A Complete List (I Think) Of All The "Holy" Expletives

Uttered By Burt Ward (a.k.a. Robin, The Boy Wonder)


This is one of those silly little endeavors that grew out of another project I was undertaking at the time...


I was endeavoring to put together a chronological timeline for the 1960s Batman television series - similar to those for certain other pop culture franchises prepared over the years by such friends and colleagues as Win Scott Eckert, Rick Lai and Matthew Baugh - that would incorporate not only the TV series and its 1966 spin-off theatrical film but also two tie-in novels, the popular DC Comics Batman ’66 comic book series and two direct-to-video animated sequels made prior to Adam West’s death in 2017. It seemed like one of those ideas that would be fun to put together - but to my surprise it has proven a little more difficult than I had originally anticipated and, as of this writing, remains a work-in-progress.


As I was working on the proposed timeline, Greg Berlanti’s five-episode television adaptation of the classic Crisis On Infinite Earths comic book series aired on the CW Network in late 2019. The adaptation made a kind of pop culture history of its own when it brought in versions of various DC characters who had appeared in other TV shows and movies over the years - including, for one brief, exciting moment in the very first episode, Burt Ward as a character clearly meant to be an older Dick Grayson, the former Robin the Boy Wonder. And when I heard Ward recite his one and only line of dialogue in that episode, with an updated variation of Neil Hefti’s Batman theme playing in the background, a familiar childlike thrill swept over me - it suddenly occurred to me that it might be fun to put together a comprehensive listing of all the numerous “Holy” expletives that Ward-as-Robin became so famous for.


It wasn’t an original idea by any means; such lists have appeared elsewhere over the years, most notably in Joel Eisner’s The Great Batman Batbook as well as on various Internet sites. But I’d noticed that those lists all tend to be alphabetical in nature, and are typically limited to the TV series and its theatrical spin-off. Since then, however, Ward had brought Dick Grayson/Robin to life in other projects - the Crisis adaptation was just the latest - and I wanted to include those projects as well… as well as a couple of television promos featuring Burt Ward, and even the online coverage of Ward’s 2020 Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony. (My list, my rules.) I also wanted to try and present, as best I could, the many versions of Robin’s catch phrase in the order in which they were exclaimed, rather than the usual alphabetical glossary.


A goofy idea, I’ll grant you - but one of those goofy ideas that, once I’ve had it, I just can’t seem to shake until I’ve seen it through and gotten it out of my system. Besides, it gave me an excuse to watch the entire Batman ’66 oeuvre again straight through… and speaking as a lifelong fan whose earliest memories are of being a three-year-old sitting on his daddy’s knee watching Adam West and Burt Ward’s adventures when they originally aired in 1966, any excuse to watch the series again is always seen as welcome. 


Especially these days, when fun diversions can sometimes seem so few and far between…


And so, for no better reason than the fact that I simply wanted to do it, here is what I’m pretty certain is a comprehensive, chronological listing of what Julie Newmar’s Catwoman once referred to as the “Holy This and Holy That” exclamations voiced by Burt Ward since Batman first debuted on ABC-TV as a mid-season replacement in January 1966 (including those that he uttered on more than one occasion; “Holy Houdini” appears to have been a particular favorite, for example). 


Having said that, it is entirely possible that in spite of the many hours of research I have somehow managed to miss some. If that proves to be the case, citizens, please let me know so that I can revise this catalogue. (Which reminds me: A very special tip of the cowl in gratitude to fellow Bat-fans and Facebook superheroes Rodger Hunter Hall and Basri Ispandi for their help in identifying several of Robin’s “Holies” that I somehow missed during my binge-watch of my Batman blu-rays. Holy Timely Assistance, fellas!)


And now, without further ado...



BATMAN - ADAM WEST AND
BURT WARD SCREEN TEST (1965)

Holy Caboose



BATMAN - SEASON ONE (1966)

Holy Barracuda

Holy Ashtray

Holy Smoke

Holy Showcase

Holy Haberdashery

Holy Popcorn

Holy Lodestone

Holy Flypaper

Holy Koufax

Holy Red Herring

Holy Stuffing

Holy Ravioli

Holy Serpentine

Holy Grammar

Holy Safari

Holy Fourth Of July

Holy Headline

Holy Iceberg

Holy Blizzard

Holy Schizophrenia

Holy Snowball

Holy Sherlock Holmes

Holy Venezuela

Holy Rainbow

Holy Hole In A Donut

Holy Backfire

Holy Hallelujah

Holy Birthday Cake

Holy Fishbowl

Holy Graveyards

Holy Crossfire

Holy Sewer Pipe

Holy Conflagration

Holy Helmets

Holy Happenstance

Holy Switcharoo

Holy Ricochet

Holy Frogman

Holy Bowler

Holy Magician

Holy Alphabet

Holy Ball And Chain

Holy Las Vegas

Holy Fruit Salad

Holy Smokes

Holy Benedict Arnold

Holy Hailstorm

Holy Murder

Holy New Year's Eve

Holy Bouncing Boiler Plate

Holy Houdini

Holy Armour Plate

Holy Transistors

Holy Wigs

Holy Rats In A Trap

Holy Reshevsky

Holy Trickery

Holy Cats

Holy Icepicks

Holy Felony

Holy Geography

Holy Nick Of Time

Holy Knock Out Drops

Holy Jackpot

Holy Leopard

Holy Bat Trap

Holy Hot Foot

Holy Nightmare

Holy Mush

Holy Romeo And Juliet

Holy Mucilage

Holy Iodine

Holy Paraffin

Holy Smoke

Holy Jack In The Box

Holy Taj Mahal

Holy Tee Shot

Holy Shrinkage

Holy Spider Webs

Holy Looking Glass

Holy Eight Ball

Holy Smokestack

Holy Impregnability

Holy Camouflage

Holy Molehill

Holy Encore

Holy Golden Gate

Holy Hieroglyphics

Holy Hurricane

Holy Whiskers

Holy Masquerade

Holy Asp

Holy Travel Agent

Holy Taxidermy

Holy Hi-Fi

Holy False Fronts

Holy Smoke

Holy Skyrockets

Holy Homicide

Holy Reincarnation

Holy Explosion

Holy Detonator

Holy Magic Lantern

Holy Bullseye

Holy Cinderella

Holy Headache

Holy Tome

Holy Stew Pot

Holy Pressure Cooker

Holy Triple Feature

Holy Headache

Holy Kindergarten

Holy Molars

Holy Wayne Manor

Holy Subliminal

Holy Puzzlers

Holy Fog

Holy Clockwork

Holy Oxygen

Holy Rudder

Holy Jitterbugs



LAVA SOAP TV COMMERCIAL (1966)

Holy Inkpad



BATMAN - THE MOVIE (1966)

Holy Sardine

Holy Nightmare

Holy Merlin The Magician

Holy Long John Silver

Holy Glue Pot

Holy Polaris

Holy Demolition

Holy Halloween

Holy Heart Failure

Holy Costume Party

Holy Hallucination

Holy Horseshoes

Holy Marathon

Holy Captain Nemo

Holy Bikini

Holy Heartbreak

Holy Almost

Holy Jumble



BATMAN MOVIE TRAILER (1966)*

Holy Superlatives

Holy Memoranda


(* These were filmed specifically for the trailer, in those scenes in which Batman and Robin are addressing the audience from inside the Batcave, as opposed to those used in the clips from the actual movie itself.)



7 NIGHTS TO REMEMBER - ABC-TV 
1966-67 SEASON PREVIEW (1966)

Holy Grand Larceny

Holy Rainbow

Holy Ad-Lib



BATMAN - SEASON TWO (1966-67)

