fetch

The verb is derived from Middle English fecchen (“to get and bring back, fetch; to come for, get and take away; to steal; to carry away to kill; to search for; to obtain, procure”) [and other forms], from Old English feċċan, fæċċan, feccean (“to fetch, bring; to draw; to gain, take; to seek”), a variant of fetian, fatian (“to bring near, fetch; to acquire, obtain; to bring on, induce; to fetch a wife, marry”) and possibly related to Old English facian, fācian (“to acquire, obtain; to try to obtain; to get; to get to, reach”), both from Proto-Germanic *fatōną, *fatjaną (“to hold, seize; to fetch”), from Proto-Indo-European *ped- (“to step, walk; to fall, stumble”). The English word is cognate with Dutch vatten (“to apprehend, catch; to grasp; to understand”), German fassen (“to catch, grasp; to capture, seize”), English fet (“(obsolete) to fetch”), Faroese fata (“to grasp, understand”), Danish fatte (“to grasp, understand”), Swedish fatta (“to grasp, understand”), Icelandic feta (“to go, step”), West Frisian fetsje (“to grasp”).
The noun is derived from the verb.

nb...

facch, facche, facchen, fach, fache, fæchen, fatche, feccean, fecche, fecchen, fecchenn, fecchyn, fech, fechchen, feche, fechen, fechin, fechyn, fetche, fetchen, fetchyn, focche, focchen, fochche, foche, fotche, vacche, vacchen, vecche, vecchen, vechchen,

cog

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-fetch.wav

Southern US, African-American Vernacular, obsolete


blech

Blech! Look at all those maggots!

(slang) An imitation of the sound of gagging, used to express disgust or disdain.


fug

It's always somethin' or other. Ah, fug it. I'm away now.

1985, Herbert A. Applebaum, Blue Chips, Brunswick Pub. Co., page 126:

Oh fug. Whad a mess.

2012, Drew Campbell, Dead Letter House, →ISBN:

“Why is this door locked?” she shouts. “Oh fug!”

2015, Lynn Lindquist, Secret of the Sevens, →ISBN:


gack

Apparently onomatopoeic and believed to have first appeared in comic strips. Compare gag (“to choke; to retch”) and hack (“to cough noisily”).
The "cocaine" and "meth" senses apparently comes from the fact that snorting the drugs often activates a person's gag reflex.

Sports was immediately consigned to a recycle pile where it was handy in case she heard the unmistakable gack-gack-gack machine-gun regurgitation sound of Midnight Louie about to deposit a hairball on some particularly cherished piece of paper or furniture.

1999 April, Carole Nelson Douglas, “Newsmaker, Heartbreaker”, in Cat in an Indigo Mood', Tom Doherty Associates, →ISBN, page 198:

With loud pops, a cloud of blue smoke exploded from the beetle's behind. A steaming spray that stunk worse than burning rubber shot into the air. "Ack!" gagged Andrew. "Gack! Gack! Gack!" coughed Judy.

2006, J. C. Greenburg, Andrew Lost in the Garbage, 1st edition, Random House Children's Books, →ISBN, page 64:

Gravity does the rest as Jane's vomit spills back into her trachea. Guck-guck-^([sic]) GACK...guck-gack....GACK! GACK!...GACK!

2016 October, Bryan Cranston, quoting John Shiban, Breaking Bad #212 "Title TBD" Writer's Draft, September 17, 2008, quoted in Life in Parts, Scribner, →ISBN, page 204:

(often repeated several times) A sharp, sudden sound from someone's throat while they're coughing, vomiting, gagging, etc.

The family wanted me to try marmite, which is some sort of dark brown yeast extract that many Kiwis seem to enjoy. […] The family asked me to try it saying that it "tastes better than it smells." They were completely wrong. Gack! No more marmite for this boy.

a. 2004, Mister Moose [pseudonym], “Arriving in New Zealand: My First Experiences in This Far Off Land”, in MisterMoose.org, archived from the original on 2004-04-10:

An expression of disgust or disapproval.

“Gack,” said Judith. “I don’t remember that. I wish you hadn’t. […]”

1995 March, Mary Daheim, Major Vices, Avon Books, →ISBN, page 112:

Gack! Me too! I spent the whole decade of my 20s too afraid to try even online dating and I just focused on my career and doing things that interested me, and I feel SO AFRAID that if I return to focusing on my life that another decade will go by before I know it and I'll still be single and childless.

2012 September 20, Brandylion [pseudonym], “After A Year And A Half – NOW You Find Out He Doesn’t Want A Serious Relationship – EVER!”, in Have The Relationship You Want, archived from the original on 2022-09-10, Comments:


gack

Apparently onomatopoeic. Compare German gack (“call of a hen”), German gackern (“(of a chicken) to loudly and repetitive cry”), and Dutch gakken (“(of a goose) to honk”).
Comparison to more terms
Pokorny compared German gackern to words including English gaggle, Latvian gâgát (“cry like a goose”), Russian gogotátь (gogotátʹ, “(of geese) cackle; laugh loudly”), Old Norse gaga (“mock, ridicule”), and Albanian gogësínj (“yawn, burp”), among others. Pokorny considered common origin or separate innovation both as possibilities to explain the similarities.

m+

It was a big downy chick, about twenty-three days old. […] Steve shot ptargmigan for it, and every time it ate or saw Steve it would scream, Gack gack gack gack, […]

2009, Rachel Dickinson, Falconer on the Edge, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, →ISBN, page 97&endash;98:

k’eikw’w, Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla, a cliff-nesting gull and an important clan symbol or ‘totem’. […] The bird is described as a smaller version or relative of the ‘seagull’, a colonial cliff-nesting species that when disturbed forms swirling masses of birds overhead which call ‘gack, gack, gack, gack’.

