morepork

/ˈmɔɹˌpɔ(ə)ɹk/

The word is imitative of the bird's call.

onom

imitative

[T]he morepork, a species of caprimulgus, or goatsucker,^([sic]) keeps up all night the exact repetition of its own name, "Morepork! morepork!" It is a sound to me most expressive of a dreary loneliness and twilight distance that I ever heard.

1852 December 1, William Howitt, “Letter VII”, in Land, Labour, and Gold; or, Two Years in Victoria: With Visits to Sydney and Van Diemen’s Land. … In Two Volumes, volume I, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, published 1855, →OCLC, pages 115–116:

As soon as the shades of evening close in over the Australian forest, the ear is startled by the cry of "morepoke," clearly and loudly repeated, and a bird as large as an owl flits by on noiseless wing, like the goat-sucker at home. This is the Morepoke, a species of large night-jar,^([sic]) all head and mouth, about the size of an owl.

1861, [Horace William Wheelwright], “A Chapter on the Ornithology of Port Phillip”, in Bush Wanderings of a Naturalist; or, Notes on the Field Sports and Fauna of Australia Felix. By an Old Bushman, London, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, Warne, & Routledge, […], →OCLC, page 126:

As soon as night begins to spread its darkening shadows over our brief twilight, this active creature sets out on its hunting excursions, roaming over field and gully with soft, noiseless flight, one of the advantages it owes to its flocculent plumage; its cry of "morepork, morepork," is repeated at frequent intervals, sometimes with the utmost rapidity of utterance; [...]

1871 May, T[homas] H[enry] Potts, “Art. XI.—On the Birds of New Zealand. … (Part II.)”, in James Hector, editor, Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute, 1870, volume III, Wellington: James Hughes, printer, […]; London: Trübner 7 Co., […], →OCLC, pages 61–62:

‘I assure you. I do rather a good morepork.’ Bernard sat up, straightened his shoulders. ‘More pork. More pork.’

1992, Barbara Anderson, chapter 8, in Portrait of the Artist’s Wife, Wellington: Victoria University Press, published 2002, →ISBN, page 141:

I know where a morepork lives, in the roof of our dunny, and I hear it hoot ‘morepork, morepork’ every night. And I hoot ‘morepork’ back to it, and it hoots ‘morepork’ back to me.

2005, Jack Lasenby, “The Morepork’s Revenge, Mr Bryce’s Verandah Post, Why Freddy Jones Bit His Tongue, and the Way Fern Uncurls at the Top”, in Mr Bluenose, Dunedin: Longacre Press, →ISBN:


nenikikamen

Transliteration of Ancient Greek νενικήκαμεν (nenikḗkamen, “we are victorious”).

uder

Nenikikamen — title of choral work.

1971, Antoniou, Theodore (Greek composer, b 1935)

As he reached the city he gasped out Nenikikamen! and fell dead.

1967, Ilka Chase, Fresh from the Laundry:

We have won (the cry of Pheidippides after reaching Athens from Marathon).


oh my

Which might mean shaping it, gelling it, snooting it, barn dooring it, and putting it on a stand or a clamp. Maybe taking the dome diffuser off. Perhaps zooming it. Oh my. And you thought you were just taking a picture.

(idiomatic, euphemistic, chiefly US and Canada) oh my God


tick-tock

You may be smart enough to elude the law for five years, but your time has run out. Tick tock, motherfucker.

2015, Teresa D. Patterson, Wolf in the Pulpit, page 104:

(colloquial) A warning of some fateful impending event.


shiver my timbers

A reference to a wooden ship being pounded heavily in stormy seas to the extent that its timbers shake, causing awe and fear to the sailors on board.

I was informed I ſhould meet my dear Anna ſomewhere in theſe woods: I have been ſteering all points of the compaſs, but in vain. However, after having given chaſe to an enemy, ſhall I tamely haul my wind when my miſtreſs is in view? No;—ſhiver my timbers if I do. The man who meanly deſerts his King or his miſtreſs, deſerves to be ſhot for a traitor to both!

1794, James Roberts, Rule Britannia! A Loyal Sketch, in Two Acts, as Performed with Universal Applause at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London: Printed for Hookham and Carpenter, Old and New Bond-street, →OCLC, act II, scene i, page 26:

I weighed anchor inſtantly, and bore up right a-head to Dynevawr-houſe as faſt as my wooden leg would carry me. […] Shiver my timbers! what do you think I found 'em at? Split my wind if there was not a gang, with Mrs. Martha at the head, working away at the temple which was built for us to take our grog in.

1799, [Edward Dubois], chapter XII, in A Piece of Family Biography. In Three Volumes, volume II, London: Printed for J[ohn] Bell, no. 148, Oxford-Street, opposite New Bond-Street, →OCLC, page 216:

"The score!" he burst out. "Three goes o' rum! Why, shiver my timbers, if I hadn't forgotten my score!" And, falling on a bench, he laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks.

1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “At the Sign of the ‘Spy-Glass’”, in Treasure Island, London, Paris, New York, N.Y.: Cassell & Company, Limited, published 1883, →OCLC, page 66:

When I wake up the next morning there's a seagull on my windowsill. […] They're such big birds, seagulls, so loud and cocksure and arrogant. If they could speak they would all sound like sailors. All avast! and ahoy there! and shiver me timbers! and they'd smoke reedy pipes and down flagons of foamy ale.

2005, Daisy Jordan, chapter 19, in Wild about Harry, London: Bantam Books, →ISBN, page 263:

A mild oath expressing surprise, disbelief or annoyance. It is stereotypically regarded as being uttered by pirates.

Aert Anthoniszoon
National Maritime Museum

u sta hromů

mild oath stereotypically regarded as being uttered by pirates


my pleasure

A polite reaction to receiving thanks, meaning that the speaker enjoyed helping the listener.


MOB

(nautical) Initialism of man overboard, used e.g. on the emergency button of a satellite navigator. By pushing the button the operator stores the coordinates of a man overboard incident for easy access.


there ya go

(informal) Alternative form of there you go


bug off

(idiomatic, informal, transitive, dismissal) Used to tell somebody to leave one alone.

häivy

Used to tell somebody to leave them alone


vice-a-versa

(proscribed) Phonetic alternative spelling of vice versa


rawr

(Internet slang, text messaging) An expression of great appreciation, a happy imitation of a roar, often to emphasize attraction.

(Internet slang, text messaging) An expression of anger or frustration, though fairly lighthearted.


^W

From the visual representation of the terminal encoding of the keypress Ctrl-W, the "delete back to whitespace" command in GNU readline, which is commonly available in GNU shells and other command-line utilities.

Yeah, he's a real jerk^W civility-challenged fellow.

Well, Mimi, you’re old enough that you should go to parties now, so this should be your last year to tickle feet^W^W trick-or-treat.

(Internet slang, usually humorous) Delete that last word.


carn

Adapted from the vernacular pronunciation of c'mon, itself an informal variant of come on. The first uses of the term in its extended sense appear to have been amongst Australian rules football fans in Victoria, with the use later spreading to other states and sports.

Slipper hooted. But in a moment another wedging peak was upon us.
"Carn, kid. No guts, no glory."
"I don't think so," I said.
"It's the only way home now."

2008, Tim Winton, Breath, Picador UK Paperback edition 2008, Ch.3, p.52

1956 September 10, “Carn the Magpies!”, in The Argus:

Cries of "Carn the Bunnies" rang out, and the talk was of past glories, present disappointments and future hopes.

2001 March 26, “Rabbitohs win hearts and minds of the disaffected”, in The Sydney Morning Herald:

Surely there is someone in ABC Television management who has read Bruce Dawe's evocative poem Life Cycle: "When children are born in Victoria/they are wrapped in the club-colours, laid in beribboned cots/having already begun a lifetime's barracking/Carn, they cry, carn … feebly at first."

2004 February 12, “Keeping sport local on our ABC”, in The Age:

2011 October 11, “Carn the Four'n Twenty, says Preston”, in Herald Sun:

(Australia, informal) An exclamation of support or approval, usually for a sporting (football) team.


kerchoo

Synonym of achoo, the sound of sneezing.


too much information

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-too much information.wav

The expression was first shortened to "TMI" by former Wall Street Journal reporter Joseph Checkler circa 1988. It was not until the late 1990s however, that the term was popularized by online communities. See also TMI.

Too much information! I don't want to hear the details of your surgery.

(informal) An expression indicating that someone has revealed information that is too personal and made the listener or reader uncomfortable.

āmiki rawa tēnā

an expression indicating that someone has revealed information that is too personal

(informal, Internet slang) Introduces an expansion of a short answer with additional information that may be "more than you ever wanted to know". It is a hint that the following information can be ignored if the short answer was sufficient.


get out of town

Compare Danish den må du længere ud på landet med.

cog

"Get out of town!" Magdalena gave me a quizzical look. "That's just an expression, dear," I said kindly.

1998, Tamar Myers, So Faux, So Good, page 191:

"Shae has four kids. All girls." / "Get out of town!" Tempest exclaimed, drawn back in shock.

"Let me pick another word," he said smoothly. "Fascinating." / "Oh, get out of town. Fascinating, my butt."

2005, Shannon McKenna, Out Of Control, page 68:


(Internet slang) Abbreviation of ta ta for now.


see you soon

Goodbye; something said at a farewell, not necessarily literally meaning that the speaker will see the hearer(s) again.


fiddlestick

From Middle English fydylstyk, ffidillstyke; equivalent to fiddle + stick.

"A—a most distinguished visitor has just arrived."
"Distinguished fiddlestick!" said Aunt Letty. "There hasn't been a ring at the bell for the last hour."

1955, C[live] S[taples] Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew, London: The Bodley Head, →OCLC:


begad

You have a good name, good wits, good manners, and a good person—and, begad! I don't see why you shouldn't marry a woman with money—get into—distinguish yourself, and—and, in fact, that sort of thing.

1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, The History of Pendennis. […], volume I, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849, →OCLC, page 287:

Begad, Perry, old fellow, all's well at last, eh?" exclaimed Anthony, grasping my hand. "What I mean to say is — will ye look at 'em, begad!.

1922, Jeffery Farnol, Peregrine's Progress, page 439:

(archaic) An expression of surprise, shock etc.


long time no hear

Dave! Long time no hear! How has Boston been treating you?

(idiomatic) I haven't heard from you for a long time.

отдавна не сме се чували

idiomatic: I haven't heard from you for a long time


that's just me

"Personally, I wouldn't be making jokes if I were sitting on drugs and weapons charges, but that's just me."

2001, Steve Hamilton, Winter of the Wolf Moon, page 197:

(colloquial, idiomatic) Indicates the expression of a personal opinion, but often used ironically as an understatement.


kew

‘Kew,’ she said politely, and then took off, expertly negotiating the narrow aisles between the stalls.

2013, F. E. Higgins, A Tangle of Traitors (The Phenomenals; 1), London: Macmillan Children's Books, →ISBN, page 28:

(informal, uncommon) Clipping of thank you.


c u l8r

(Internet slang, text messaging) Alternative spelling of cul8r.


shiver me timbers

shiver my timbers
shiver my timbers#English


proface

From Middle French bon prou vous fasse (“may [it] do you much good”).

der

Sweet sir, sit; I’ll be with you anon; most sweet sir, Master Page, good Master Page, sit. Proface! What you want in meat, we’ll have in drink.

c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:

Gloria deo, sirs proface,
Attend me now whilst I say grace.

1602, Thomas Heywood, A pleasant conceited comedie, wherein is shewed, how a man may chuse a good wife from a bad, London: Mathew Lawe:

Thankes be giuen for flesh and fishes,
With this choice of tempting dishes:
To which proface: with blythe lookes sit yee,
Rush bids this Couent, much good do’t yee.

