happy birthday to my brother Eric! he's 25 already. holy-moly.

let's check out the origins of this phrase i've always found annoying.

HOLY MOLY

from http://www.BulbSociety.com we find that according to the ancient Greek poet Homer, the magical properties of Allium moly allowed Ulysses to enter unharmed the lair of the sorceress Circe. Southern European folklore regards the plant as good luck and a protection against demons. Allium moly is an ornamental allium, or flowering onion. It is a close relative of the famous edible alliums: Allium sativum (garlic) and Allium cepa (the common cooking onion).

Garlic reportedly gave strength to the pyramid builders and courage to the Roman legions. Medicinally, it has served as a popular remedy for colds, sore throats and coughs; physicians and herbalists prescribed garlic as a diuretic and for intestinal disorders and rheumatism; and people ate garlic daily as protection against plagues, disease and, of course, creatures of darkness. Early American colonists relied on the plant to treat a variety of medical problems, while later settlers strapped garlic cloves to the feet of smallpox victims hoping to cure them.

Onions also have been used medicinally for centuries. In the Middle Ages the onion was used as a charm against evil spirits, the plague and infection. The onion was a favorite spring food of American Indians, providing a frontiersman with a good nose a telltale means of locating an Indian encampment.