2010, Eugene S. Hunn, Thomas F. Thornton, “Tlingit Birds: An Annotated List with a Statistical Comparative Analysis”, in Sonia Tidemann, Andrew Gosler, editors, Ethno-Ornithology: Birds, Indigenous Peoples, Culture and Society, Earthscan, →ISBN, pages 195—196:

The sound of a bird's call in response to disturbance.


oyez

From Middle English oyes, from Old French oyez, the imperative plural of oir (“hear; listen”), from Latin audīre.
Commonly folk-etymologized as (and pronounced homophonously to) O + yes in the early modern period.

Hear ye. Attend. (Called by public criers or in court usually three times to secure silence and/or attentiveness).


Allahu akbar

/əˌlɑːhuː ˈakbɑː/

From Arabic اللّٰهُ أَكْبَر (allāhu ʔakbar).

bor

اللّٰهُ أَكْبَر

Tokbîr is repeating three times these Words, اللّٰه أكبر Allah Akbar, which is to say, GOD is Greatest, before the Kelmah abovementioned.

1742, James Fraser, The History of Nadir Shah, London, page 126n:

The official said it was not immediately clear who the attackers were, but said some of them were shouting "Allahu Akbar" - a frequent cry of Chechnya's separatist rebels.

2004 June 22, Yuri Bagrov, The Guardian:

(Islam) "God is most great"; the Muslim takbir, or liturgical proclamation, used to accept sovereignty of God and as a common form of thanksgiving.


up yours

You dare come here dressed so horribly? Well, up yours!

I thought, OBE me? Up yours, I thought.

2003 November 27, Benjamin Zephaniah, “Me? I thought, OBE me? Up yours, I thought”, in the Guardian:

And I'm not taking down that tweet or acknowledging that my tweet violated the Twitter rules. Up yours, woke moralists. We'll see who cancels who.

2022 July 1, Jordan Peterson, 14:10 from the start, in Twitter Ban, YouTube, archived from the original on 2022-07-01:

(vulgar) Expression to show discontent with the other party, or to show contempt.

Up yours!—I’m not giving you any!

You’ve done enough to ruin our outing, so up yours!

(dismissive, vulgar) Go away! Go to hell!


humbug

John Camden Hotten
Oxford English Dictionary
Piccadilly

Origin unknown; the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) states that “the facts as to its origin appear to have been lost, even before the word became common enough to excite attention”. It has been suggested that the word possibly derives from hummer (“(slang) An obvious lie”), or from hum (“(dialectal and slang) to cajole; delude; impose on”) + bug (“a goblin, a spectre”). In his Slang Dictionary (1864), English bibliophile and publisher John Camden Hotten (1832–1873) suggested a link to the name of the German city of Hamburg, “from which town so many false bulletins and reports came during the war in the last century”, or alternatively a derivation from ambage.
Hotten also said he had traced the earliest occurrence of the word to the title page of Ferdinando Killigrew’s book The Universal Jester (see quotations), which he dated to about 1735–1740. This dating has therefore been adopted by other dictionaries. However, the OED dates the word to about 1750, as the earliest edition of Killigrew’s work has been dated to 1754.

unk

unknown

[Mr. Clarendon] Steady. Aristotle laughs at you. / [Mr. Algernon Sidney] Twist. He's an impertinent fellow! I say again—Liberty! freedom! glory! / Steady. Humbug! humbug! humbug!

1841 October, “Ambition. A Farce.”, in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, volume L, number CCCXII, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood & Sons, →OCLC, page 438:

"A Merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!" cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge’s nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach. / "Bah!" said Scrooge, "Humbug!" / […] "Christmas a humbug, uncle!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I am sure." / "I do," said Scrooge. "Merry Christmas! what right have you to be merry? what reason have you to be merry? You're poor enough." / "Come, then," returned the nephew gaily. "What right have you to be dismal? what reason have you to be morose? You're rich enough." / Scrooge having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment, said, "Bah!" again; and followed it up with "Humbug."

1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave I. Marley’s Ghost.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, pages 6–7:

Then each mentioned some fact, some fantastic presentiment, some instance of souls communicating with each other across space, or some case of the secret influence of one being over another. They asserted and maintained that these things had actually occurred, while the sceptic angrily repeated: / "Humbug! humbug! humbug!"

1910, Guy de Maupassant, “Magnetism”, in Ball-of-Tallow and Short Stories, New York, N.Y.: The Pearson Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 302:

(slang) Balderdash!, nonsense!, rubbish!


God

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew-
Proto-Indo-European *-tós
Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰutós
Proto-Germanic *gudą
Proto-West Germanic *god
Old English god
Middle English god
Middle English God
English God
Derived from Middle English God. See god.

etymon

God, is this because of the "I don't love you anymore" T-shirt I bought? It was a joke!

Admiral Anderson: God... feels like years since I just sat down.

2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel (Priority: Earth):

Short for oh God: expressing annoyance or frustration.


argh

In imitation of a cry. Used since at least the 18th century.

Argh! Itʼs already 7:15! Weʼre never gonna make it!

(onomatopoeia) Expressing annoyance, dismay, embarrassment or frustration.


in your face

I got picked for the cheerleading squad, and YOU didn't. In your face!

(idiomatic, often sarcastic) A derisive and contemptuous exclamation of triumph over one's interlocutor.


bejesus

The young stinker and smeller dug in his pocket, pulled something out, and, bejesus, the young stinker and smeller was giving him something.

1949, James T. Farrell, The Road Between, Vanguard Press, page 25:

Expressing surprise, annoyance, dismay, or anger.


woah

Woah, woah, woah, I have one more question.

2022 January 12, “Read NPR's full interview with former President Donald Trump”, in Politics, NPR, retrieved 2022-01-12:

(often proscribed) Alternative spelling of whoa


oof

An onomatopoeia. Similar to Dutch oef and German uff.
The usage of this term on the Internet was popularized by the game platform Roblox.

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 Captial Territory, page 10, column 2:

(onomatopoeia) A sound mimicking the loss of air, as if someone's solar plexus had just been struck.