1612, Thomas Dekker, If it be not good, the Diuel is in it, London: John Trundle:

(obsolete) A familiar salutation or welcome offered by a host before a meal or drinks are served.


bostin

Possibly related to boast or bost (“to break”).


chuck you Farley

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-chuck you Farley.wav

I wanted to think, Chuck you, Farley, there's nothing much I need you for, if I want to I can turn around and walk right through that door […]

1998, Margaret Atwood, Bodily Harm, page 202:

"Chuck you, Farley, I'm not having anything to do with it."

2002, Richard Helms, The Valentine Profile, page 100:


well said

A comment expressing approval; an accolade; "that was spoken well" (clearly or eloquently.)

لَا فُضَّ فُوكَ

expression of approval to something said


blow this for a game of soldiers

In the middle of a very hot mixed-up fight one of our men remarked drily on his radio "What price this for a game of soldiers!"

1941, James Lansdale Hodson, Through the dark night: being some account of a war correspondent's journey, meetings and what was said to him in France, Britain, and Flanders during 1939-40, V. Gollancz Ltd., page 343

A cold gust of wind fans your face, you shiver slightly, you have been standing still, "get moving," you say to yourself, only another hour to do, the rifle is heavy, brrrr, blow this for a game of soldiers, they have no consideration at all.

1952, Hashomer Hatzair, Forging the link: a handbook of Hashomer Hatzair, page 108:

Expressing exasperation or impatience with a situation.


goddidit

Yes, well, I'm not surprised. I'll bet a lot of things are puzzling to you. But you can just say goddidit and forget about them, can't you?

Dec 7, 1997, Chris Kennedy, Fighting something that doesn't exist, alt.atheism

Anything we can possibly observe can be explained by Goddidit, after the fact. If it rains, goddidit. If it didn't, goddidit. If the Earth is round, goddidit. If the Earth isn't round, goddidit. It explains everything, but predicts nothing, and is therefore is a totally content-free statement.

Apr 28, 1998, Kevin Jaget, Either God or matter has existed for eternity, talk.atheism

How did whales survive in a fresh-water ocean for a year? Goddidit. How did any totally impossible thing happen?

Sep 10, 1999, Al Klein, Recreating the Origins of Life, alt.talk.creationism

Goddidit is not a scientific theory, if God is assumed to be omnipotent, as omnipotence cannot be scientifically verified.

Feb 2, 2001, Martijn Faassen, Can the Genetic Code be simpler?, talk.origins

The search for the truth is not over yet. In the previous chapter I described how creationism believes the opposite and tends to argue against science rather than providing answers to critical questions, usually falling back upon its untested and unproven "Goddidit" hypothesis.

2003, Leslie G. Howarth, Genesis 2.0: The Search for the Truth Continues, page 188:

(slang) A sarcastic assertion that something that has not been satisfactorily explained by science is therefore evidence of God.


have at you

Dark and sinister man, have at thee.

(dated) An exclamation indicating that one is about to strike the person addressed, typically with a sword or other hand-held weapon.


shotties

Shotties for the drink, man

(New Zealand, slang) thanks, thank you, shot

(New Zealand, slang) I acknowledge your greatness (or skill), that's great.


isit

(South Africa) Alternative form of is it


stone me

Yesterday, Frears told the Guardian that he was surprised and honoured: "Stone me!" as Jim Broadbent said when he got his Oscar.".

2007 January 12, Simon Hattenstone, “First for UK directors as Frears heads Cannes jury”, in The Guardian:


just kidding

(informal) I wasn't serious; it was only a joke.


buck up

(idiomatic) Cheer up; take courage; take heart.

(idiomatic, dated) Hurry up; make haste.


hell or high water

I am a man of my word, hell or high water.

1987, James A. Michener, Texas, page 1040:

No matter what the adverse circumstances.


right-ho

I mean to say, when a girl, offered a good man's heart, laughs like a bursting paper bag and tells him not to be a silly ass, the good man is entitled, I think, to assume that the whole thing is off. In the light of this [marriage] announcement in The Times I could only suppose that on one of these occasions, unnoticed by me possibly because my attention had wandered, she must have drooped her eyes and come through with a murmured ‘Right-ho.’ Though when this could have happened, I hadn't the foggiest.

1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter III:


haa

(pornographic manga) The sound of heavy breathing when sexually aroused.


fap

Onomatopoeic Internet neologism from the sound of male masturbation, originally used in English translations of some adult Japanese manga, and popularized on the Internet by the webcomic The Thin H Line/Sexy Losers and other online sources.

I was watching some porn – fap fap fap – when my computer crashed, again!

She's single?... *fap fap fap*

(informal, Internet slang, vulgar) To indicate that someone (normally the speaker) is either masturbating, or inspired to by sexual arousal.


whatsay

"Did you finish mowing the lawn?" / "Whatsay?"

(slang, interrogatory) What did (what'd) you say


cootchie-cootchie-coo

Said when tickling someone to get them to laugh.


zoinks

The earliest and most commonly known usage of this term is in the American cartoon Scooby-Doo, where it was used regularly by one of the main characters, Norville "Shaggy" Rogers.

Oh Zoinks! This really smurfs things up for me! Well, at least I now know why many of my friends might feel my slang isn't as radicool as I do.

1998 March 28, David W Miller, “Re: Slang (was: REVIEW: Vampire Science)”, in rec.arts.drwho (Usenet):

After gulping hard, I said aloud, “Zoinks.” I was expecting a big black crow to peck out my eyes, or a woman to hang herself out the second story window.

2012, Michael W. Messer, Forever Sixteen, page 39:


hamana-hamana-hamana

Likely imitative of non-verbal sounds. Compare hmm, um.

Hamana-hamana-hamana-hamana

1956 April 15, The Honeymooners, season 1, episode 29, spoken by Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason):

In response, the doctor would most likely give you his best wide-eyed impersonation of Ralph Kramden: Hamana-hamana-hamana.

2005, Peter Salgo with Joseph Layden, The Heart of the Matter: The Three Key Breakthroughs to Preventing Heart Attacks:


surprise surprise

(sarcastic) Said when something unsurprising has happened, especially if contrary to one's hopes.


stop the lights

* Originated as a catchphrase on the Irish quiz show Quicksilver, where contestants called out "Stop the lights" when they did not know the answer, to prevent loss of prize money for the next questions.

Sure, stop the lights, I know all about it. There's a great shop in Phibsboro.Transformations' Any size you want.

Oh, stop the lights. The Priest is after parkin' across the street. I think he's comin' over here.

2003, Ronan Noone, The Lepers of Baile Baiste, page 57:

(Ireland, idiomatic) An interjection expressing exasperation or incredulity. or to illustrate the humour in a situation.


Goosnargh

From Old Irish Gosan or Gusan (“a given name”) and Old Norse erg (“hill-pasture”).

a word used when the speaker knows they should say something but don't know what it should be.


lew

hence bot a litill / she commys, lew, lew! / shy bryngys in her bill / som novels new; / Behald! / It is of an olif tre / A branch, thynkys me.

15th c., “Processus Noe cum filiis [Noah and the Ark]”, in Wakefield Mystery Plays; Re-edited in George England, Alfred W. Pollard, editors, The Towneley Plays (Early English Text Society Extra Series; LXXI), London: […] Oxford University Press, 1897, →OCLC, page 38, lines 507–510:

[She is] not far, she comes, look, look! She brings in her bill something new—behold! It is an olive tree's branch, I think.

(obsolete) Alternative form of lo or look: a cry to look at something.


net-net

(finance, humorous) Get to the point; stop rambling; show me the bottom line.


poor show

(informal, dated, British) Used to express disapproval or dissatisfaction


dot dot dot

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-dot dot dot.wav

Let me read this part of the note for the court reporter: "Either meet my demands or dot dot dot.".

IF I WAS JOE MILLIONAIRE, DOT DOT DOT******
I would have picked Eric from celebrity mole, lol.

2003 February 17, :-O< 8@:-O.:-O, “**IF I WAS JOE MILLIONAIRE, DOT DOT DOT******”, in alt.tv.real-world (Usenet), message-ID <fe835v0d383qv7bnsnpdda4jhlt0rqkv7o@4ax.com>:

[the original text is stylized across multiple lines]
I need water, food, "shelter", emotions AND... dot-dot-DOT a reason.

2006 June 13, turtoni, “I require your attention, because... dot-dot-DOT”, in alt.philosophy (Usenet), message-ID <GNWdnXo89tZ5zhPZnZ2dnUVZ_q2dnZ2d@comcast.com>:

Morty: What the Hell?
Rick: Out of the frying pan, dot, dot, dot, huh, Morty?

2013, "Lawnmower Dog", season 1, episode 2 of Rick and Morty [Rick and Morty survived being killed inside Mr. Goldenfold and found their house crowded with robot-armored dogs.]

(colloquial) As if adding an ellipsis in the middle of speech, indicates a pause, an omission or an unfinished thought.


waz up

"Waz up waz up waazzzzup?"

2005, Mark Anthony, Lady's Night, page 53:

Someone standing by the entrance had casually asked, "Waz up, Tiny, waz up, Marquis?"

2010, Dick Lehr, The Fence: A Police Cover-Up Along Boston's Racial Divide, page 108:


at ease

Calque of Old French a eise, from a (“at”) + eise (“ease”).

At ease, privates!


sis boom bah

(US, cheerleading) An exclamation of encouragement.

(dated) The characteristic sound made by fireworks.


alrighty

Alrighty, let's go then.

(informal) Used to affirm, indicate agreement, or consent.

dacodac

informal indication of agreement or consent


who's a pretty boy then

A conventional phrase used when talking to parrots.


srsly

Shortening of seriously by removing the vowels, as is common on IRC or texting.

A: My mum just broke her leg…
B: srsly?!

what's the point of names anyway. srsly. you could call a 🌹 a different name, and it would still 👃 just as sweet.

2015, William Shakespeare, Courtney Carbone, srsly Hamlet, Random House, →ISBN:

(Internet slang, text messaging) Are you serious? Really?


jumping Jesus

Jumping Jesus! I just won $500.

He will guess as how we are pretty considerably damned clever, that we get along slick, and by the jumping Jesus, are not to be made wheelbarrows of.

1829, John MacTaggart, Three Years in Canada, volume I, page 210:

Oh, jumping Jesus Christ. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Indians are dumb.

1968, Israel Horovitz, Indian Wants the Bronx, page 27:

(mildly blasphemous) Expression of shock or surprise; Jesus Christ.


no shit

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see no, shit.

Well, no shit. What have we got here? A fucking comedian. Private Joker.

1987 June 17, Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, Gustav Hasford, Full Metal Jacket, spoken by Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (R. Lee Ermey), distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures:

(colloquial, vulgar) An exclamation of amazement or disbelief.

no fotis

vulgar: exclamation of amazement or disbelief

LAPD Operator: Attention, whoever you are: this frequency is reserved for emergency calls only.
John McClane: No fuckin' shit, lady! Do I sound like I'm orderin' a pizza?!

1988, Die Hard, spoken by John McClane (Bruce Willis):

(colloquial, vulgar, often sarcastic, somewhat derogatory) An ironic response to a statement of the obvious.


placet

Latin placet (“it is pleasing”), inflection of placeō (“I am pleasing”).

Expression of assent to a vote in the governing body of a university, an ecclesiastical council, etc.


dankie

Borrowed from Afrikaans dankie, from Dutch dank je.


about sledge

(blacksmithing, dated) A warning that the heavy about sledge is about to be swung, usually by a hammerman.


fooey

"You see, I knew that's what you were aiming at," he concluded quietly.
"Fooey."
What if I was. It was a pretty good goal to have, it seemed to me.