Holy Houdini

Holy Inquisition

Holy Hostage

Holy Deviltry

Holy Blackbeard

Holy Cliché

Holy Weaponry

Holy D'artagnan

Holy Epicure

Holy Lovebirds

Holy Bunions

Holy Oleo

Holy Alps

Holy Taxation

Holy Rainbow

Holy Fly Trap

Holy Fireworks

Holy Cosmos

Holy Kilowatts

Holy Hieroglyphics

Holy Sarcophagus

Holy Frankenstein

Holy Corpuscles

Holy Jaw Breaker

Holy High-wire

Holy Rocking Chair

Holy Gunpowder

Holy Hairdo

Holy Forecast

Holy Greetings Cards

Holy Camouflage

Holy Wernher von Braun

Holy Jailbreak

Holy Rheostat

Holy Edison

Holy Masquerade

Holy Mainspring

Holy Sundials

Holy Squirrel Cage

Holy Hijackers

Holy Horseshoes

Holy Liftoff

Holy Merry-Go-Round

Holy Bill Of Rights

Holy Semantics

Holy IT and T

Holy Recompense

Holy Banks

Holy Impossibility

Holy Apparition

Holy Relief

Holy Fratricide

Holy Piano

Holy Metronome

Holy Caruso

Holy Perfect Pitch

Holy Greed

Holy Bluebeard

Holy Paderewski

Holy Heartbreak

Holy Disaster Area

Holy Bank Balance

Holy Giveaways

Holy Coffin Nail

Holy Potluck

Holy Polar Front

Holy Hijack

Holy Tuxedo

Holy Distortion

Holy Shamrocks

Holy Chicken Coop

Holy Epigrams

Holy Vertebrae

Holy Keyhole

Holy Keyring

Holy Mesmerism

Holy Pseudonym

Holy Hydraulics

Holy Flood Gate

Holy Houdini

Holy Hypnotism

Holy Harem

Holy Fate Worse Than Death

Holy Stalactites

Holy Trolls And Goblins

Holy Hors D'Oeuvres

Holy Jigsaw Puzzles

Holy Stampede

Holy Toreador

Holy Matador

Holy Guacamole

Holy Bat Logic

Holy Straitjacket

Holy Firing Squad

Holy Blank Cartridge

Holy Davy Jones

Holy Guadalcanal

Holy Levitation

Holy Flip-Flop

Holy Chocolate Eclair

Holy Rip Van Winkle

Holy Heidelberg

Holy Resourefulness

Holy Mush

Holy Hamlet

Holy Flight Plan

Holy Graf Zeppelin

Holy Stratosphere

Holy Audubon

Holy Crack-Up

Holy Ghostwriter

Holy Miracles

Holy Alter Ego

Holy Voltage

Holy Rat Trap

Holy Sedatives

Holy Handiwork

Holy Fireworks

Holy Self-Service

Holy Memory Bank

Holy Mermaid

Holy Hoodwink

Holy Naivete

Holy Multitudes

Holy Astronomy

Holy Terminology

Holy Mashed Potatoes

Holy Sonic Booms

Holy Red Snapper

Holy Human Pearls

Holy Jelly Molds

Holy Holocaust

Holy Gambles

Holy Nick Of Time

Holy Shucks

Holy Diversionary Tactic

Holy Cinemascope

Holy Miscast

Holy Movie Mogul

Holy Cliffhangers

Holy Suborbit

Holy History

Holy Catastrophe

Holy Bullseye

Holy Stereo

Holy Armadilloes

Holy Cryptology

Holy Trampoline

Holy Fork In The Road

Holy Titanic

Holy Houdini

Holy Funny Bone

Holy Chutzpah

Holy Precision

Holy Clockworks

Holy Hunting Horn

Holy Dead End

Holy Bankruptcy

Holy Stomachache

Holy Madness

Holy Remote Control Robot

Holy Frankenstein

Holy Stewpot

Holy Wedding Cake

Holy Hollywood

Holy Crystal Ball

Holy Caffeine

Holy Bijou

Holy Zorro

Holy Hypotheses

Holy Oversight

Holy Split Second

Holy Flypaper

Holy Human Collectors Item

Holy Living End

Holy Uncanny Photographic Mental Processes

Holy Unlikelihood

Holy Jet Set

Holy Nerve Center

Holy Olfactory

Holy Reverse Polarity

Holy Tip-offs

Holy Hoaxes

Holy Hostage

Holy Hamburger

Holy Ice Skates

Holy Floor Covering

Holy Escape Hatch

Holy Chilblains

Holy Polar Ice Sheet



BATGIRL PILOT 
(UNAIRED NETWORK TEST FILM; 1967)