"Oof, you just lost a lot of progress. That's a real frustration, a real punch in the gut."

2017, Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy:

(slang) Synonym of ouch (“expressing sympathy at another's pain, shock at a high price, etc.”)


hace

Right hace!

(military, marching band, when preceded by a direction) A command to turn to face in a particular direction.

marching band; when preceded by a direction; marching band; when preceded by a direction


jeet

A compressed pronunciation of the words did you (d'ya) eat.

"Jeet yet?" he asks. He asks it every time they're together, though usually not this early.

1976, Jack Ansell, Giants, Berkley Medallion, →OCLC, page 76:

So it will come as no surprise if a local inquires whether you've eaten yet — or, as Philadelphians say, "Jeet yet?"

2002, The Postal Record, volume 115, page 17:


whew

(from strenuous labour) Whew! That box weighs a ton!

(from intense concern) Whew! Thank goodness youʼre safe! I thought something terrible had happened to you!

(from fear of being seen) Whew! That cop didnʼt see me! That was a close call!

An expressive sound made indicating the release of one's inner tension; the release of breath; an expression of relief.

ohh

an expressive sound made indicating the release of one's inner tension

Now I must be off. Whew, it's as cold as the North Pole. Which way is the wind blowing?

1934, P[amela] L[yndon] Travers, “East Wind”, in Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins; 1), London: Gerald Howe Ltd […], →OCLC, page 3:


holy moley

Originally a euphemism for Holy Mary, Molly being a nickname for Mary. Compare holy Moses.

"Whew !" he whistled, softly; "that's curious. Same name as the lady at our place. Suppose he should be her husband. Holy moley, what a game. I've made a discovery.

1892, Nathaniel Gould, Running it off; or, Hard hit:

(idiomatic, dated, humorous or euphemistic) Synonym of wow, an expression of surprise.


woe is me

/ˌwəʊ ɪz ˈmiː/

An otherwise obsolete use of me in a dative context without a preposition (such as at or on).
Compare the identical German Weh ist mir and Yiddish וויי איז מיר (vey iz mir).

cog

וויי איז מיר

Blasted with extasie. Oh, woe is me,
T'haue seene what I haue seene: see what I see.

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 i], page 266, column 1:

Woe is me, that I soiourne in Mesech: that I dwell in the tents of Kedar.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 120:5:

(sometimes humorous) Used to show that the speaker feels distress or misery.


jinx

From jynx in the transferred sense “a charm or spell”.

Bart: I'm telling Mom and Dad! / Lisa: You're telling who? / Bart: Mom and Dad! / Girls: MOM AND DAD? JINX! / Janey Powell: Now you can't talk, 'til somebody says your name!

1991, Robert Cohen, “Flaming Moe's”, in The Simpsons, season 3, episode 10 (television production):

Used after the same thing is said by two people simultaneously.


dixi

"For if anyone has ever deserved our fires, it is Thou. To-morrow I shall burn Thee. Dixi."

1912, Constance Garnett (translating Dostoevsky), The Brothers Karamazov, Part II, Book V, Chapter 5:

An utterance signifying the end of a speech.


tallyho

1772, UK, probably alteration of French taïaut (interjection used in deer-hunting), from Middle French tahou, tayo, from Old French taho, ta ho, tielau (interjection given to hounds to return) (second half of 13th century), composed of ta (particle used to prod animals) + ho ! (“halt!, hold!”). More at ho.

uder

There he is! Coming out of that coppice! Tallyho tallyho tallyho!

(UK) Used to urge on a fox hunt, especially when the fox is sighted.

Tallyho, chaps! What's the time, anybody?

A simple greeting, primarily used by the upper classes.

(Air Traffic Control): Speedbird 123, New York, traffic at two o’clock, seven miles, a Boeing 737, west-bound, at 4000 feet.”

(Pilot): New York, Speedbird 123, tallyho.


rat-a-tat-tat

A series of short, sharp taps, especially made by knocking on a door, beating a drum, or firing an automatic weapon.


take care

(when leaving) good-bye (literally, take care of yourself)


num

(colloquial) Used to denote eating, or enjoyment of eating.


boh

In our childhood, our mothers' maids have so terrified us with an ugly devil having horns on his head, […] whereby we start and are afraid when we hear one cry, Boh!

1830, Walter Scott, “Letter VI”, in Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 179:

An exclamation used to startle or frighten.


bhoy

assumed that the clot howling in a McCormick tenor and interspersing his shrieks with "Oh Bhoy! Oh Bhoy!" was my best friend and co-editor

1952 September, Chuck Harris, “James White Meets Me”, in Hyphen, number 2, archived from the original on 2011-08-06, page 15:

Philadelphia in '53 had repercussions because they couldn't have anything resembling dancing or music. They had people parading around in costume in the meeting hall with the chairs still there. Hoo Bhoy!

1962 June, Francis Marion Busby, “With Keen Blue Eyes and a Bicycle...”, in Cry of the Nameless, number 161, archived from the original on 2019-12-29, page 14:

Oh Bhoy! This "I dream of 4E" (Forry?) nearly unsocked myself with laughter. Reminds me somehow of Ian Banks' books that must be something like retold dreams, too.

1995 September, Franz H. Milkis, “Ook Ook, Slobber Drool! Letters of Comment”, in The Space Cadet Gazette, number 3, page 28:

(dated, fandom slang, humorous) Exclamation of surprise, pleasure or longing.


