saperlipopette (French)

Where does "saperlipopette" come from?

The whimsical French exclamation 'saperlipopette' emerged around 1863 as a playful evolution of the older term 'saperlotte.' It is likely linked to the German 'sapperlot,' a minced oath used as a polite way to avoid taking the Lord's name in vain. Today, it remains a charmingly mild way to express surprise, similar to saying 'gosh' or 'goodness me'.

Full etymology tree

• saperlipopette (French), 'goodness me, gosh'
  • inherited saperlotte (French)
    • learned borrowing sapperlot (German), 'zounds!, swounds!, 'sdeath!, my word!'

Updated July 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris