A way of swearing, without swearing. Instead of saying "Jesus Christ!" you say "Jiminy Cricket!" Both words have the same initials. Of course, Jiminy Cricket was the bug in the Disney Pinnochio movie.
An old term for not saying Jesus Christ, thus not using Christ's(God's) name in vain and not breaking one of the 10 Commandments or blaspheming. Usually used with emphasis.
Now people say: Jesus!, Jesus Christ!, geez!, or geez Louise! instead.
The term is older than the character from Disney films: a talking, singing, and fancy-looking cricket.
Jiminy cricket that marine just gave me a hot-foot!!...I'll kill him!!!
Did you see what that tornado did to that old barn--jiminy crickets!
A secret project in development at the Walt Disney studio in the fall of 1956, following their massively successfulDavy Crockett series. Drawn by animator Ward Kimball, sketches show Jiminy Cricket, featured in the 1940 film Pinocchio, in an oversized and skewed coonskin hat instead of his top hat, wearing a buckskin jacket and carrying a rifle in place of his umbrella.