Godspeed

From Middle English god spede, god speid (“(adverb) quickly, speedily; (interjection) may God cause (someone) to succeed”), from god, God (“(Christianity) God; the Eucharist; non-Christian god or goddess; idol; deity, divine being; person or thing honoured as a god”) (from Old English god (“god”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew- (“to pour”), in the sense of a libation made to a god) + sped, spede, the singular subjunctive of speden (“to achieve one’s goal; to succeed (in something); to fare, get along; to conduct oneself well; to do well, prosper, thrive; to turn out well; to be advantageous, avail; to be of benefit or useful; to assist, help; to help (someone) be successful; to do or complete (something); to travel rapidly; to progress”) (from Old English spēdan (“to succeed”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *speh₁- (“to prosper, succeed”)).

inh

3 [Citizen]. Neighbours, God ſpeed. / 1 [Citizen]. Giue you good morrovv ſir.

c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 184, column 2:

Duke. God ſpeed father. / 1. Mad[man]. God ſpeed the Plough, thou ſhalt not ſpeed me.

1604, Thomas Dekker, Thomas Middleton, “The Honest Whore, […]”, in The Dramatic Works of Thomas Dekker […], volume II, London: John Pearson […], published 1873, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 80:

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 all of America watched at 9:47 a.m. on Feb. 20, 1962, as [John] Glenn took off from Cape Canaveral. Scott Carpenter, backup astronaut for the mission, famously said: "Godspeed, John Glenn."

1962 February 20, Scott Carpenter, quotee, “Godspeed, John Glenn”, in USA Today, McLean, Va.: Gannett Co., published 8 December 2016, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2021-07-09:

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:

Thanks, Gordie. May you live long and stay well, too. Godspeed.

2008, Ron Benrey, Janet Benrey, chapter 14, in Season of Glory (Love Inspired Suspense), New York, N.Y.: Steeple Hill Books, →ISBN, page 155:

(literary) Used, especially at a parting, to express the wish that the outcome of the actions of a person (typically someone about to start a journey or a daring endeavour) is positive for them.

بِالتَّوْفِيق

used, especially at a parting, to express the wish that the outcome of the actions of a person (typically someone about to start a journey or a daring endeavour) is positive for them


encore

Borrowed from French encore (“more, again”), and once used in this sense.

(said by audience members after a performance) Please perform again!


wotcher

“Wotcher, me old cock sparrow, how's the sleuthing business?” bellowed Sandy, pausing and balancing his saddle on one knee while he looped up the girth.

1962, Dick Francis, chapter 19, in Dead Cert, published 2004, page 266:

(slang, chiefly British) A friendly greeting.


oho

From Middle English o ho; o, ho; equivalent to o + ho.

"There is Kate, taking no heed of anybody; sensible old darling — she goes at her tea and cake — Oho! she has not touched them!"

1880, Lucy Bethia Walford, Troublesome Daughters:

"Oho, my boy, that's the woman who keeps you here! Mrs. Neff hinted at it, but I wouldn't believe it till I had it from you."

1914, Rupert Hughes, What Will People Say?:

"Oho," he said, "a vile thing to say. It is. I am losing check upon my tongue, it is running free like a riderless horse. And I don't give a damn. I can say at last what I wanted for years to say, years of being politic and demure. No longer."

1988, Thomas Flanagan, The Tenants of Time:

"Oho! Now I see where he's going with this, Frank thinks. Would have seen it earlier if I hadn't been so tired."

1997, Bruce A Shuman, Beyond the library of the future:

Expressing surprise or gloating realisation; aha.


hoi

A hollow groan, unlike anything she had ever heard in her life, came from the front, followed by a shout of "Hoi, there!"

1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, volume 1, London: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., page 55:

A call to gain someone's attention; hey!


LOLZ

LOL (Initialism of laughing out loud.) + -z (Eye dialect spelling variant of the plural suffix -s.)

(Internet slang, leetspeak) Alternative form of LOL


Abyssinia

From New Latin Abissīni, of Abissīnus (“Abyssinian, Ethiopian”), from Arabic الْحَبَشَة (al-ḥabaša), from حَبَش (ḥabaš, “Abyssinian”). The humorous use of Abyssinia as a parting phrase is due to its phonetic resemblance to I'll be seeing ya.

The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles

Oxford University Press
w:Oxford University Press

(humorous) Expression of farewell: I’ll be seeing ya.


aie

"Aie! Aie!" shouted the boy, his white face tossing from side to side and his eyes tightly closed.

1927, Herbert Sherman Gorman, The Place Called Dagon, page 278:


kaboom

(mimesis) An explosion; the word is typically seen in comic strips or heard in a light-hearted conversation.


I don't think

There are lots of good things to watch on the telly tonight - I don't think!

used after a statement to indicate an emphatic or ironic negative


SAW

صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
صلى الله عليه وسلم#Arabic

(Islam, sometimes proscribed) صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ (ṣallā llāhu ʕalayhi wa-sallama, “peace be upon him”)


ta-da

Imitative, supposed to represent a fanfare. First attested in the 1920s.

onomatopoeic

Imitative

"I give you the Illusion of the Reborn Hand. Ta-daaa!"

1978, Barry B. Longyear, Circus World, published 1982, page 94:

Used to present something intended to be surprising, impressive, or pleasing.


hey presto

(British) Used by stage magicians, when performing a magic trick.

If you take the next left, you’ll see a big shop and hey presto, you’re there.

They stick a couple of old potshards together, search for one or two adjacent cultures, stick a label on the restored find and—hey, presto!—once again everything fits splendidly into the approved pattern of thought.

1968, Erich von Däniken, Chariots of the Gods?, Putnam:

(British, colloquial) Indicates a sudden desirable conclusion or change, as if by magic


sorted

(British slang) A general expression of approval or completion


lo and behold

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

Here was I sat down, full of Love and Respect to write my dearest Friends a dutiful and loving letter, when lo, and behold! I was made happy by the receipt of yours.

1766, "Miss N", Select letters Between the Late Duchess of Somerset, Lady Luxborough, Mr Whistler, ... and Others, Thomas Hull (editor)

1995, Robin Hobb, Assassin's Apprentice : The Farseer Trilogy Book 1, Del Rey Mass Market Edition, p. 117.
And when Regal and I rode down to get it, lo and behold, it's from Patience, to tell us Chivalry's dead.


geez

Geez, that was one hell of a week.

