holy Toledonoun · 20th century
DisputedTwo cities claim it: a Spanish cathedral seat and an Ohio river port.
One account points to Toledo in Spain, long a seat of Christian and Islamic learning, which makes the adjective holy natural; another points to Toledo in Ohio, where the phrase may have started as a joke about a city with a reputation for anything but holiness. Neither has been demonstrated, and the expression spread through American radio and comics regardless.
Origin is disputedRead →