Holy Apparition

Holy Vanity Case



BATMAN - SEASON THREE (1967-68)

Holy Complications

Holy Agility

Holy Hieroglyphics

Holy Blackout

Holy Missing Relatives

Holy Sudden Incapacitation

Holy One-Track Bat Computer Mind

Holy Standstills

Holy Fourth Amendment

Holy Time Bomb

Holy Non Sequiturs

Holy Mucilage

Holy Diversionary Tactic

Holy Heart Failure

Holy Gemini

Holy Purple Cannibals

Holy Luther Burbank

Holy Hoofbeats

Holy Eggshells

Holy Crying Towels

Holy Understatements

Holy Anagrams

Holy Ten Toes

Holy Pin Cushions

Holy Human Surfboards

Holy Detonation

Holy Haziness

Holy Contributing to the Delinquency of Minors

Holy Roadblocks

Holy Show-Ups

Holy Surprise Party

Holy Gullibility

Holy Tintinnabulation

Holy Rising Hemlines

Holy Homework

Holy Levitation

Holy Incantation

Holy Robert Louis Stevenson

Holy Priceless Collection of Etruscan Snoods

Holy Dilemma

Holy Crucial Moment

Holy Homecoming

Holy Tartars

Holy Cold Creeps

Holy Here We Go Again

Holy Special Delivery

Holy Return From Oblivion

Holy Finishing Touches

Holy Bargain Basements

Holy Knit One Purl Two

Holy Hamstrings

Holy Underwritten Metropolis

Holy Slipped Disc

Holy Mechanical Armies

Holy Hypodermics

Holy Rip Van Winkle

Holy Gall

Holy Karats

Holy Hoofbeats

Holy Hardest Metal In The World

Holy Journey To The Center Of The Earth

Holy Waste Of Energy

Holy Razor’s Edge

Holy Interplanetary Yardstick

Holy Rock Garden

Holy Known Unknown Flying Objects

Holy Disappearing Act

Holy Unrefillable Prescriptions

Holy Helplessness

Holy Giveaways

Holy Catastrophe

Holy Astringent Plum-like Fruit

Holy Human Pressure Cookers

Holy Skull Tap



U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
EQUAL PAY PSA 
(TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS; 1973)

Holy Breaking and Entering

Holy Act of Congress

Holy Discontent*

(* Version 2 only)



LEWIS DYER FORD TV AD
(LAFAYETTE, GEORGIA; 1977)

Holy Personal Appearance



THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN 
(ANIMATED SERIES; 1977-78)