(euphemistic) An exclamation denoting surprise or frustration.


bing

Onomatopoeia, variously of a bouncing sound or a bell.

(onomatopoeia) The sound made by a bounce, or by striking a metallic surface

Toronto Star, "Ryanair looking at standing 'seats,' pay toilets", 2 July 2010, Jim Rankin
Bing! Ladies and gentlemen, in a few minutes the captain will turn off the fasten seatbelt sign, but for your own safety we recommend you stay seated and with your seatbelt securely fastened at all times.

(onomatopoeia) The high-pitched sound made by a bell being struck


sh

"Sh!" said Josella, holding up a finger, and turning her ear to the wind. I held my breath, and strained my ears.

1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids:


har

I've kidnapped that lumbering fool Donkey Kong and you will never see him again. Har-har-har-har!

1995, Rare, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Nintendo, →OCLC, SNES, scene: Pirate Panic:

Armorer: 'THIS BE THE AERIAL ANVIL! NEED AN ARMOR UPGRADE? IF YOU NEED SOMETHING FORGED, I'M YOUR FELLA! HAR HAR!'

2014, Yacht Club Games, Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope, Nintendo 3DS, level/area: Armor Outpost:

A sound of laughter, with a sarcastic connotation.


nerts

Alteration of nuts to avoid vulgar nuts (“testicles”)

FOUND HIM 'TERRIBLY NICE' She Wonders What He Thought When She Said, 'Oh, Nerts!' After a Bad Shot.

1933 August 19, “GIRL GOLFER TELLS OF BESTING PRINCE; Beatrice Gottlieb Returns With Trophies of Victory From British Heir”, in New York Times:

(slang, euphemistic) Nuts! Expression of dismay.


curses

Fisherman: '1 PLAY COIN FOR 100 GOLD, A BOUNTIFUL TRADE, IF I'D BE SO BOLD!' / Shovel Knight: 'NOT NOW' / FISHERMAN: 'CURSES! THE THOUGHT OF THIS BURDEN UPSETS ME, BUT THAT'S WHAT A LIFE OF ADVENTURING GETS ME!'

(UK, dated or humorous in the US) Expression of annoyance or frustration.


props

From proper, as in "proper respect" or "proper recognition".

(slang) An acclamation of respect or recognition.


no contest

Calque of Latin nolō contendere (“I don't want to contest”).

cal

Used to indicate that a competition or comparison is one-sided and so its outcome is too obvious to be interesting.

I'll take a Porsche, no contest!

(emphatic) Expresses lack of doubt (i.e., certainty) in a choice between options or preferences.


zing

Something inside of me started a symphony / Zing! Went the strings of my heart

1934, “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart”, James F. Hanley (music):

(onomatopoeia) A high pitched humming sound.

Zing! The joke had rebounded back on the one who started it. "Ouch!" Mama Jane winced ruefully. We all dissolved in laughter at the good-natured repartee.

2002, Chellie Campbell, The Wealthy Spirit, Sourcebooks, →ISBN, →OL, page 162:

(US, slang) Used to acknowledge a witty comeback, a zinger.


zzz

A snoring sound, implying that somebody is asleep.

chrrr

representing [χː], the usual onomatopoeia, but less common as a spelling; English zzz may also be understood by some

хррр

not used in books; understood, but used less frequently than zzz


sommer

Why do I have to go to school?
Sommer.

(South Africa) just because; answer to questions (especially "why" questions) that you do not want to answer or don't have a specific answer for.


hon

Know Your Meme
Maurice Chevalier
The Local

The laugh probably originated as a parody of French singer and actor Maurice Chevalier (1888–1972) who was noted for his strong accent in English, and does not represent a typical French laugh. The stereotype was popularized in Internet memes in the mid-2000s and 2010s.

Hon hon hon, oui oui baguette!

She's right! We all talk like Maurice Chevalier! Hon hon hon!

1981 June 12, History of the World, Part I, Mel Brooks (actor):

What cinephiles have missed most this spring are the cries of "hon hon hon!" — the bitchy sound of French laughter — bellowing from the Côte d'Azur.

2020 May 28, “The sex scandals, walkouts and boos of Cannes Film Festival”, in New York Post, New York, N.Y.: News Corp, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-08-18:

[Ridley] Scott once said that forcing French accents on the stars of "The Last Duel" would have been "a disaster," but on that count, I beg to differ. Imagine Ben Affleck winding up to crucial lines with a snooty "a-hon-hon-hon!" Now that you have, you won't want to go without.

2023 August 18, Kyle Buchanan, “Uma Thurman’s ’Red, White & Royal Blue’ Accent Is One to Savor”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-09-22:

(humorous) Representing a stereotypical French laugh.


hon

Clipping of come on with devoicing of /m/. Compare c'mon.

“Hon the Banner!” is the single-minded mantra being roared everywhere else.

2013 September 9, Rosita Boland, “Feelings of relief and anti-climax in Ennis car park”, in The Irish Times:

We're not normally impressed by this kind of stuff but h'on the lads! This is pretty good.

2016 August 17, Jennifer Dollard "Seagulls cover Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage'" Today FM

To coincide with the film’s release, GQ recently enlisted the actor to take part in a photoshoot in some of Dublin’s most beloved pubs. ... Hon Dublin!

2017 March 16, Amy O'Connor, “GQ did a swanky photoshoot in loads of Dublin pubs with the star of Beauty and the Beast”, in Daily Edge:

22:23 BIRDIE: Lowry (-2) can't find the bottom of the cup with his eagle putt but taps in for birdie. Hon the Offalyman. He's one behind the leaders, McGirt and Hoffman

2017 April 7, Johnny Watterson, John O'Sullivan, “Liveblog: US Masters: Day One”, in The Irish Times:

(Ireland, slang); (typically) cheering a sports team, especially a GAA team; exhortation or encouragement come on; congratulations well done, bravo.


pshaw

Pshaw! I can't believe it!