1959, John Knowles, chapter 4, in A Separate Peace:


one side

Probably short for "move to one side", that is to one side of a passageway.

[…] sign hung from the bronze knob, and it stated without equivocation that the Britannic Museum was "closed for repairs."
But the Inspector was made of stern stuff. He closed his right hand and with the resulting fist pounded formidably on the bronze.
[…] out popped the gargoylish head of a bulb-nosed old man.
"Hey!" snapped this apparition. "Can't you read English?"
"One side, brother," said the Inspector cheerfully. "We're in a hurry."
The doorman did not budge […]

1933, Barnaby Ross, Drury Lane's Last Case, March 1946 republication as by Ellery Queen, Little, Brown, page 45

“This is no time for sympathy,” I said. “Now one side or flipper off — I gotta go to work.”

1952, Cyril M. Kornbluth, Make Mine Mars:

"I'm late now, Fatty. C'mon. One side," Zooey said. A Philadelphia highboy had been moved out into the hall, and, together with Mrs. Glass's person, it blocked Zooey's passage.

(idiomatic) A direct, somewhat impolite demand to ask someone to move out of the way.


vivat

From Latin vīvat (literally “may s/he live”).

The King swears; and now be the welkin split with vivats[.]

1837, Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, (please specify the book or page number):

The magistrates were mobbed by vivat-yelling crowds, some 10,000 of whom made their way to the Bastille where they clamoured for Rohan's release.

2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 338:

A cry wishing someone long life and prosperity.


yatta

Borrowed from Japanese やった (yatta, “hurrah!, I did it!”).

bor+

Okay. Let's just launch a killer attack on the whole tribe! Kill off Cologne and Shampoo first, then get rid of the rest of the bunch! Then no more Shampoo-like girls going to attack people who beat them up, since they're all dead! Yatta!! Good idea!!!

1996 January 16, Caroline Ann Seawright, “Re: Shampoo Bashing! (was Ranma 1/2: Denial)”, in rec.arts.anime (Usenet):

I put in a US game and tried it and it worked perfectly. Then I put in a Japanese game and it worked also. Yatta!

1997 February 2, Kimo Kim, “NCS Mod review”, in rec.games.video.sony (Usenet):

"Yatta!" crowed the brunette. "Two for two!"

1999 May 20, LeVar Bouyer, “[FANFIC] Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Orion 408”, in alt.fan.sailor-moon (Usenet):

Ah! It worked! Yatta!

2004 December 6, Fish Eye no Miko [username], “Re: Video player help”, in rec.arts.tv.mst3k.misc (Usenet):

Yatta! File restored!

2008 1 July, Antonio Ospite, "ext3grep: success story. Thanks!", ext3grep, Google Groups

Yatta! I’ll go get my script, and be right back!

2009, Giz, Menage a 3: I <3 Magical Zii:

Finally, they found number 16 with the name Ragnvold printed below. "Yatta, we did it," exclaimed Tule.

2011, Ned Greenwood, Hachiman Taro: Firstborn of the God of War, Tate Publishing, →ISBN, page 233:

(chiefly fandom slang) An exclamation of happiness or excitement.


bruh

Vietnamese: bủh (eye dialect)

PIE word
 *bʰréh₂tēr
A shortening of brother from African-American Vernacular English

Abra-abracadabra / (And for my last trick) I'm 'bout to reach in my bag, bruh / Abra-abracadabra / (And for my last trick, poof) Just like that and I'm back, bruh

2024, Eminem (lyrics and music), “Houdini”, in The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce):

You're moving to Greenland? Bruh!

Person 1: I poured canola oil into my car engine!

Person 2: Bruh.

Person 1: I think the word partisan derives from how they parted their hair.

Person 2: Bruh.

(slang) Expressing a feeling that something is an exceptionally stupid or inappropriate thing to think or to do.

Person 1: Your favorite show got cancelled!

Person 2: Bruh.


your ass

A: My dog ate my homework.

B: Your ass.

(idiomatic, emphatic, colloquial, vulgar) A sarcastic expression of disbelief.


zowie

Zowie, what a walloping those Browns got in New York yesterday! A few more like that and the blow-up in Washington, then watch the anvil chorus in St. Louis.

1908 July 17, Thomas S. Rice, “Nationals Swat at Lively Clip Until New Orleans Steps Into Breach.”, in The Washington Times, Washington D.C., archived from the original on 2016-11-07, page 10:

(US, slang) An indication of astonishment or admiration.


yo mamma

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling


hello there

/həˈləʊ̯ ðɛə(ɹ)/

/hɛˈləʊ̯ ðɛː(ɹ)/

/hɛˈloʊ̯ ðɛɚ/

/həˈloʊ̯ ðɛɚ/

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Hello there.
General Grievous: General Kenobi! You are a bold one.

2005, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith:


whap

Whap, Biff, Ooooof, Sock, Pow, Zok! Batman is back. Gotham City is again leaving its law and order in the hands of a man who wears plastic underpants over his tights.

1989 June 5, The Canberra Times, Australia Capital Territory, page 10, column 2:


upsadaisy

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-upsadaisy.wav

An affectionate encouragement to a child who has fallen over or is being lifted up.


woo hoo

"Woo hoo!" yelled Sue and David. "It's the weekend!"


LOLWUT

From lol + wut, a corruption of LOL and what.

LucasArts says old adventure games "impossible" on DS, SCUMM says lolwut?

Oh Hai! Icahn Haz a Blog? LOLWUT??

(Internet, Internet slang) A confused or sardonic response to a statement that is confusing, exaggerated, or idiotic.


good heavens

(dated, exclamation) An exclamation of surprise or shock.


bada bing bada boom

Of ideophonic origin. First appears in the 1958 Pat Cooper routine The Italian Wedding. Popularized by 1972 film The Godfather and 1990s television series The Sopranos.

That's how I work. A little slice of life here, a little piece of a different song there, and bada bing, bada boom, mix it all together and there it is.

2012, Cyndi Lauper, Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir, page 114:

And then, bada bing bada boom, our germs are reunited.

2014, Tina Calabria, Surviving Me: An Outsider’s Story, page 123:

If you go to DHS, they contact the sheriff's department, and bada bing bada boom, there's Deputy Bad Dog on the scene, who has, apparently, been working some kind of scam with the poor kids' parents or guardians.

2008, Arthur Barry, The Fireproof Motel, page 163:

(informal) Expressing that something was easily completed, was simple to accomplish, or followed as a direct consequence.

“I am not in any Mafia,” shouted Al. “There is no such thing as a Mafia.” “Yeah ... Bada bing, bada boom, fuggedaboudit. By the way, what is your campaign slogan — vote for me or else?"

2006, Brian Davis, Amusing Stories from the Royce Casket Company, page 91:

The gangster-announcer notes that although Baldacci says he's opposed to casinos, he voted in favor of them when he was in the Maine legislature. "If he can flip, he can flop, bada bing, bada boom, know what I mean?

2007, George De Stefano, An Offer We Can't Refuse: The Mafia in the Mind of America, page 39:

I knew that Demon couldn't predict what we were going to have, but I still liked to point out that he was wrong about Braxton. “That's because we had sex on a Tuesday with him. I figure we shoot for a Thursday, and bada bing bada boom, girl.

2019, Winter Travers, Devil's Knights, page 647v:

(informal) Used to euphemize what is said, sometimes to the extent that only the initiated will understand what is implied.


nolo episcopari

From Latin nolo episcopari (“I do not want to be bishop”). It was formerly maintained that those nominated for the post of bishop politely declined the offer twice with these words.

uder

He soon found means to make his addresses, in express terms, to his mistress, from whom he received an answer in the proper form, viz.: the answer which was first made some thousands of years ago, and which hath been handed down by tradition from mother to daughter ever since. If I were to translate this into Latin, I should render it by these two words, Nolo Episcopari: a phrase likewise of immemorial use on another occasion.

1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

their Leader – for so, in spite of his Nolo episcopari, we must presume to call him — has given in his Elbing Letter so distinct a pledge – not merely of opinions, but of actual designs if his ministerial career had not been arrested – that we have little doubt that [...] Sir Robert Peel will substantially forward there measures, whoever may propose them.

1847, ‘Parliamentary Prospects’, The Quarterly Review, volume LXXXI:

‘Nolo episcopari,’ he urges in grateful deprecation.

1869, Pele-Mele, ‘Nolens (Volens) Episcopari’, New Monthly Magazine, vol. 145

Carlyle's hero may say, "I will be king"; but the Christian saint must say "Nolo episcopari." If the great paradox of Christianity means anything, it means this—that we must take the crown in our hands, and go hunting in dry places and dark corners of the earth until we find the one man who feels himself unfit to wear it.

Expressing a facetiously modest refusal of something which is actually desired.


GG

(online gaming, slang) Good game; commonly used at the end of a gaming match; also sometimes used to end an argument.

(slang) Good going; may be used genuinely or sarcastically.


ehm

[…]ehm but if you’re happy then that’s what it comes up to at the end of the day if you’re happy doing what you are. ehm (..) if you’re not then it’s up to you to change it ehm I don’t think there’s a – (.) an age thing it’s ehm a personal one.

2004, Dariusz Galasiński, “‘There is a Concern’: Strategies of Emotion Talk”, in Men and the Language of Emotions, Palgrave Macmillan, →DOI, →ISBN, page 59:

01 C: ehm hiya / 02 S: hi how can I help / 03 C: ((laughing)) ehm well I’ve just been informed I can’t get on (.) my plane[…]

2007, Ronald Geluykens, “Investigating complaints in business English: an evalutation of data collection methods”, in Katja Pelsmaekers, Craig Rollo, editors, Economically Speaking: Essays in Honour of Chris Braecke, Garant, →ISBN, page 38:

So ehm, I agreed that I would look at, ehm, ways of, ehm, of reducing the amount I was spending on my personal development,[…]

2008, Erik de Haan, “Verbatim Transcript: Ken”, in Relational Coaching: Journeys Towards Mastering One-to-One Learning, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 309:


ack

Expressing distaste, alarm, or trepidation.


good show

An exclamation of praise or endorsement of an achievement.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see good, show.


marry come up

O Gods Lady deare, / Are you ſo hot? marrie come vp I trow, / Is this the Poultis for my aking bones?

c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v], page 63, column 2:

I thought th' hadst scorn'd to budge a step / For fear. (Quoth Eccho) Marry guep.

1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]. Canto III.”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678, →OCLC; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC, page 64:

"Marry-come-up," cries Slipſlop, "People's Ears are ſometimes the niceſt Part about them."

1742, Henry Fielding, “What Passed between the Lady and Mrs. Slipslop, […]”, in The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams. […], volume I, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book I, page 47:

Marry gep, if it had not been for me, thou hadſt been yet but a hearing Counſel at the Bar.

1676 December 11 (first performance), [William] Wycherley, The Plain-Dealer. A Comedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for James Magnes and Rich[ard] Bentley […], published 1677, →OCLC, Act III, page 42:

Marry, come up, indeed; tie it yourſelf, you have as many Hands as I; your Man's Man will have a fine Office truly: Come, pray, ſtand out of my ſpitting Place.

1731 (date written), Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], “Dialogue I”, in A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, […], London: […] B[enjamin] Motte […], published 1738, →OCLC, page 39:

Marry come up with ſuch gentlemen! though he hath lived here theſe many Years, I don't believe there is arrow servant in the house ever ſaw the Colour of his Money.

1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume II, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book V, page 180:

Marry quep of your advice, for an old Scotch tinsmith, as you are!

1822 May 29, [Walter Scott], chapter IV, in The Fortunes of Nigel. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 109:

Marry, quep! if you call this wasting time. Sir Egerton, we wonder what is employing it.

1835 March, “The Autobiography, Times, Opinions, and Contemporaries of Sir Egerton Brydges, […]”, in The Gentleman's Magazine, London: William Pickering; John Bowyer Nichols and Son, →OCLC, page 233, column 1:


front and center

(idiomatic) A command to come to the center of attention of an assemblage, as of military personnel or students.


God Save the King

(Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK) An expression of one’s patriotism and hope for the long life of the monarch, especially in his presence.

(UK) A formal statement at the end of many proclamations issued by the King or in his name.

The Queen is dead! God save the King!

(UK) A formal declaration following the death of a reigning monarch when the next monarch is male.


Bueller

(waiting for absent response): From the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). Ben Stein's character, when doing roll-call, called "Bueller" multiple times with no answer, as Ferris Bueller was absent.

Does anyone want to go to the movies? ...Bueller?

Expression used to convey waiting for a response when there is none.


sooey

Sooey, sooey! Come here, piggy!

For quotations using this term, see Citations:sooey.


nom nom nom

"I'm eating my toast. Nom nom nom. Slurping my tea <slurp>, filling my belly so I will go pee" <big laugh>. "Pee pee pee" <big laugh>.

2004, K Michael Forder, The High Kicking Kung Fu Soccer Playing Bunny Rabbit Tree:


hear ye

(archaic) Listen to me; used to introduce a public announcement.


gdi

(Internet slang, text messaging) Alternative letter-case form of GDI.


fuckity

And he is both obsessed and repelled by all this fuckity-fuck stuff, as he has come to call it in his mind.

1981, Peter O. Chotjewitz, The Thirty Years Peace, page 29:

Look for fuck's sake. Jesus Christ all fuckity, is that no a sight?

1997, Duncan McLean, Ahead Of Its Time: A Clocktower Press Anthology, page 236:

How could this be happening? How could I have been so wrong? Fuckity-fuck, I think to myself. Fuckity- fuckity-fuck.

2007, Chris Jones, Falling Hard: A Rookie's Year in Boxing, page 73:

(vulgar) Nonce variation of the word fuck.


gratz

Hey, gratz on leveling!

(Internet slang) Congratulations, congrats.


shazaam

and before you can say "Shazaam!" he is translated into Sgt. Moffatt of the Laguna Hills security force.

1968, Michael T. Malloy, The Art of Retirement, page 74:

Suddenly, you find yourself worrying about the strength of the dollar versus the euro and — shazaam — you switch from parasympathetic to sympathetic far faster than you wanted.

2004, Robert M. Sapolsky, Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, page 125:


shazam

Apparently coined by American comic book writer Bill Parker in February 1940, from the first letters of Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury.

My parents lived in the Last Naïf Age: the last ‘good war’, atoms for peace, and parental philosophy that said children should do and say exactly what we do and say, and Shazam! You'll be us.

2008, Tom Bissinger, Da Capo:Selected Writings 1967-2004: Selected Writings 1967-2004, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, page 91:

So I brought you down the trail on the sled, put you in my car and, shazam, here we are.

2009, K. L. Denman, Me, Myself and Ike, Orca Book Publishers, →ISBN, page 185:

Used to indicate that a magic trick or other illusion has been performed.


yassuh

A formal affirmative response, addressed to a man; yes.


nosuh

A negative response, addressed to a man; no.


yah boo

I don't care about your stupid party anyway, so yah boo to you.

(British) An expression of derision or scorn.


yeave-ho

An exclamation used when pulling, especially by sailors while pulling on a rope.


yech

Yech! This jelly donut is the worst on the planet!

The author in effect tells the reader it's OK to be gay if you're successful, handsome, well-hung and in no way effeminate. Yech!

1979 April 28, Allen Young, “The Joy of Gay Lit”, in Gay Community News, page 20:


I say

desc

Solombala English: асей (asej, “English sailor”)

→ Swahili: aisee

I say! That's impressive!

I say, what is the meaning of this?

Adrian thought it worth while to try out his new slang. ‘I say, you fellows, here's a rum go. Old Biffo was jolly odd this morning. He gave me a lot of pi-jaw about slacking and then invited me to tea. No rotting! He did really.’

1991, Stephen Fry, chapter III, in The Liar, London: William Heinemann, →ISBN, page 26:

(British, dated) An exclamation of surprise or protest.

I say! ... John ... Are you still there? If you're going into town could you get some eggs?

(British) An exclamation used to call someone or attract someone's attention.

When such men as Mr. Burke, Mr. Dundas, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Windham, and my Lord Grenville: when such men as these unreservedly and repeatedly avowed their sentiments on the condition of the Slave; when they saw no danger in the avowal; […] when, I say, these men thus thought, spoke, and acted […]

1823, William Wilberforce, Appeal to the Religion, Justice and Humanity of the Inhabitants of the British Empire in Behalf of the Negro Slaves in the West Indies:

But when Amelia came down with her kind smiling looks (Rebecca must introduce her to her friend, Miss Crawley was longing to see her, and was too ill to leave her carriage)—when, I say, Amelia came down, the Park Lane shoulder-knot aristocracy wondered more and more that such a thing could come out of Bloomsbury; […]

1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 63, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:

"Stop! Stop I say!" ordered the professor imperiously.

1912, Clarence Young, The Motor Boys on the Wing: Or, Seeking the Airship Treasure, page 63:

Used for emphasis, or when resuming after diversion or interruption.

I say, I say, I say! Did you hear the one about the nun in a maternity ward?

(dated or clichéd) A traditional introduction to a joke, usually thrice repeated.


'dswounds

Contraction of God's wounds; see zounds.

’Dſvvounds! vvhy doſt thou not lay out thy Money to purchaſe a Place at Court, of honeſt Iſrael?

1733, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], Alexander Pope, compiler, “Law is a Bottomless Pit. Or, The History of John Bull. […]. The Second Part. Chapter IX. A Copy of Nic. Frog’s letter to John Bull.”, in Miscellanies, 2nd edition, volume II, London: […] Benjamin Motte, […], →OCLC, page 107:


tyvm

Alternative form: TYVM

As a Certified Film Girly (I have a film minor from a state school, tyvm), I am obliged to remind you that the onscreen throuple has been sighted as far back as 1962, when François Truffaut’s Jules et Jim hit theaters and became a French new wave classic.

2023 October 2, Courtney Young, “Calling It Now: Throuples Are About to Put Love Triangles Out of Business”, in Cosmopolitan:

thank you very much
thank you very much#English

(Internet slang) Initialism of thank you very much.


oh my days

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-oh my days.wav

“[…] Oh, my days, don’t ’ee say another word about either of ’em. I wish I’d never been born.”

1907, Mary Patricia Willcocks, The Wingless Victory, John Lane Company, page 391:

"Oh my days," said my mother and she sank into a chair.

1963, Will P. Rose, The Vanishing Village, Citadel Press, page 192:

‘Oh my fucking days,’ cried Biscuit, shaking his head. ‘We’re fucking jinxed, man.’

2001, Alex Wheatle, East of Acre Lane, Fourth Estate, →ISBN, page 33:

Then the nurse mentioned Epidural, oh my days I know i nearly passed out at the sight of the needle going into the spinal column, all the while that wretch is screaming blue murder in the next room, 'get it out'.

2004, "Kunjufu" (username), comment in "Fathers and Childbirth" (online forum topic), quoted in Barbara M. Newman and Philip R. Newman, Development Through Life: A Psychosocial Approach, Tenth Edition, Cengage Learning (2008), page 111

Jamal covered his face with his hands. ‘Oh my days . . .’

2006, Martyn Waites, The Mercy Seat, Pegasus Books, →ISBN, page 361:

Jessie was so amazed that she almost spilled her tea. “Oh my heavenly days!” she cried.

2008, Budge Wilson, Before Green Gables, G.P. Putnam's Sons, →ISBN, page 12:

(British, Ireland, euphemistic) An exclamation of astonishment or gleeful disapproval.


alakazam

Unknown, with various theories ranging from spontaneous usage as a nonsense chant, to less likely sources from Arabic, Latin, and Hindi.
Some etymologists suggest an origin from Arabic القَسَم (al-qasam, “the oath”).

A magic word used in conjuring; presto, shazaam.


big wow

"Okay, fine. Who lost their virginity first?" "Oh, big wow, with your cousin Barry."

1997, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (film)


hooroo

From 1700s British hooray or hurray, which was also used in Australia to mean goodbye.

Placing it triumphantly on the mahogany desk before him, he exclaims — “Hooroo ! Ho-ooo-roo-ooo ! in a husky voice, and sinks exhausted on a satin divan. “What′s the row, Hiram?” all cry, gathering eagerly about him. “Hooroo! I′m a rich man! I′ve got my patent!”

1886, The Yale Courant, volume 22, number 11, page 149:

1901—02, Herminie Templeton Kavanagh, Darby O'Gill and the Good People, McClure's Magazine, reprinted 1903, Reilly & Britton, page 80,
Every brown cap was swung in the air. “Hooray! Hooray! Hooroo!” rang the cheers.

When the visiting school wins (and sometimes it does, you know), then in pure politeness he says: “Hooroo! hooroo!” but he only goes half-way round.

1905, Report of the National Congress of Mothers: Held in the city of Washington, D. C., March 10-17, 1905, page 214:

1981, Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Splinters, Rigby, page 182,
‘Hooroo! Hooroo! Hooroo!’ she shouted, tossing handfuls of instant confetti over their happy heads.

1998, Theatre Record, Volume 18, Issues 18-26, page 1510,
The audience is made to chorus “Hooray, hooray, we the common people say hooray“ and “Hooroo, hooroo, Plaid Cymru, hooroo” in celebration of the royal wedding, and is regaled with parish-panto Pooterisms galore.

“I′d better be going. Hooroo.”
“Hooroo.”

1980, The Bulletin, volume 100, page 329:

2009, Peter Yeldham, A Distant Shore, Penguin Group, unnumbered page,
‘Hooroo.’ It had always been her inevitable parting word.
‘Hooroo, Mrs Wheatley. Don′t forget next week.’

‘Hooroo, come again!’
‘Hooroo, we will.’

2011, Shirley May, Conversations with Teddy: A Child′s Journey of Survival with Her Teddy Bear, the Keeper of Secrets, Xlibris, page 47:


j'adoube

Borrowed from French j’adoube (“I adjust”), from je (“I”) + adouber (“to adjust”).

(chess) Spoken by a player before adjusting a piece on the chessboard, to indicate that he or she is not making a move in the game.


come off it

Originally a British shortening of "come off the grass!", an older (originally American) phrase. Come off the grass!, which is roughly indicative of the speaker's disbelief, or that the speaker believes that the one being spoken to needs to face reality, is ultimately a play on the oft-seen phrase on signs in places such as public parks: "keep off the grass".

Come off it, mate! You can't be serious.

My palace spies have informed my that a certain tacky queen going by the pseudonym "Joey Ganimeed" has been presuming to offer you the 'facts of life' about gay existence (GCN, August 11, 1984). The next time you see him, tell him from me "Come off it, Mary."

1984 August 18, Gary Ralph, “Meow, Meow”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 6, page 5:

A feminist? Oh come off it! Why is Netflix idolising a porn star infamous for scenes of violence to women? [title]

2024 March 6, Philip Oltermann, “A feminist? Oh come off it! Why is Netflix idolising a porn star infamous for scenes of violence to women?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:


hey rube

Used since approximately 1935; from a shortening of the given name Reuben. It originated as a cry used by circus workers, possibly because of the connotations of the name Reuben as belonging to someone living in the rural USA.

A call to rally circus members in a fight.


come along

Come along, dear, there's no point crying over it.

Come along, Jane. Please finish your homework.

Expression of encouragement or mild reproach.


oorah

(US, military) The official yell for the US Marines.


no matter

Shortened from earlier it makes no matter, it is no matter.

