lo and behold

Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to: navigation, search



The lo from the expression likely originated from the shortening of the word loke, commonly seen in Middle English texts. Its presence in literature can be traced to at least as early as the 18th century. The literal meaning of the expression is "look and see", and it is always used as if in the imperative.


lo and behold

  1. Used to express surprise.