honest to God

honest to God

1. expression Honestly; truly; genuinely. Used to emphasize the veracity of one's statement. I swear it wasn't me who broke the lamp, honest to God! Honest to God, how are we supposed to finish this project on time with half of our staff laid off?
2. adjective Genuine; actual. In this usage, the phrase is hyphenated. It was a real, honest-to-God treasure map. I couldn't believe me eyes.
See also: god, honest
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

honest to God

Also, honest to goodness or Pete ; honest Injun. Truly, really, as in Honest to God, I didn't know it was yours, or Honest to goodness, we had exactly the same experience, or I promise I'll finish in time, honest to Pete, or Honest Injun, I didn't take your wallet. These colloquial assertions date from about 1900, except for honest Injun, dating from the late 1800s and today considered offensive.
See also: god, honest
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

honest to ˈGod/ˈgoodness

used for emphasizing the truth of what you are saying: I didn’t tell anybody — honest to God! ▶ ˌhonest-to-ˈgoodness adj. (approving) simple and good: This book is an honest-to-goodness attempt to describe life as a political leader.
See also: god, goodness, honest
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • honest to God/goodness
  • the honest truth
  • God's honest truth
  • an honest buck
  • make an honest buck
  • earn an honest buck
  • honest to a fault
  • an honest broker
  • TBQH
  • NGL
References in periodicals archive
After he killed his partner, dad of nine and unemployed alcoholic Peter Wyatt confessed to son Andrew in a phone call to prison: "I've killed her, honest to God. I strangled her."
Killer like dad and brother
But mum Ann said: "Honest to God, they were smashing.
Lady shearers do their share
Natalie said: "Honest to God you couldn't make it up.
Tiny tot Natasha melts the hearts of hardened lags
Kirstie said: A"Honest to God truth, without Scientology, I would be dead.
Scientology helped Kirstie love mankind
Chase says of the final mysterious scene: "No one was trying to be audacious, honest to God. We did what we thought we had to do.
'Sopranos' Boss Gives Exclusive Interview to Jersey Paper
Honest to God, Taffy!' That night, as he lay in bed, Taff wondered what his mother and father would have made of him lending money to a man to help him sleep with another man's wife.
MORNING SERIAL
"Honest to God, I'm tired of hearing `Chariots of Fire' at 2 a.m.," Rose said of the Academy-award winning instrumental.
Chapter ends for diner
Honest to God, it was like a scene from a Hitchcock movie.
MAN OF THE PEOPLE: Gilbert The Gull
Another painting sold at the Art Fair had the explanatory title: "It was not me that knocked your wall down, honest to God", recalling an incident with an irate farmer while Peter was out walking.
Wowing the Yanks
"I, honest to God, think it would be interesting to be Paris Hilton or Cameron Diaz, just to see what it's like to be one of those hottie glamour women."
Rants & raves
What Colt needs is a true life, honest to God capitalist at the helm instead of a retired Marine general with no apparent business sense.
Colt doomed
He added: "Honest to God, they've got a good chance of beating those guys.
Viewers show Dane Bowers the red card
"No," I say, peeling away her panties, "honest to God!"
Reflections in church ceilings (excerpt from the unpublished novel: A Casualty of the Peace)
I've started to get recognised wherever I go - on the streets, in Tesco, in the kebab shop, on the bus and even in family planning the other day - honest to god. Everyone's heard about my near arrest 'wheely-bin-bed' experience!
Just for once, I'm calling the tune
This country needs leadership that is honest to God, to the Constitution of the United States, to the laws of the land, and to the citizens whom they serve.
America needs great leadership