Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circlip

The term "Jesus clip" is a comical reference given to it due to its tendency to come loose and launch itself at high speed while removing or installing it, often leading to the remark "Oh Jesus, where did it go man?"

A circlip (a portmanteau of "circle" and "clip"), also known as a C-clip, snap ring, or Jesus clip, is a type of fastener or retaining ring that consists of a semi-flexible metal ring with open ends that can be snapped into place into a machined groove on a dowel pin or other part to permit rotation but to prevent axial movement.

That is absolutely 100% not the remark that inspired it.

Everything in this post is so wrong.

The image is a snap ring.

A Circlip doesn't have holes, and is often an inside clip.

A Jesus Clip is a whole other thing with a different shape that I can't describe in words.

I hate having to deal with these things so much I spent real money on a special tool to deal with them. Even though I only have to mess with circlips once in a blue moon. Maybe even longer.

Snap ring pliers?

I do think there are a few different clips that earn the name, it's just usually not in an 'aw shucks, where did that go, man' type expletive.

Does seem like the description and pictures have a few additional issues.

This is what everybody I know calls a circlip, and what Master-Carr returns when I search for that term, and that's as good an authority as I need. A quick survey of web sites leads me to believe that it's snap rings that have no holes. I'd say that there's quite a bit of ambiguity around the various terms.

Yep. They have several attachments for many size rings 👍

then, if you have a minute to spare, i would like to know what inspired it?

same here. That plier also helps with viroblocs of opinels

It was definitely closer to something like 'Jesus...Fuck!! ''

That right there is called a dammit. You can have inside or outside dammits. They make special dammit pliers.