By Jove, I think I’ve got it!

Did you ever wonder where the phrase “By Jove” originated from?

Well, I will tell you anyway…

Let’s start with the definition of Jove:

Jove |jōv|
another name for Jupiter

& a simple definition lead to a simple origin:

by jove is an exclamation of surprise. Jove is a euphemism for Jupiter, the Roman King of Gods. The Greeks call him Zeus. The expression seems first to have appeared in the 1500’s (Cassells). Putting it into a simpler way, it is like saying My God, By God, (in this case, by Jupiter.)