.
Stars and garter belts.
So she said it in surprise at the accident?
Yeah, but where did she get that?
I’ve never heard it.
Well, there’s actually some history behind that term.
In Britain, the Order of the Garter is the highest order of British knighthood.
And often when you get that kind of honor, you get a medal that’s in the shape of a star, like a really super fancy star.
Ever since the 1700s, stars and garters has referred not only to those medals, but just sort of metaphorically to that kind of honor and the people who hold them.
And I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, my stars.
Oh, they’re stars.
Well, somewhere along the way, that got mixed up with stars and garters.
Oh.
And so it sounds like your mom had a little variation on it, stars and garter belts.
Yeah, and truthfully, back when I was a child, I visualized a different type of garter belt.
A different type? What do you mean?
It was before pantyhose.
Yeah, I remember those.
The one to hold up your stockings.
Yeah, and I never thought about the kind that a guy might have worn way, way back in time.
The Order of the Garter.
And now, bless my stars, it has something to do with thinking the stars controlled your destiny.
Right, right.
Yeah, I can understand that.
Yeah, yeah, we actually get the word influenza from that notion.
Seriously?
Yes, yes.
Influenza comes from an Italian word that literally means influence and referred to the influence of the stars on your health.
Oh, wow, that’s neat.
Yeah, Margie, so you got all that history just from your mom backing into a pine tree.
Thanks, Margie.
Yes, thank you. Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
My stars and garters.
That’s sort of an antiquated expression now.
I don’t really, I mean, if you’re saying it, you’re saying it for effect sort of like millennials saying the bee’s knees.
Oh, right, right.
Reference to the 1920s, yeah.
My stars and garters.
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