blimey!

[banth]

Where does the "Gordon bennet" expression come from?

x

[kazza12345]

I read in a bill bryson book (cant remember which one, might have been mother tongue) that gordon bennet was a bloke who used to go around with an irresistable urge to whip table cloths off in resturants, while people were eating dinner, leaving their plates and cups where they were.  Not sure how true this is though

[kev100]

The phrase isn't Gordon Bennett it is Gawd "n" bennett, there is not and never was anyone called Gordon Bennett.

A very long time ago people in times of fear or crisis used to utter the words "may god and saint Benedict preserve us"

A natural diminutive of "Benedict" is Bennett and so the saying became "may god and bennett preserve us"

This was further shortened to "god and bennett"

and say it with a cockney accent which is where it came from and it becomes Gawd "n" bennett

[Quizmonster]

Click http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/gordon.htm for a web-page on the subject by the noted lexicographer and etymologist, Michael Quinion. You can be pretty sure his version is the correct one!

[Cetti]

Yes QM, that is the version I'm familiar with. He definitely did exist. Not only existed but he's part of Isle of Man racing history - before the famous Tourist Trophy races  it was called Gordon Bennett.

http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/articles/gordon-bennett.htm

[redjay]

Gordon Bennet was a racing driver from years ago I believe