IdiomAnimals
English
Englishblistering barnacles
Meaning: A comic exclamation of surprise or anger.
Example: “Blistering barnacles! Who ate all the biscuits?”
Origin: The English translation of Captain Haddock's oath Mille milliards de mille sabords in Hergé's The Adventures of Tintin; the English versions of the comics were published from the 1950s.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Tonnerre de Brest ! Literally: Thunder of Brest!
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