Buzz
When it comes to crafting ways to express anger or frustration without upsetting sensitive or virtuous ears, human imagination has no limits. Consider 30 Rock’s 'Blurgh,' Castle’s 'Shut the front door,' and other fictional TV curses. There are also many historical curses we should bring back, from 'Bejabbers!' to 'By St. Boogar and all the saints at the backside door of purgatory!'
In comparison to these vibrant examples, for Pete’s sake—a gentler alternative to for God’s sake or for Christ’s sake that doesn’t break any commandments—might seem a bit bland. But it still holds a certain intrigue: Who exactly is Pete?
The Oxford English Dictionary traces the first written use of for Pete’s sake to 1903, with for the love of Pete appearing around the same time. By that point, as NPR’s Michigan Radio reports, for the love of Mike had already become part of the English language. Since Mike is believed to be a reference to St. Michael—and these expressions clearly have religious ties—some have proposed that the singular Pete could actually be St. Peter.
However, with no concrete evidence to back up that theory, it's also possible that Pete wasn't a real person at all. For pity’s sake has existed since the 17th century, and its predecessor, for pity, can be traced back to the 15th century. As Michael Quinion noted on his World Wide Words blog, clever curse creators might have been influenced by Pete sounding similar to pity. Furthermore, Pete’s sake also closely resembles peace sake, a phrase that appeared at various points throughout history.
In conclusion, we can’t be entirely certain who Pete was, or if he was even a real person. So, feel free to choose whichever Pete you prefer and dedicate your curse to him.
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