It seems that Doug's coat has gone missing. Oh, well, no matter: we can always buy a new one, now can't we?

"Did you fail your exam?" "Yes, but no matter. I'll just study harder next time."

(dated or US) It doesn't matter, it's unimportant, it doesn't make any difference.


chingas

Possibly derived from Spanish chingar (“to engage in sexual intercourse, to fuck”)

bor

(Bermuda) An expression of surprise or wonder. Wow! Awesome!


truth be told

Ellipsis of if the truth should be told.

I'm not sure if I can do this, truth be told.

Actually, truth be told, I just don't like you.

Well, certainly there are those who are more responsible than others - and they will be held accountable - but again, truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.

When I opened my laptop on Tuesday to take my first run at GPT-4, the new artificial intelligence language model from OpenAI, I was, truth be told, a little nervous.

2023 March 15, Kevin Roose, “GPT-4 Is Exciting and Scary”, in The New York Times:

(idiomatic) Used when admitting something one might otherwise lie about, e.g. to keep up appearances or be polite.


bish bash bosh

Throw in a love story early on and you're laughing. Write it up as a novel and, bish-bash-bosh, you've got the next Captain Corelli.

2001 June 1, Gareth McLean, “I like your altitude”, in The Guardian:

So infectious was Jamie’s trademark bish bash bosh enthusiasm that it may actually have been counterproductive.

2007 August 8, Gerard O'Donovan, “Last night on television”, in telegraph.co.uk, retrieved 2008-10-14:

(British, informal) Indicating the completion of a task with efficiency.


bada boom bada bing

bada bing bada boom
bada bing bada boom#English


bada bing

(slang) Alternative form of bada bing bada boom


ba da bing ba da boom

Alternative spelling of bada bing bada boom


fains

Synonym of fainites (“cry for truce in children's games”)


good job

If you hadn't hit that last ball, we would have lost. Good job!

做得好

a phrase used to praise for a good job or efforts

辛苦

stock phrase when thanking someone for the job


mem.

I had for dinner, or rather supper, a chicken done up in some way with red pepper, which was very good but thirsty. (Mem., get recipe for Mina.)

1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, Folio Society, published 2008, page 3:


squee

2001, Susan, “I got a hamster! Squee!”, in alt.fan.digimon (Usenet):

The new console will certainly have more powerful graphics, processor, hard drive and all those specs that really only nerdy writers for technology websites care about: “Ermahgerd, moar polygons! More frame rate! Squee!”

2013 May 17, Peter Nowak, “There will be buttons: And other truths about the next-gen Xbox”, in The Globe and Mail:

(informal) A squeal of excitement or delight.


wibble-wobble

(informal) The sound of something liquidy wobbling (e.g. jello).


jeepers creepers

(minced oath) An expression of surprise or annoyance.


oontz

Garage isn't very much lke ^([sic]) jungle. The garage that I've heard is like jazzy house (has the oontz oontz oontz beat) maybe a little loungy.

1999, BRENTT NEWMAN, “Garage?”, in alt.music.jungle (Usenet):

Maybe if I had some electronic drumbeats and grinding noises and of course some oontz oontz oontz noises...

2000, Tiny Human Ferret, “Musical Pretention”, in alt.gothic.pretentions (Usenet):

I thought you didn't like all that oontz oontz music : )

2002, Evil Sponge, “Gonna go see Blade II today - wanna come?”, in alt.books.clive-barker (Usenet):

(slang) Imitating an electronic drum sound.


squush

Some men in the cellar were mixing mortar in trays with hoes. We watched them put sand and cement and lime and water together. Squush!

1942, Elizabeth Vernon Hubbard, Your Children at School, How They Adjust and Develop:

They looked down at the ants and other bugs they saw and felt enormously big and powerful. They pretended the bugs were people. "Got me a dozen!" Squush.

1972, Charlotte Baker, Cockleburr Quarters:


never say die

Do not despair; the outlook may be better than it seems, so don't give up


my my

This latest album, Too Hot To Sleep, concentrates more on his "natural" voice, which is baritone. But on those tunes where he exercises that magical falsetto, I just found myself shaking my head and saying "My, my, my!" The way he moves from low to high octaves is breath taking; his transition is almost flawless.

1981 December 5, Julie Coles, “Sylvester: Too Hot”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 20, page 12:

(dated) An extension of my! used to express surprise or pleasure. Also "my my my!".


yowzah

Smart, snappy, swagger - packed with plenty of pepper for the youth that "knows all the answers." HOT! Yowzah! Just slip into a pair of these slacks and put yourself into circulation.

1933, Stella Blum, Everyday Fashion of the Thirties as pictured in Sears Catalogs, published 1986, page 56:

A tall young man with big blue eyes walked by in a tank top undershirt. He was in great shape.
“Yowzah!” Spike said, watching him pass.

2003, Robert B. Parker, chapter 22, in Shrink Rap:

"Yowzah," said Rick into the phone, his eyebrows shooting nearly up to his hairline. "The whole enchilada?"

2004, James Hynes, Kings of Infinite Space, page 21:

His gaze dropped to her slender ankles then to her shoes. Yowzah! She wore white-strapped sandals with at least four-inch heels. Now he knew he was dreaming—or he'd died and gone to heaven.

Ben Bernie was an orchestra leader who had gained a surprising sum of fame by leading a big band and, on occasion, shouting “Yowzah!” into his microphone. It was like that in 1938. You could become famous for shouting “Yowzah!”

2008, Joe Posnanski, The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America, page 40:

Ginny giggled. "Can't you just see Roger as Captain Kirk? He'll be smokin' hot."
I considered my chubby friend with his wild Einstein hair and mustache. Roger's body is a temple for Twinkies and super-sized fries. I mentally shoved, squeezed and packed every love-handle into Captain Kirk's sleek, form-fitting uniform. I got the Pillsbury dough boy in spandex.
Yowzah!

2012, K. J. Larsen, Sticks and Stones: A Cat DeLuca Mystery, page 188:

Wow: an indication of surprise, excitement, or amazement.


geez Louise

"Geez-Louise, are you getting Alzheimer's or what?" Coyote asked.

1997, Adrian C Louis, Wild Indians and Other Creatures:

Geez, Louise, you're a tough customer.

2003, Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife:

Geez Louise, people are bringing shower gifts and they are also getting bilked for the cost of their own refreshments? Dang, that's tacky.

2005, Jeanne Hamilton, Wedding Etiquette Hell: The Bride's Bible to Avoiding Everlasting Damnation:


wah-wah

onom

Imitative

When told during a Fox News segment about a 10-year-old with Down syndrome who was separated from her mother at the southern border, the former campaign manager of President Trump replied, "Wah wah."

2018 June 20, “Corey Lewandowski Mocks Immigrant Child With Down Syndrome Taken From Mother: 'Wah, Wah'”, in Inside Edition:

(US, Canada, onomatopoeia) The sad trombone sound, used to indicate failure or disappointment. May be used mockingly; also written wah wah and womp womp.


happy birthday

Happy birthday, Joe! Have a fantastic day!

Said or written to a person who is celebrating their birthday in order to convey the good wishes of the speaker or writer (literally, "may you have a happy birthday")

ܥܐܕܐ ܕܡܘܠܕܘܟ ܗܘܐ ܒܪܝܟܐ

ʿēḏā d'mawlāḏuḵ hāwē brīḵā

paljon onnea

technically generic but usually used of birthdays

עַד מֵאָה וְעֵשְׂרִים ('ad meá v'esrím, literally “until 120 years”)

जन्मदिन शुभकामनाएँ जन्मदिन पर हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ

boldog szülinapot (either of the two preceding wishes can be supplemented with …kívánok!)

お誕生日おめでとうございます

おたんじょうびおめでとうございます

kabu kara dik htum shangai nhtoi rai u ga!

arahaba tratry ny taona tsingerenan'ny nahaterahanao

arahabaina tratry ny tsingerin-andro nahaterahanao

arahabaina tratry ny tsingerin-taona nahaterahanao

niʼdizhchį́įjįʼ anááhoolzhiizhígíí baa hózhǫ́

wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji urodzin

hjärtliga gratulationer på bemärkelsedagen


kiss my arse

And here, I believe, the wit is generally misunderstood. In reality, it lies in desiring another to kiss your a— for having just before threatened to kick his; for I have observed very accurately, that no one ever desires you to kick that which belongs to himself, nor offers to kiss this part in another.

1749, Henry Fielding, chapter IX, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book VI:

(vulgar, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Alternative form of kiss my ass


boohoo

(colloquial) used to represent the noise of someone crying.


mmhm

Such errors, since they precede the first reinforcement of a correct response by "mmhm," do not depend on the reinforcement value of "mmhm"...

1960, American Psychological Association, Journal of Experimental Psychology:


kablam

(onomatopoeia) The sound of a loud explosion; pow, blam, bang.


kerpow

A powerful sound of impact or transformation; pow, wham.


on your bike

"On your bike!" he shouted at the reporter.


kerplunk

From ker- (prefix forming onomatopoeias imitating the effect or sound of a heavy object falling) + plunk (“dull thud of something landing on a surface”).

prefix

We flipped to see who'd go first and I won, which meant Claudia had to dial. I called the number out loud for her, and inside me my heart was suddenly going "kerplunk, kerplunk, kerplunk," heavy as an elephant's feet.

1986 November, Eva Bunting, chapter 7, in Sixth-grade Sleepover (An Apple Paperback), New York, N.Y.: Scholastic, →ISBN, page 41:


how now

How now ſir Iohn, what are you brawling here?
 Doth this become your place, your time, and buſineſſe?

c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

How now! a rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]:


shoot me

Expression of dismay, where the speaker is expressing, metaphorically, their wish to die because events (for them) are so bad.


pfaugh

Pfaugh! — the history of the day was done; but up-stairs, in my naked, noisy room, began a history of the night, which was much more frightful to me.

1892, Thomas Carlyle, “Excursion (Futile Enough) to Paris”, in The Last Words of Thomas Carlyle, Appleton & Co., page 228:

"They live in New York, and he had the effrontery to give me a dinner and ask all his collaborators to it, fat, paunchy men who smelled of money. Pfaugh!"

1976, Robert Herrick, Waste, Ayer Publishing, page 55:

"But not so many as of us, eh? Why do you suppose that is? Because they bob up and down while they pray? Because every Friday they air their bedding out? Pfaugh."

2007, Michael Flynn, Eifelheim, Macmillan, page 167:

An expression of disgust, contempt, disdain, or dismissal.


ahoy-hoy

From ahoy.
In the 1870s, Scottish-born inventor Alexander Graham Bell did much development for the newly invented telephone. Bell's preferred salutation, ahoy-hoy was derived from the nautical term ahoy. A modern resurgence in the popularity of the term has resulted from its use by The Simpsons character Montgomery Burns, who answered the telephone with this word. The use of the archaic "ahoy-hoy", instead of the standard "hello", is a running joke referring to Mr. Burns's very advanced age.


holy crap

(idiomatic, slang, mildly vulgar) An expression of amazement: holy cow, holy shit.


holy crap on a cracker

"Holy crap on a cracker! That paint job would cost three or four thousand dollars in the city," exclaimed John loudly.


whaddup

(slang) Alternative spelling of what's up


nuh-uh

Peebee: Nuh-uh-uh, no peeking. I'm putting the finishing touches on my personal project.

2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Tempest:


what the

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-what the.wav

From various expressions such as what the sam hill, what the hey, what the heck, what the hell and what the fuck by aposiopesis.

Hee haw! Did that come out of me? Oh! Huh? What the …? What's going on? Ahhh!

