where did this saying come from?

[vic13]

where did the saying 'well ill go to the top of the stairs' (or something like that!!) come from? its a strange saying and i was wondering how it came about...also what on earth does it mean?

thanx

[Ethel]

It's ''Well, I'll go to the foot of my stairs'
It is a euphemism from an age when swearing and blasphemy was not considered proper in normal speech.

It's used instead of 'Well, I'll go to hell!"

Many other expressions can be explained this way -

I'll be blowed - I'll be blessed.
Gor (or gawd) blimey - God blind me
Gee wizz! - Jesus! (or possibly it's Jesus wept!)
Cripes - Christ
Darn it - damn it.

There are lots more examples.

[Quizmonster]

I think the swear-word originally imvolved was one beginning with 'f' rather than 'hell'! That was to chime with the 'f' of 'foot' ...a polite version of "Well, I'll go to f*&@!"