Holy Goof-Ups

Holy Nuclear Timebombs

Holy Overeating

Holy Snail’s Pace

Holy Roller Coasters

Holy Traffic Jams

Holy Double Identity

Holy Catastrophes

Holy Batnet

Holy Hoaxes

Holy Magnetic Missiles

Holy High Altitude

Holy Rockets

Holy Tooth Decay

Holy Heavy Rocks

Holy Hoax

Holy Banana Splits

Holy Marconi

Holy Ego

Holy Mackerel

Holy Smoke

Holy Breaking And Entering

Holy Dog Paddle

Holy Delays

Holy Chilly Willies

Holy Bats In The Belfry

Holy Highway Robbery

Holy Clipped Feathers

Holy Innocence

Holy Strange Odors

Holy Benedict Arnold

Holy Smoke Bomb

Holy Curb Service

Holy Trap Door

Holy Headache

Holy Handcuffs

Holy Stretch Marks

Holy Slush

Holy Split Personalities

Holy Kamikaze

Holy Humpty Dumpty

Holy Levitation

Holy Aggravation

Holy Joker

Holy Burning Trash

Holy False Imprisonment

Holy Float Like A Butterfly And Sting Like A Bee

Holy Weird Riddles

Holy Pachyderms

Holy Alphabet

Holy Birdman Of Alcatraz

Holy Runny Nose

Holy Icecubes

Holy Out Of Control

Holy Lack Of Courage

Holy North Pole

Holy Periscopes

Holy Birdnapping

Holy Icicles

Holy Can Openers

Holy Corn Cobs

Holy Dragsters

Holy Jailbirds

Holy Vacancy

Holy TKO

Holy Short Memory

Holy Forget-Me-Not

Holy Secret Identities

Holy Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

Holy Amnesia

Holy Barking Bow Wows

Holy No Deposit, No Return

Holy Endangered Species

Holy Litterbugs

Holy Bad News

Holy Loudmouth

Holy Boob Tube

Holy Helium

Holy Heists

Holy Harpoons

Holy Drips

Holy Broken Beaks

Holy Damsel In Distress

Holy Caged Birds

Holy Fast Escape

Holy Ticklish Tackle

Holy Holy Houdini

Holy High Rent District

Holy Bagged Birds

Holy Piggyback

Holy Ripoffs

Holy Boa Constrictors

Holy Sinking Submarines

Holy Chicken Livers

Holy Scaredy Cats

Holy Hanging Bats

Holy Blown Fuse

Holy Venus Flytrap

Holy Highrises

Holy Bunions

Holy Repair Service

Holy Headstand

Holy Lightning Bolt

Holy Conspiracy

Holy Migraine

Holy Brainwashing



LEGENDS OF THE SUPERHEROES: 
THE CHALLENGE (TV SPECIAL; 1978)

Holy Interruption

Holy Smoke

Holy Outmatched

Holy Blisters

Holy Time Bomb

Holy Ralph Nader

Holy Separation

Holy Man Overboard

Holy Amazon



LEGENDS OF THE SUPERHEROES: 
THE ROAST (TV SPECIAL; 1978)

Holy Totaled

Holy Rotten Timing

Holy Up The Creek

Holy Forked Tongue



RETURN TO THE BATCAVE: 
THE MISADVENTURES OF ADAM 
AND BURT (TV MOVIE; 2003)

Holy Tire Tracks

Holy Henchmen

Holy Parking Violation

Holy Screen Actors’ Guild

Holy Lunch Specials

Holy Skullduggery

Holy Dead Ends

Holy Plot Twist

Holy Prop Department

Holy Ejection Seats



BATMAN: RETURN OF THE CAPED 

CRUSADERS (DIRECT-TO-VIDEO 

ANIMATED MOVIE; 2016)

Holy Unholy Alliance

Holy Crumbling Infrastructure

Holy Trench Warfare

Holy Einstein

Holy Salisbury Steak

Holy Noxious Gas

Holy Citric Enzymes

Holy Entreé

Holy Dragnet

Holy Trojan Horse

Holy Helium

Holy Zero “G”s

Holy Hitchhiker

Holy Plié

Holy Faster, Pussycat, Kill Kill

Holy Hydrogen

Holy Shrapnel

Holy Counteracting Potions

Holy Spontaneous Combustion

Holy Triple Cross

Holy Stowaway

Holy Hindenburg

Holy Unsatisfying Ending



BATMAN VS. TWO-FACE 

(DIRECT-TO-VIDEO ANIMATED MOVIE; 2017)

Holy Romeo And Juliet

Holy Hieroglyphics

Holy Hypodermic

Holy Entrails

Holy Amelia Earhart

Holy Plagarism

Holy Overdue Book

Holy English Lit

Holy Hideousity

Holy Blind Spot

Holy Resurrection

Holy Billiards

Holy Compaction

Holy Half Dollar

Holy Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

Holy Indecent Exposure

Holy Hairpin Turn

Holy Amnesia

Holy Hugh Hefner



ME-TV “SUPER SCI-FI SATURDAY” PROMO (2018)

Holy Hashtags



CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS 

MINI-SERIES (2019)

Holy Crimson Skies Of Death



BURT WARD HOLLYWOOD 

WALK OF FAME CEREMONY 

(WALKOFFAME.COM VIDEO, 2020)

Holy Turnout

Holy Hollywood Walk Of Fame