"Pshaw! Why do ye bother yourself wid texts, man, about so small a matter?" interrupted the landlady

1823, James Fenimore Cooper, “chapter 13”, in The Pioneers:

'Pshaw!' Ralph muttered, forcing a laugh.

1838 March – 1839 October, Charles Dickens, chapter 56, in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1839, →OCLC:

"Have a care, cousin," he whispered; "for the sake of the Virgin have a care, for you have angered him."
"Pshaw! fear not," the other answered in the same low tone.

1891, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, chapter 22, in The White Company, New York, N.Y., Boston, Mass.: Thomas Y[oung] Crowell & Company […], →OCLC:

Pshaw! And monkeys might fly out of my butt.

Indicating disapproval, scoffery, irritation, impatience or disbelief.

呸

indicating disapproval, scoffery, irritation, impatience or disbelief


greetings

Greetings and salutations. You a Heather?

1989, Daniel Waters, 11:50 from the start, in Michael Lehmann, director, Heathers, spoken by Jason Dean (Christian Slater):

(sometimes formal, sometimes humorous) Hello.


honestly

From Middle English honestly, honestlyche, honestliche, equivalent to honest + -ly.

Honestly! I want to finish this work and you keep interrupting.

Used to express exasperation, dismay, etc.


voilà

Lo, there it is; see here; ta-da; presto; behold!


haro

From Old French haro, harou, from two words, "Ha" and "Rollo", referring to the Duke Rollo of Normandy; his name became well known as a cry for justice and was later shortened to "Haro."
-"The Little Duke", Charlotte Young, 1955

(obsolete) An exclamation of distress; alas.

(Channel Islands) A call for help, a demand for protection against harm, or for assistance to arrest an adversary.


kablooey

REICH: Poetry, literature, stuff like that? / GARCIA: All that, all of that, and on all levels. That was like a continuing thing, but then along came LSD and that was the end of that whole world. The whole world just went kablooey.

1972 January 20, Jann Wenner, Charles A. Reich, Rolling Stone, number 100:

(colloquial) Alternative spelling of kablooie


kablooie

ka-, an intensifier used with onomatopoeia, plus (probably) an imaginative rendition of an explosion or splash.

to go kablooie

it went kablooie

The bottle of ketchup hit the floor and went kablooie all over everything.

(colloquial) A failure, meltdown; or explosion; a splat or splash.


bags

Grammatical extension of third-person singular form of bag (“make first claim on something”).

Bags I sit in the front seat!

Used to claim something for oneself, especially in the combination 'Bags I'.


plop

Imitative of the sound, or perhaps a variant of plap.

onom

Imitative

"[A]fter a bit the old ship went down all on a sudden with a lurch to starboard---plop. The suck in was something awful."

1900, Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, page xiii. 110:

Indicating the sound of something plopping.


biff

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:

The sound of a person being punched or hit.


dayum

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

Respelling of damn to reflect emphatic stress and a Southern US or African American Vernacular drawl, in which the vowel is broken into gliding vowels.

Oh, man, did you see her?! Dayum! She was hella fine!

'Cause girl, you got me like dayum, baby, dayum, baby, dayum

2012, “Dayum, Baby”, in Here's to the Good Times, performed by Florida Georgia Line ft. Sarah Buxton:

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

(slang, emphatic) Pronunciation spelling of damn, representing Southern US English.


harumph

Harumph! She is welcome to try, but I'm not going to bother helping.

"Harumph! Well, now, perhaps I spoke too soon, McManus."

1982, Patrick F. McManus, They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?:

An expression of disdain, disbelief, protest, refusal or dismissal.


whoosh

onomatopoeic

imitative

Imitates anything passing by quickly and more or less close.

went over their head
go over someone's head#English

(sarcastic) Indicating that somebody has missed the point (i.e. it went over their head).


nil desperandum

Latin nīl ‘nothing’, dēspērandum, gerund of dēspērāre ‘despair’, as used in Nil desperandum Teucro duce et auspice Teucro ‘no need to despair with Teucer as your leader and Teucer to protect you’, in Horace, Odes

The Pretender's motto upon the colours and standards were, Dieu & mon Droit, "God and my Right:" Nil desperandum Christo duce & auspice Christo, "I ought not to despair, since Christ is my guide and helper:"

1745, Rapin de Thoyras, N. Tindal, The History of England, Volume XXII, London: James and John Knapton, page 407f:


a

"We will resume yesterday's discourse, young ladies," said he, "and you shall each read a page by turns; so that Miss a—Miss Short may have an opportunity of hearing you"; and the poor girls began to spell a long dismal sermon delivered at Bethesda Chapel, Liverpool, on behalf of the mission for the Chickasaw Indians.

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


sss

"Sss," said the snake.

2017, Brian Fox, The Hollow Rasping of an American Nightmare, page 420:

(onomatopoeia) The hiss of a snake or other reptile.


ploop

Imitative; compare the more common plop.

onom

Imitative

The pebbles went ploop and sunk to the bottom of the pond.

(onomatopoeia) The sound of a small object falling into liquid.


Happy Thanksgiving

(US, Canada) The greeting said near the holiday Thanksgiving.


yeah, right

yeah right

antonym(s) of “Correct, affirmative, yes”

[jɛə̯˥˨ ɹaɪt˥˩]

[jæə̯˥˨ ɹaɪt˥˩]

[jɛə̯˥˧(.)ɹaɪt˥˧]

[jæə̯˥˧(.)ɹaɪt˥˧]

Your dog ate your homework? Yeah, right.

(colloquial, sarcastic) Expresses disbelief.

“You were watching the front.”
“Oh yeah, right. So I'm watching the front, and I hear this commotion upstairs. So as I'm looking up, something catches my eye.”