1940, as realization dawns that he is turning into a donkey, in Pinocchio (motion-picture), spoken by Lampwick (Frankie Darrow), Burbank: Disney; distributed by RKO Radio Pictures:

(by ellipsis) Used to express astonishment or incredulity, as a question or questioning of the situation at hand, without requiring any specific vulgarity as intensifier.


foggetaboutit

Based on a New York City accent, and associated with Italian gangsters; popularized by media like Donnie Brasco (1997) and The Sopranos (1999–2007).

(slang, US, ethnic) Pronunciation spelling of forget about it.


fuhgeddaboudit

[fɵˈɡɛdəˌbæʊ.dɪʔ]

The phrase is associated with the inhabitants of New York City and the part of the state of New Jersey outside of it.

As they say in New York, fuhgedaboudit. And speaking of successful muggers, perennial presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche also had reason to smile

1993 December 3, “CON MAN AND MUGGER CLAIM A LEGAL WINDFALL”, in News Tribune:

He apologized to me, quietly and sadly. He thought he was letting me down. “Fuhgeddaboudit,” I told him in my best New Jersey accent.

2008 August 4, Dr. Tom Gross, “Dr. Tom Gross: ER stressful, but not how you’d think”, in Marin Independent Journal:

(see title)

2015 February 2, “Fuhgeddaboudit: New York Accent On Its Way Out, Linguists Say”, in NPR:

Pronunciation spelling of forget about it, representing New York City and New Jersey English.


big whoop

(colloquial, US) Expressing indifference or dismissiveness; so what?


'bye

Sure. Okay, ’bye. — ‘Bye.
Audio (US): (file)

2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

(informal) Goodbye: used when the speaker or addressee is departing.


righty

(informal) Right; used to indicate agreement or change of topic.


good on someone

You got married? Good on you!

And he had a big smile like he really liked us and our wall. Black old teeth. Fat stomach. Well good on you. Good on all of you and your wall. Hee, hee, hee, hee.

1989, Patricia Grace, “Six by Six: Short Stories by New Zealand's Best Writers”, in Bill Manhire, editor, The Wall:

I have never forgotten his smile and the look in his eyes as he said, ‘Good on you, little brother.[…]’

2004, Willem Dijkstra, May You Live In Interesting Times, volume 1, page 301:

2009 October 27, House of Lords European Union Committee, Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers: 3rd Report of Session 2009-10, Volume II: Evidence, page 88,
Lord Renton of Mount Harry: […] I do not wish to be rude in saying this, but it is very easy for you as BlackRock because you are already a global, very big company and you are obviously hugely successful — good on you — but what about the alternative investment fund manager in one of the EU countries who wants to grow, wants to become more established in other countries, et cetera, surely for them there has to be some other international means, not just standing on national status and national passports.

(UK, Ireland, New England, Newfoundland, Australia, New Zealand) An exclamation of encouragement or congratulation: well done.

You brought coffee? Good on you mate!

(Australia, New Zealand) Used to express thanks.


tant mieux

President Mounier, though he answered Mirabeau with a tant mieux, and affected to slight the matter, had his own forebodings.

1837, Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, (please specify the book or page number):

It's a good thing; so much the better; fortunately; used to express that a chance happening is favorable.


wahey

People have this image of us. They think we're cock rock. It's time to rein it in a bit. We're not going, Wahey! and pouring champagne on girls' tits.

2004, Dave Black, The Darkness "Talking":

And he did, every day — rabbits, hares; he once leapt hugely after a pheasant we put up, and got it too. "Wahey, go for it, Bullet!"


sankyu

From Japanese サンキュー (sankyū), from English thank you.


Jehoshaphat

/d͡ʒəˈhoʊ.ʃəˌfæt/

/d͡ʒəˈhɒʃ.ə.fæt/

/d͡ʒɪˈhɒʃ.ə.fæt/

From Hebrew יְהוֹשָׁפָט, from יהוה (“Yahweh”) + שָׁפַט (shafát, “to judge”), meaning "Yahweh has judged".

der

Hebrew יְהוֹשָׁפָט

compound

Baley […] thought of a visit to the City Zoo with Ben six or seven years ago. No, eight, because Ben had just passed his eighth birthday then. (Jehoshaphat! Where did the time go?)

Expressing astonishment; jumping Jehoshaphat.


foom

And FOOM-FOOM! the two engines burst together into life...

Those flat-trajectory shells would skim straight in, making a roaring sound in the dark: Foom! Foom! Foom!

2000, James Bradley, Ron Powers, Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima:

A soft, distant foom. The lights blinked, then faded. Foom-foom-foom! Explosions, one after another, rocked the tunnel.

2007, Warren Murphy, James Mullaney, The New Destroyer: Guardian Angel:


Jeebus

Jeebus, get over it. It wasn't as if I called you the wrong name while we were having sex.

Jeebus, does Helen know this? Yes, she does. It's odd, this life of ours, and I'm terribly aware of my culpability in said oddness.

2007, Helen Boyd, She's Not the Man I Married:


lovely jubbly

Based on the 1950s slogan “lubbly Jubbly” advertising Jubbly, an orange-flavoured soft drink. The modified version was coined by the English television scriptwriter John Sullivan (1946–2011) as an expression generally used by the character Derek “Del Boy” Trotter, a market trader from London, in the BBC television comedy Only Fools and Horses (first broadcast 1981–1991, with Christmas specials in 1996 and 2001–2003).

‘Yeah?’ says Adam, who doubtless expected me to put up a fight. ‘Lovely jubbly! It's a date!’ / ‘No, it isn’t,’ I say.

2000, Anna Maxted, chapter 35, in Getting Over It, London: Arrow Books, Random House, →ISBN, page 287:

Press gently all the way around to seal the edges and keep the chocolate in. Bake for 10 minutes and eat hot or cold. Easy peasy, lovely jubbly!

2004, Beatrice Hollyer, Let’s Eat: What Children Eat around the World, New York, N.Y.: Holt, →ISBN:

(British, informal) Often used as a response to some (anticipated) success: lovely; fantastic, great.


I should cocoa

Cockney rhyming slang
Cockney rhyming slang

(Cockney rhyming slang, British, dated, humorous) I should say so; I should concur; I strongly agree (almost always used ironically or sarcastically).


yesss

"Oh, yesss," he muttered in a mousy Germanic accent, hunching over and twiddling his fingers anxiously.

2009 January 8, Ben Sisario, “Addicted to Peter Lorre (That Voice, Those Eyes)”, in New York Times:


blam

That the last zombie? Here. Let me get that for ya. *BLAM!*

A sudden, explosive sound, such as is made by a gunshot.


NVRM

(Internet, text messaging) Abbreviation of never mind.


ticky

Ticky-ticky-ticky the clock continued regardless of whether anyone listened.

(onomatopoeia, also tick) Representing short pitchless sound at a reasonable volume.


yes way

– You passed your driving test? No way! – Yes way!

Bill (Alex Winter): Who are you guys? / Future Ted (Keanu Reeves): We're you, dude. / Ted: No way. No… way. / Future Ted: Yes way.

1989, Chris Matheson, Ed Solomon, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (motion picture):


mafeesh

From Egyptian Arabic مـَفيش (māfīš), eventually from ما (ma, mā, “not”) + فيه (fī, “there is”) + ـش (-š, negation ending).
Borrowed into English by travelers and the British military.

(in Egypt) There is no more; I have nothing.


darn tootin'

"May I assume you wish to enter a plea of not guilty?"
"Darn tootin’."

2001, William Bernhardt, Murder One, →ISBN, page 66:

(chiefly US, countrified, idiomatic) You are absolutely correct.


heigh-ho

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work we go, ...

1937, Larry Morey (lyricist), Heigh-Ho, song in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)

Used as a cadence-count used for synchronized walking, marching, pulling, lifting, etc.


damme

And now, have at the Ministry, Damme!

1809, James Gillray, Pillars of the Constitution:

"Damme, sir," said the major, "there is no use in disguising a fact. Joe is blunt, sir. That's his nature."

1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC:

I'm very sorry to disparage
A humble foremast lad,
But to seek your captain's child in marriage,
Why damme, it's too bad!

1879, W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan, composer, “Act ii”, in H.M.S. Pinafore; […], San Francisco: Bacon & Company, […], →OCLC:

(archaic) Expressing anger or vehemence.


pouf

pouffe (with certain dialects and/or accents)

Pouf, he was gone.

Onomatopoeia indicating a cloud of smoke or wind; caused by a deflating object, or a magical disappearance.


GDGD

(initialism, Internet, informal) Good, good.


shoop

If you want to know
(Shoop, shoop, shoop, shoop)
If he loves you so
(Shoop, shoop, shoop, shoop)
It's in his kiss.

1963, Rudy Clark (lyrics and music), “The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)”:

But don't it make you feel good (Shoop shoop aaahh)
And don't it make you feel good (Shoop shoop aaahh)
Don't it make you feel good (Shoop shoop aaahh)
And don't it make you feel good (Shoop shoop aaahh)

1982, Bananarama (lyrics and music), “Shy Boy”, in Deep Sea Skiving:

I like what ya do when you do what ya do
You make me wanna shoop
Shoop shoop ba-doop
Shoop ba-doop.

1993, Salt-N-Pepa (lyrics and music), “Shoop”, in Very Necessary:

But there comes a point when
When we exhale (yeah, yeah, say)
Shoop, shoop, shoop
Shoo be doop shoop shoop (yeah).

1995, Whitney Houston (lyrics and music), “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)”:

(music) Used as a scat word in song lyrics.


eat my dust

I'm ahead of ya! Eat my dust!

(informal) An in-your-face mockery to a losing rival, especially in a race

धूल चटाना (to defeat, literally “make (someone) lick dirt”)


godspeed

At the threshold of death, how dare I give you permission to go to England, to cross the seas? But I will not stand in your way. It is your mother's permission which really matters. If she permit you, then godspeed! Tell her I will not interfere. You will go with my blessings.

1927, M[ohandas] K[aramchand] Gandhi, “Preparation for England”, in Mahadev Desai, transl., The Story of My Experiments with Truth: Translated from the Original in Gujarati, volume I, Ahmedabad, Gujarat: Navajivan Press, →OCLC, part I, page 95:

So, class of 2007, join in. And godspeed.

2007 May 12, Peter Steinfels, “At commencement, a call for religious literacy”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-11-26:

Alternative letter-case form of Godspeed


bumpsadaisy

Apparently related to bump and whoops-a-daisy.

The Big Apple had been introduced that year, and Kathleen and her friends loved forming the big circle and ending with a bumpsadaisy […]

1983, Lynne McTaggart, Kathleen Kennedy, Her Life and Times:

[…] the wild gyrations of the "Big Apple," in which everyone formed a circle and ended with a "bumpsadaisy," and the Lambeth Walk, […]

1996, Sally Bedell Smith, Reflected Glory: The Life of Pamela Churchill Harriman:

(MOTH on his way back with the drinks. Bumps into someone. Dolly bird.) / MOTH. Oops sorry love. Bumpsadaisy. You all right […]

1999, Michael Earley, Philippa Keil, Contemporary Scenes for Actors, Women:

Used to accompany, or to apologise for, a bumping motion.


thank'ee

"Thank'ee, thankee, kind sir," he said, grasping my hand in both of his.

1850, Charles Dickens, chapter 46, in David Copperfield:


magtig

From early-modern Dutch magtig, today machtig or mighty.
"eene magtige vloot..."
"a mighty fleet..."
- (1752) Jan Wagenaar Vaderlandsche Historie. Deel 7

(South Africa) my God! An expression of surprise.


lauk

Lauk a mercy on me....

1861, H.B. Ashmead, Mother Goose's Chimes, Rhymes & Melodies, Philadelphia, page 77:

(British, dialectal, obsolete) Alternative form of lawks


I'll be blowed

Probably a hyperbole expressing that the speaker is so surprised it is as if they have been blown over by a gust of wind: compare blow me down and blow me over, and also knock someone over with a feather, which have the same sense. Used as a euphemism for I'll be damned; compare also blasted.

