"perish the thought" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "Equivalent to \"[may] the thought perish\", with the verb in the subjunctive mood followed by its subject.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phrase"
      },
      "expansion": "perish the thought",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English sentences",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1885, Horatio Alger, chapter 13, in Hector's Inheritance",
          "text": "What! was he to lose his hold over these boys, and that because he was unable to cope with a boy much smaller and younger than himself? Perish the thought!",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007 June 22, Grace Dent, The Guardian, G2, p. 3",
          "text": "According to industry gossips, Richard and Judy may soon go their separate ways. Not maritally; no, perish the thought.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "May the thought perish; said of an idea or suggestion that is deeply undesirable."
      ],
      "id": "en-perish_the_thought-en-phrase-xJxqHMEG",
      "links": [
        [
          "undesirable",
          "undesirable#English"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "far be it"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "perish the thought"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "Equivalent to \"[may] the thought perish\", with the verb in the subjunctive mood followed by its subject.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phrase"
      },
      "expansion": "perish the thought",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "far be it"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English phrases",
        "English sentences",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1885, Horatio Alger, chapter 13, in Hector's Inheritance",
          "text": "What! was he to lose his hold over these boys, and that because he was unable to cope with a boy much smaller and younger than himself? Perish the thought!",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007 June 22, Grace Dent, The Guardian, G2, p. 3",
          "text": "According to industry gossips, Richard and Judy may soon go their separate ways. Not maritally; no, perish the thought.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "May the thought perish; said of an idea or suggestion that is deeply undesirable."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "undesirable",
          "undesirable#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "perish the thought"
}