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Difference between Holy Joe and Holy Willie

Holy Joe—(Nautical) a parson; a devoutly religious person:

  • They all have these Holy Joe voices when they start giving their sermons.

Holy Williea hypocritically pious person:

  • The Holy Willies were just like the slave-owners who outlawed traditional African religions.

Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase Holy Moses—(exclam.) used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure, or anger:

  • Copland was astonished to see things he had not looked at for over sixty years. “Holy Moses!” he exclaimed, “I kept everything!”