Well, I’ll be blowed if it isn’t my old school friend, John!

‘[…] Luke at that there homnibus; why, darn me—’ and now, in his eloquence at this peculiar point, my friend became more loud and powerful than ever—‘why, darn me, if maister harns enough with that there buss to put hiron on them osses feet, I’ll—be—blowed!’

1858, Anthony Trollope, chapter XV, in Doctor Thorne. […], volume II, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 5:

The sound of his voice quickened the other’s memory, his face expanded to its fullest capacity, and he also broke into a laugh. “Why, Newman—I’ll be blowed! Where in the world—I declare—who would have thought? You know you have changed.”

1876 June, Henry James, Jr., chapter II, in The American, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, […], published 5 May 1877, →OCLC, page 20:

“I’ll be blowed if it isn’t the kid,” ejaculated Wheeler.

1893, Horatio Alger Jr., chapter XXX, in Cast Upon the Breakers:

(British, euphemistic, informal, dated) Used to express amazement and surprise.


April fools

April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day#English

Expressed when the speaker has pranked someone successfully on April Fools' Day.


wellaway

From Middle English weylawey, from Old English weg-lā-weg, alteration of wā lā wā, with substitution of Old Norse vei for Old English wā. Compare wellawo, weila.

Crying with pitteous voice, and count'nance wan; / Ah well away, most noble Lords, how can / Your cruell eyes endure so pitteous sight [...]?

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

Replied the Angel, "Wellaway! Wellaway! this may be in no way." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say. When it was the Four Hundred and Sixtyfourth Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious ...

2013, anonymous author, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:

Wellaway, wellaway, ah, wellaway! ' As ocean beat the stone, did she her breast, 'Ah, wellaway! . . ah me ! alas, ah me !' Such sighing uttered she. ii A Cloud spake out of heaven, as soft as rain That falls on water, — ' Lo, The Winds have ...

1920, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, The Poetical Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning: With Two Prose Essays, page 292:

(chiefly archaic, literary) Expression of sadness, regret, remorse, etc., alas, "woe"!


astaghfirullah

/ˈæs.tæɡ.fɪ.ɹəˈlɒː/

Borrowed from Arabic أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللّٰهَ (ʔastaḡfiru llāha, literally “I ask forgiveness from Allah”).

bor+

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللّٰهَ

Astaghfirullah! Look at the state of your room.

(MLE, slang) An expression of disbelief, disapproval, surprise, shock, etc.

(Islam, literally) In the literal sense, "I seek forgiveness from Allah"; a short prayer of redemption; God forgive me.

I should not have done that, astaghfirullah.

(Islam) An expression of guilt or shame.


buggeration

"Oh, buggeration." Her fidgety mother had skimmed three oranges off the top of the fruit bowl with her sleeve.

2004, Michael Lawrence, A Crack in the Line:

Buggeration! Where was Bert Lightfoot when you needed him?

Oh buggeration, the sodding light's come on...


gak

proselytizing is, ultimately, a disgusting way of relating to people. whether it's amway, xnty, or discovery toys, it's just awful manipulation pride and disrespect. i hate it, i hate that i did it, it's yucky yucky yucky. puke puke gak vomit.

2002, 93 Percent Wise, “the NT then and now”, in alt.messianic (Usenet):

Unsure what to make of it, I flicked on Entertainment Tonight (7:30 p.m. weekdays on NBC, Global) to find — gak — his sister Marie, who served her own headline-grabbing stint on Dancing two seasons ago, being treated like visiting royalty by the outrageously overcaffeinated Mary Hart.

2009 March 19, Joel Rubinoff, “It's not a dream: They're back”, in Toronto Star:

Alternative form of gack (“expression of disgust or disapproval”)

Gak. She'd thought that's what it meant. Her heart slammed into her gut. No, no, no.

2008, Erin McCarthy, You Don't Know Jack:

Alternative form of gack (“expression of trepidation”)


oopsy

"Oopsy..." She grabbed the wheel and made a quick recovery. "Sorry."

Then she heard the baying. "What's that?" "I fear it's a werewolf pack on the hunt." That she understood. "Oopsy!" She flapped her arms harder...

The woman then looked directly at the angler and sweetly said, "Oopsy." She then bent over and deposited his jigs into her tackle bag.

2007, Jeff Rowland, The Reel Adventures of a Marion County Angler:


fuck me backwards

(vulgar) Emphatic form of fuck me (used for surprise or frustration).


WTH

Before you could say WTH (what the hell), I ran in with my fist balled up as tight as possible, swinging at whatever piece of this man I could hit.

2011, Epiphany Toi Williams, Epiphany Rise: No More Secrets, page 68:

(Internet slang) Initialism of what the hell.

(Internet slang) Initialism of what the heck.


white rabbit

A phrase said, before saying anything else, on the first day of the month in order to bring good luck.


dearie me

/ˌdɪəɹiˈmiː/


deary me

/ˌdɪəɹiˈmiː/

"Dear, deary me," cried my mother, "what a disgrace upon the house! And your poor father sick!"

1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:


dear me

"Dear me, Mr. Holmes. Dear me!" said this singular epistle. There was neither superscription nor signature. I laughed at the quaint message; but Holmes showed unwonted seriousness.

1915, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Valley of Fear:

"Dear me," said Mrs. Flanders, when she read in the Scarborough and Harrogate Courier that the Rev. Andrew Floyd, etc., etc., had been made Principal of Maresfield House, "that must be our Mr. Floyd."

1922, Virginia Woolf, chapter 2, in Jacob's Room:

An expression of surprise, dismay, or indulgent disapproval.


xoxoxo

An abbreviation for hugs and kisses, usually placed at the end of a letter.


dammit to hell

As they lost altitude, the rain started sounding louder against the plane, and Sharla swore softly. “Dammit to hell! The rain's freezing.”

(mildly vulgar) Used to express anger or irritation.


gerroff

Aw, gerroff, gerroff, will you, you're not funny, the pair of you.

1966, Sean Hignett, A picture to hang on the wall:


up top

A request for a high five, accompanied by an open palm gesture.


notate bene

Classical Latin notāte (plural present active imperative form of notō (“I mark, I note, I observe”); compare notā) + bene (“well”), formed on the pattern of nota bene, used as its plural.

“We cover some of this material in our seventh- and eighth-grade social science classes.” Notate bene those magic words, “social science!”

1940: the Classical Association of the Middle West and South, the Classical Association of New England, the California Classical Association, the Classical Association of the Atlantic States, and the Classical Association of the Pacific Northwest, The Classical journal, volume 36, page 22 (Classical Association of the Middle West and South)

Notate bene: As an existentialist “condemned to skepticism” — especially regarding my own assertions — I entertain the following doubts: by the time this book goes into print and on the market, the Italy a few of us know today will have changed radically.

2003, Mary Ann Vigilante Mannino, Justin Vitiello, Breaking open: reflections on Italian American women’s writing, Purdue University Press, →ISBN, page 28, →ISBN:


Deo volente

From Latin Deo volente, an absolute ablative. See James 4:15: “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” - a critique of those who are over-confident in their ability to determine their own future.

Deo volente, I shall be with my new family on Christmas, and perhaps you will be there too.

1973 December 8, A. Nolder Gay, “Coping With Christmas”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 25, page 3:


Gordon Bennett

For James Gordon Bennett, Jr., a New York newspaper proprietor and playboy during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who became widely known for his extravagant lifestyle and shocking behaviour. The first time the expression appears in print was in 1937, in James Curtis's novel, You’re in the Racket, Too. The Oxford English Dictionary places the phrase in the 1890s as an alteration of gorblimey and again in reference to James Gordon Bennett Jr.
The name was probably chosen because the first syllable of Gordon sounds like God in non-rhotic pronunciations, which would make this a minced oath.

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) expression of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, frustration.


what it do

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-what it do.wav

"What it do?" "Sound like I called just in time." Blue scratches his neck.

"What it do?" "What's up, Nique? This Kay Kay." "What's up?" Unique replied, putting her cell phone on speaker so that Zoe could hear as well.

"What's up, Fitz? Lincoln?" "What it do, Camille?" Lincoln said, his voice a little too loud.

2007, La Jill Hunt, Old Habits Die Hard:

"What's up, Charlie? What it do?" "Nothing new," said Charles. "Catch y'all later on tonight, a'ight?"

(African-American Vernacular) What's up? What's going on?


hardy har har

/ˈhɑɹdiˈhɑɹˈhɑɹ/

/ˈhɑɹɾiˈhɑɹˈhɑɹ/


think fast

Catch! (when throwing an object unexpectedly)


lest we forget

From Rudyard Kipling's 1897 poem Recessional.

(British and Canada) Used in Remembrance Day ceremonies as a caution against forgetting those who died in war.

(Australia and New Zealand) Used on ANZAC Day memorials as a caution against forgetting those who fell in the First World War


clackety

A clacking sound suggesting mechanical motion, as of a railway train.


clickety

A clicking sound suggesting mechanical motion.


brrm

(chiefly childish) The sound of a car engine.


iunno

Loose pronunciation of I dunno (I don't know).


yummo

"Yummo! A maiden! Can I have a bit?" it asked Knight. "Certainly not," said Knight grumpily. "It's mine!"

2001, Jennifer Rowe, Fairy tales for grown-ups:

Use a spatula to lift the eggs from the pan one at a time, and flip over directly on top of the melted cheese. Yummo — eat now.

2003, Diane Morgan, Peter Medilek, Midnight munchies:

"Mmm. Yummo." Fitzy told her to keep talking. She chewed, she swallowed, and then she had another forkful, talking the whole time.

2003, Mary-Ann Tirone Smith, She's not there:

Check often to be sure beef is covered in liquid, adding more beer or water if necessary. Serve with rice and salad. Yummo!

2008, Anthony William Brownless, Billy's Book for Blokes:


bzzzt

The sound of the arrows was bzzzt, bzzzt, like the buzzing of flies. I know of no more maddening noise than the singing of arrows past the ear.

2002, Mika Waltari, Naomi Walford, The Egyptian:

So every time he walked near the defendant, he hummed out a soft little bzzzt, like the sound of an electric charge going through wires.

2005, James W McElhaney, McElhaney's trial notebook:

With a sinking heart, she reached over to the bedside table to check the time — ten am! How could that be? She'd set the alarm for seven! Bzzzt. Bzzzt.


bzzt

The buzzer on Matthew's desk rang violently at this point, bzzt-bzzt...

1921, Alfred Emanuel Smith, New Outlook:

You sing him a new song, bzzt — a connection is made. You tickle his toes, bzzt — there goes another.

2000, Linda P Acredolo, Susan Goodwyn, Baby minds: brain-building games your baby will love:

Pressing an imaginary button, Crichton said, "Bzzt! Wrong answer."

2001, Keith R A DeCandido, Rockne S O'Bannon, Farscape: House of Cards:

(onomatopoeia) The sound of a buzzer or of electricity. Often used as a reaction to a wrong answer.


thwomp

The dull sound of something landing heavily, or of something being struck hard.


dear Lord

Oh, dear Lord, how I do miss your po' sister! I never hed to ask her to git anything; she done it without askin'. She wor too good to live, she wor!

1887, Mary Andrews Denison, Cracker Joe:

We thought he must have been delayed... we thought... dear Lord, he can't be dead.

Expressing strong emotion, such as teariness or frustration.


paxis

(British) Used by schoolchildren to express immunity from "being caught" in games such as bulldog or it.


why in God's name

Why in God's name have you got my pizza?

(idiomatic) used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning question.


why on Earth

Why on Earth are you pouring vinegar in your drink?

