'Lo and behold' is an idiom used to express surprise or wonder. It literally means 'look and see! ' As such, you would usually use it to tell someone about something surprising. For instance: Leo opened the safe, but, lo and behold, the money was gone!

How do you use lo and behold in a sentence?

A phrase used to indicate something surprising or unexpected. I'd been searching for my glasses all over the house when, lo and behold, they were on my head the whole time.

Where does the expression lo and behold originate?

The lo in the expression probably originated from the shortening of the word look, commonly seen in Middle English texts. Its presence in literature can be traced to at least as early as the 18th century. The literal meaning of the expression is "look and see", and it is always used as if in the imperative.