2007, Matthew B.J. Delaney, Jinn: A Novel:

(colloquial, literally) Correct; affirmative; yes; yes, that is correct.


gulp

From Middle English gulpen, probably from West Flemish or Middle Dutch gulpen, golpen, of uncertain origin. Perhaps of imitative origin, or related to Dutch galpen (“to roar, squeal”), English galp, gaup (“to gape”).
Related to German Low German gulpen (“to gush out, belch, gulp”), West Frisian gjalpe, gjalpje, gjealpje (“to gush, spurt forth”), Danish gulpe, gylpe (“to gulp up, disgorge”), dialectal Swedish glapa (“to gulp down”), Old English galpettan (“to gulp down, eat greedily, devour”). More at galp.

onomatopoeic

imitative

cog

"Honey, I know you want to go to their home next week, but there's one thing that keeps happening when we're together that really drives me away from social gatherings in general. (Oh, what is it … gulp.) Well, I'm not sure I can really explain it without offending you. (Gulp, gulp.) Do you really want to talk about it? (Yes.) […]"

1982, Gary Smalley, If Only He Knew, page 163:

I wonder: if it had not been for GCN, would I now be the one who settles for the semi-closeted, factionalized world that Bay Windows and its ilk define as Shangri-la? Perhaps. What is certain, however, is that you have never jettisoned concern fror anybody for the sake of popularity and (gulp) assimilationist marketability.

1990 December 9, Ed Fendor, “The Promised Land”, in Gay Community News, volume 18, number 21, page 4:

An indication of (the sound of) an involuntary fear reaction in the form of a swallowing motion.


sry

(text messaging, Internet slang) Abbreviation of sorry.


look you

For there is no toubt put the tevil, when Owen Thomas saw him, must have peen sitting on a piece of rock in a straight line from him on the other side of the river, where he used to sit, look you, for a whole summer's tay, while Hugh Llwyd was on his pulpit, and there they used to talk across the water!

1815, Thomas Love Peacock, Headlong Hall:


for crying out loud

Oh, for crying out loud, get off the computer! You've been on there for ages!

'I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud!'

1997 June 26, J. K. Rowling [pseudonym; Joanne Rowling], chapter IV, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Harry Potter; 1), London: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:

Waldo739 asks a "what would you do?" question: "So it's August 31st, 1939, and you are Captain Gustav Kleikamp" - I think - "standing on the bridge wing of SMS" - oh, for crying out loud - "SMS Schleswig-Holstein, drinking a cup of tea[…]"

2020 May 3, Drachinifel, 37:29 from the start, in The Drydock - Episode 092, archived from the original on 2022-10-01:

(idiomatic, colloquial) Used to express frustration, exasperation, or annoyance.

verflixt und zugenäht

moderated or minced versions of for Christ's sake or similarly used instead


break a leg

Unknown; many unproven and widely debated theories exist. One of the most plausible is that it comes from Yiddish הצלחה און ברכה (hatslokhe un brokhe, “success and blessing”) through the heavy Ashkenazi Jewish influence in the American theater, via the misinterpretation in German as Hals- und Beinbruch (“neck and leg fracture”). The Yiddish phrase itself comes from Hebrew הַצְלָחָה וּבְרָכָה (hatzlakhá u-v'rakhá, “success and blessing”). Another possible origin was to wish opposite luck on the performer so as not to jinx the statement.

der

הצלחה און ברכה

הַצְלָחָה וּבְרָכָה

Go out there and break a leg tonight. Put on a great show!

I told my friend to break a leg, before she went on stage.

(idiomatic) Said to someone wishing they perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

molta merda!

expression of best wishes to a performer


get up the yard

The earliest usage may be traced to a primary school in Dublin, Ireland. Initially, in the 1960s, the phrase meant what it literally denoted: it was a command to get up the yard, the school yard at St. Pius X National School in Templeogue, Dublin. Older pupils appointed as wardens would shout at children to "get up the yard", away from the road.

(idiomatic, Dublin) Nonsense! I don't believe you.


Marco

From Marco Polo, from Latin Marcus Paulus, from Marcus.

Shouted by a player of the game Marco Polo. Compare Polo.


HF

(text messaging) Abbreviation of have fun.


over and out

(procedure word, idiomatic) Used in films and TV to signal the end of a conversation, especially one conducted by CB radio or the like.


goodo

“Now we′re cooking! It works!” crowed Bob. “And now before it grows dark let′s pour it off into our storage tanks.”
“Goodo, Bob. We rich now!” Ebony gloated.

1957, Horace Sawyer Mazet, Shark Fishing off the Great Barrier Reef, page 61:

“Goodo,” Picnic said, blinking. “Man, look at the quail.”

1984, Thomas Pynchon, Slow Learner: Early Stories, published 1995, page 40:

Some bantering responses joked about whether David May was connected to Brian May, and the rock group Queen, but most expressed a sense of relief that anyone was willing to come to the small-town, economically struggling club. Jo Tomlinson: ‘Goodo, a signing! Even though we did boo him last year...’

2004, David L. Andrews, Manchester United: A Thematic Study, page 203:

John held both my hands tightly, looking straight into my eyes for several moments. His eyes moistened, “I don′t know how to thank you – it′s been quite a spell since my Janeie has been happy.” Bob gleefully joined in, “Goodo Sport!...Goodo!”

2009, George W. Adams, Under the Southern Cross, page 111:

‘I have a sore elbow...’ I fib in a small whine, as I know she worries sometimes when I have too many nightmares.
‘Goodo. Well, let me “tiss” it better,’ she whispers back, so as not to wake Dad from his heavy, snoring slumber, and with her eyes still closed—as the surrounding bush continues to coo its soft night noises through her open bedroom window—she reaches out, finds my proffered elbow, and applies a kiss.

2010, Peter FitzSimons, A Simpler Time, unnumbered page:

(UK, Australia, New Zealand, slang) Good; used to show approval or satisfaction.


yoohoo

Yoohoo! I think you dropped this.