(idiomatic) used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning a question.


what the Devil

Inherited from Middle English what þe devel, what devel.

inh+

What the Devil have you done to the horse?

What the devyll hast thou on thy fyste? An owle?

c. 1515–1516, John Skelton, Magnyfycence; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC, page 166, line 922:

(idiomatic) Used to add emphasis to “what” when beginning a question.

mitä pirua

used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning question


tally ho

“Tally ho!” cried old Fezziwig, skipping down from the high desk with wonderful agility.

1843, Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol:


'ere

’Ere, why don't we get some cigarettes?

(British, slang) Contraction of look here, used for emphasis at the beginning of a sentence when expressing an opinion or want.


fuggedaboudit

Pronunciation spelling of forget about it.

pronunciation spelling of

Of course, someone might have concluded "fuggedaboudit," the cake mix won't sell.

2002, Bonnie Goebert, Herma M. Rosenthal, Beyond Listening: Learning the Secret Language of Focus Groups, page 4:

(slang) Do not worry about it; it does not matter; it is beyond your control.

And Sunday . . . fuggedaboudit. You may as well have gone to school on Sunday.

2003, Al Roker, Marialisa Calta, Mark Thomas, Al Roker's Hassle-Free Holiday Cookbook, page 238:

And as for buying in pricey Manhattan itself — well, unless you're Donald Trump himself, fuggedaboudit.

2005, June Fletcher, House poor: pumped-up prices, rising rates, and mortgages on steroids, page 15:

Men don't want to seem chauvinistic, women don't want to be dependent, and if you're gay, fuggedaboudit.

2007, Addie Johnson, The Little Book of Big Excuses: More Strategies and Techniques for Faking It, page 69:

(slang, New York City) There is no hope of it being so, the idea is preposterous; do not waste my time with such notions


peas and rice

He said, “Lord, Jesus Christ, peas and rice. That is what Bill is always wantin’—money! money! money!” He give me the money and put me back on the black hoss and sent me home.

c. 1937, Ebenezer Brown, quoting Tom McDowell (ante 1865), as reported in an interview transcript, quoted in Andrew Waters (editor), Prayin’ to Be Set Free, John F. Blair (publisher, 2002), page 99

Aunt Polly nodded. “[…] Jesus Christ, peas and rice! They don't tell their heads from their foots. The big hat, he run like Old Scratch after him.”

2005, Sandra Dallas, New Mercies, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 225:

I hear him say, “We have to fight for our life, boys, more desperately than at Shiloh and Vicksburg. What is called for here is loyalty, courage, and grim determination.” ¶ “Well, peas and rice,” Little Bit says. “It’s just getting good. What is it now?”

2007, Margaret McMullan, When I Crossed No-Bob, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, published 2009, →ISBN, page 70:


euoi

Shall the warriors of Thebes be dumb? "Euoi! Euoi! Hail Bacchus!" They dance to the pipe and drum.

Euoi! Curving vines, delicate tendrils from sinews and tendons. Euoi! Candle flames and sweet smoke sting, swarm with the sound of bees...

The Bacchic cry of Euoi is not too dissimilar to Jesus' penultimate cry, while on the cross, of Eloi, Eloi.

2001, Ralph Ellis, K2: Quest of the Gods:

[…] sexually aroused by them but never successful in their urge to debauch them. The maenads, Diodoros continues, cry out 'euoi' […]

2003, Matthew Dillon, Girls and women in classical Greek religion:

A cry of impassioned rapture in ancient Bacchic revels.


oh my goodness

/əʊ maɪ ˈɡʊdnɛs/


by golly

By golly, a fellow ought to have some say-so in the sale of his eggs.

1965, Robinson Barnwell, Head Into The Wind:

I understand that ministers are hoping to get the Bill on the statute book by the autumn. And by golly, they are in a hurry.

2024 August 7, Christian Wolmar, “Labour in a hurry to implement changes on the railway”, in RAIL, number 1015, page 42:


God willing

absolute construction; comparable to the phrase (if) God be willing.

And what so poor a man as Hamlet is May do, to express his love and friending to you, God willing, shall not lack.

1602, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark:

Barring unforeseen circumstances, it is hoped that (while generally also indicating acceptance of God's will).

اللہ چاہے

"Allah" can be replaced with any term relating to God

Lord willing

acceptance of God's will for something hoped


Christ alive

An expression of surprise, outrage, disgust, etc.


Christ almighty

Good Christ almighty!

1971, William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist:

An exclamation of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, frustration or astonishment


Jesus Harold Christ

Unknown or disputed. Likely a variant of Jesus H. Christ, from the Christogram IHS, an abbreviation of Ancient Greek Ιησούς (Iēsoús) Χρῑστός (Khrīstós, “Jesus Christ”). An alternate theory speculates that Harold is a mishearing of hallowed in the Lord's Prayer: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” A third theory is that the middle name is arbitrary, used to mark the difference between profane and sacred invocations of Jesus Christ.

Since, as I mentioned, my arse is intact, I meditate first upon the pain in my balls. Jesus Harold Christ! I wonder if Monger's got some morphine kicking about. I wouldn't put it past him.

2007, David Thewlis, The Late Hector Kipling, Pan Macmillan, →ISBN, page 304:

(US, potentially offensive) An expression of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, frustration.


good God

Good God! Who are this Wretch’s Advisers?

1724, Jonathan Swift, A Letter to Mr. Harding the Printer, Upon Occasion of a Paragraph in His News-Paper of Aug. 1st. Relating to Mr. Woods's Half-Pence, page 9:

“Young lady, there is no hope; one side of the Duchesse is struck with palsy; she retains her senses, and will, most probably, to the last; but she cannot live through the night.” / “Good God!” exclaimed Francesca; “and the Duc de Mercœur left Paris this morning!” For a moment all command over herself was lost, and she sank on a seat, sick and faint with sudden agony.

1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter VIII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 73:

"Good God, sir," exclaimed the officer, "is it possible?" And the next moment his eye lighted up with professional ambition. "This will make a deal of noise," he said.

1885, Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde:

(idiomatic, mildly blasphemous, dated) Expression of surprise, outrage, or horror.


hunh

"So I guess it was as messy as Dan said, hunh?"

2011, Ellyn E. Hugus, Symphonic Storm: Book 1: Peace Keepers, page 31:


yeesh

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-yeesh.wav

Perhaps yuck or yech, etc. influenced by sheesh.

You ask..yeesh do we have to teach you EVERYTHING??

1999 Feb 3, 3:00 am, Jenn, The Theory of being loved, alt.romance

>How can there be a "best" crime against humanity?
Ones that get rid of the most undesirable ethnic groups. Yeesh do I have to draw a picture?

2005 Sep 29, 12:29 am, Rev. Bleech_, Rate crimes against humanity from best to worst, alt.music.pink-floyd

Yeesh, pour salt on the wound, why don't you?

2009, Jennifer Crusie, Anne Stuart, Lani Diane Rich, Dogs and Goddesses, page 383:

“I just wondered if you'd—” “Shut up, Shawna. I didn't say anything. Yeesh!”

2009, Jeannine Garsee, Say the Word, page 296:

"I guess that explains why they don't fly very well." Gina shuddered. "And I almost made it crash! Yeesh!" "Yeesh is right," agreed Jay.

2003, Jeanette Cottrell, There's No Such Thing!:

"Yeesh," Ratchet muttered again, caressing his singed whiskers. "I think I'll let you look for the books from now on, Kendra."

2005, Lee Edward Födi, Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers:

And so, if your mother says, "Yeesh!" every time somebody mentions broiled liver...

2005, Eugene B Bergmann, Excelsior, you fathead!: the art and enigma of Jean Shepherd:

Yeesh. So strong was his cologne she could practically taste it.

2008, Ann Brashares, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2:

She did, however, spot Gordon Burns over by the bar. Yeesh. He gave her the creeps.

2008, Suzanne Brockmann, Force of Nature:


snerk

(Internet slang) Expressing amusement; a snicker, or a snort of laughter.


OKDK

/ˌəʊkɪˈdəʊki/

(informal, chiefly Internet slang, initialism) Abbreviation of okey-dokey.


by God

Ellipsis of a full oath of the form "I swear by God that…"

By God! That chicken has no head!

[…] having made a cross cut, so as to ascertain the depth of the fat upon the chest, exclaimed, in a sort of rapture, “Three inches of white fat on the brisket!—prime—prime, as I am a crowded sinner—and de’il ane o’ the lazy loons in but mysell! Seven—aught—aught tines on the antlers. By G—d, a hart of aught tines, and the first of the season![…]”

1822 May 29, [Walter Scott], chapter III, in The Fortunes of Nigel. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 85:


welladay

Alacke the time that ever I was borne, / To be partaker of this destinie. / Alacke the day, alacke and welladay.

1595, William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet:

Ah! wel-a-day! what evil looks / Had I from old and young; / Instead of the Cross the Albatross / About my neck was hung.

1798, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere:


pip pip

Gee-Gee struck a Fifth Avenue attitude. "Home, James. My car and chauffeur awaits me lord in the alley. Pip-pip, big stuff."

1937 October, “Brant House” [pseudonym; G. T. Fleming-Roberts], “‘No End by Death’”, in Secret Agent “X” in The Assassins’ League, Springfield, Mass.: Periodical House, Inc., OCLC 20615773; reprinted [Doylestown, Pa.?]: Wildside Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0-8095-7175-8, page 24

"Right," Templeton said cheerfully, clapping his hands together. "Well, I'm going to leave you two kids to enjoy your champagne breakfast. Pip pip!"

2013, Kim Foster, chapter 14, in A Beautiful Heist, New York, N.Y.: Kensington Publishing Corp., →ISBN:

"Cheerio Michael," he said loudly. "We'll go fly-fishing again soon, my boy." / "Pip pip, Mr Stevens."

2013, Garry Bushell, Face Down (Face Trilogy), [Chatham, Kent?]: Caffeine Nights Publishing, →ISBN:

(British, colloquial) Goodbye; cheerio, toodeloo (toodle-oo), toodle pip (mostly used by the upper classes).

Pip pip! What's going on here?

I can do a French accent or a German accent or a British accent. (Doing British accent) Pip, pip! Lovely day, isn't it?

1990, Gail Golden (book), Grant Golden (music and lyrics), A Little Bit of Magic, Denver, Colo.: Pioneer Drama Service, →OCLC, page 1:

(British, colloquial) A general greeting, mostly used by the upper classes.

Pip pip! Let's get out there and knock the stuffing out of 'em!

(British, colloquial) Used to create enthusiasm, mostly by the upper classes.


bloody Nora

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, slang, dated) Expression of surprise, irritation, etc.


curse it

(UK, mildly vulgar) expression of annoyance.


sod it

(UK, Ireland) expression of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, frustration.


sod a dog

"Sod a dog." He shook his head. "She'll have a rant, then forgive me."

"Sod a dog, will you look at that? I've never seen so many CD's. Ya got a record store right here in yer room."

(UK, Ireland, mildly vulgar) Expression of surprise or annoyance.


blimey O'Riley

If you're the O'Reilly, they speak of so highly, / Why blime me, O'Reilly, you're doing quite well.

1915, Harry S. Miller (lyrics and music), “Blime Me, O’Reilly (You’re Doing Quite Well) [cover title: Blime Me Mr. O’Reilly but You’re Looking Mighty Well]”, New York, N.Y.: The Cadillac Music; Springfield, Mass.; Chicago, Ill.: A. H. Goetting, →OCLC, page 5:

(UK, Ireland) An expression of surprise or frustration.


heavens above

Heavens above, what was this? A red lamp swinging, on their line, to stop them! Brake, reverse, throw the steam against her. What's this we're into?

1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, page 54:

goeie hemel ! lieve help ! goeie genade !