"Criminently"

       The word suddenly popped into my head yesterday.  I haven't thought of it for a long time.  Something from a children's book, Connie said.  Maybe a comic book, I thought, something Robin might have said to Batman:  "Criminently, Batman, that's one of the biggest thefts ever in Gotham!"

       Yes, a U.S. expression of annoyance or astonishment, but what did it come from?   Wiktionary says, "Probably formed by infixation of nonsense syllables into 'criminy'."  And "criminy"?  The OED says "crimine" or "criminy" is a late 17th century interjection which is an alteration of "Christ."

       I get it.  Discomfort at taking Christ's name in vein; so altering it into "criminy" and even more removed, and maybe sillier,  later into "criminently" (or "criminetly").

       Wiktionary cites Ray Bradbury and Tennessee Williams putting the word into characters' dialog.  [CRY-mihn-EHNT-ly]!