Oh My Stars And Garters! Magnet

Have you ever wondered what the exclamation "Oh My Stars and Garters" actual means? The lovely folks at phrases.uk.org explain it to us: "Stars' has been a favourite in British exclamations for many centuries; for example, 'bless my stars', 'thank my lucky stars' - both 17th century coinages. This usage of the word dates back to at least the 16th century, when it was used by Christopher Marlowe in the play The troublesome raigne and lamentable death of Edward the second, circa 1593: O my starres! Why do you lowre [bring down in rank] unkindly on a king? The stars in question are the astrological bodies and one's stars were one's position in life, or disposition. Moving on to 'garters' and the connection isn't with astrology, or even hosiery, but with chivalry. The Noble Order of the Garter is the highest heraldic order that the British monarch can bestow. Queen Elizabeth is seen here with the emblem of the order which is worn by the monarch when the members of the order assemble". This emblem, as well as several other honors bestowed on British noble, forms a star. Thus, "oh my stars and garters is a humorous, albeit facetious exclamation regarding the pomp and circumstance of British royalty. However, for my artistic purposes, I am using the phrase to portray a flapper, surrounded by stars! '