Xavier's Father: Son, it was you who killed me.
Xavier (Vernon Chatman): What kind of stupid name is "Yoohoo"? Well, when I find that demon, I shall slay him -- to death! Yoohoo! Yoohoo!

2007, Xavier: Renegade Angel, season 1, episode 10:


holy Toledo

The city of Toledo in Spain (after which the city in Ohio was later named) was the center of Christianity in Spain in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, and its Archbishop was and still is the Primate of Spain.
Phrase later made popular by the late Oakland A's and Raiders sportscaster Bill King.

An exclamation of surprise or astonishment.


well, well

Well, well. What have we here?

(with sarcasm) Well, well. Look who's back. And they said we'd never see him again.

Wel, wel (Meander) thou art deepely read:
And hauing thee, I haue a iewell ſure:
Go on my Lord, and giue your charge I ſay,
Thy wit wil make vs Conquerors to day.

c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:

well, well, well
well, well, well#English

(current in UK, but dated in the US and Canada) Synonym of well, well, well

current in UK; but dated in the US and Canada; current in UK; but dated in the US and Canada


plonk

The sound made by something solid landing.

(Internet) The supposed sound of adding a user to one's killfile.


trick or treat

1987, Kai Hansen, "Halloween", Helloween, Keeper Of The Seven Keys: Part 1.
Meet the others at the store, / Knock on other people's door / Trick or treat they have no choice, / Little ghost's are makin' lotsa noise

A form of a light-hearted request by which children obtain candy on Halloween while wearing themed costumes.

不給糖就搗亂

a request for candy tied to an unstated light-hearted threat

(in translated movies, TV series etc.) Süßes oder Saures


goo goo ga ga

/ˈɡuː ɡuː ˈɡɑː ɡɑː/

Onomatopoeic. Compare goo-goo and ga-ga.

And the parents go, "Goo-goo, ga-ga, goo-goo, ga-ga."

1998, Ramtha, The Children's View of Destiny and Purpose:

If goo-goo, ga-ga is as foreign to you as a radio broadcast from Ouagadougou, try this definition of “baby talk”: It’s talk directed to your baby, concerning her care.

2001, Jessica Teich, Brandel France de Bravo, Trees Make the Best Mobiles http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0312303254&id=FQUZ_k9XDlEC&pg=PA10&lpg=PA10&sig=ky1XZrdpv_cTMLtudr13_fWgbP0

Their attempts to return to the primitive Church structure have invariably been every bit as inauthentic as an older child’s attempt to imitate a baby by shaking a rattle and shouting “goo goo ga ga!”

2002, Griff L Ruby, The Resurrection of the Roman Catholic Church http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0595250181&id=WSh0mrdmpdAC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&sig=97Ax7J0NI3EAHp0dmf-64eNPRu8

I get Denise’s bag while she, my wife and ex-wife all make goo-goo ga-ga noises over Denise’s half-sister, now almost two years old.

2004, Jack Canfield et al., Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN1558746994&id=01iodvG1vJ8C&pg=PA305&lpg=PA305&sig=9wHRKQDgQR9_yrYt71F6BvFFPx8

2005, Mort Walker, Conversations, Jason Whiton ed. http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN1578067006&id=AAh66NT6WsgC&pg=PA136&lpg=PA136&sig=_N8Z0cIlWYHTC8TXZoXDddvtg_g
But I had read something by Sinclair Lewis many years ago, and there was one page where some guy was looking down in the baby carriage going ‘Goo goo ga ga’ and the baby was thinking adult thoughts like ‘Ah, the stupid guy. What’s the matter, can’t he talk straight?’

(childish) Onomatopoeic imitation of the sound of a baby who has not yet learned to speak.


bully

From 1530, as a term of endearment, probably a diminutive ( + -y) of Dutch boel (“lover; brother”), from Middle Dutch boel, boele (“brother; lover”), from Old Dutch *buolo, from Proto-Germanic *bōlô (compare Middle Low German bôle (“brother”), Middle High German buole (“brother; close relative; close relation”) (whence German Buhle (“lover”)), Old English Bōla, Bōlla (personal name), diminutive of expressive *bō- (“brother, father”). Compare also Latvian bālinš (“brother”). More at boy.
The term acquired a negative connotation during the 17th century; first ‘noisy, blustering fellow’ then ‘a person who is cruel to others’. Possibly influenced by bull (“male cattle”) or via the ‘prostitute's minder’ sense. The positive senses are dated, but survive in phrases such as bully pulpit.

onomatopoeic

expressive

Bully, she's finally asked for that promotion!

Bully! Bully! Finis coronet opus, “the end crowns all”; “may the last be the best!” By Godfrey it was delightful.

1979, Jerome Alden, Bully: An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt, →OCLC, page 3:


m'kay

Nasalized variant of okay. Perhaps popularized by Mr. Mackey's catchphrase in South Park; earlier, apparently chiefly in linguistic transcriptions of speech.

In these tutoring sessions we have found that, when the tutor agrees with the student’s displayed understanding, her signal of confirmation comes quickly after the student’s turn, as in:
S. Mkay.
hh. And I know it’s negative, just to follow your thought process, because I know that the sine is positive.

1991, Barbara A. Fox, “Cognitive and Interactional Aspects of Correction in Tutoring,” in Teaching Knowledge and Intelligent Tutoring, Peter Goodyear ed. http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=I36Zzj7B7pgC&pg=PA154&lpg=PA154&sig=ZZYBrtCu62xusRHVxW0AAjsisuQ

… the director would go on only when both were satisfied the matcher had understood, as here:
D. The long view of the quad uh walkway
M. those
M. ┌ numbers right?
D. └ is number 5
M. Mkay
D. Yeah with the numbers on the bottom.

1993, Herbert H Clark, Arenas of Language Use http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=iRlL1nmsB-4C&pg=PA284&lpg=PA284&sig=MzayaXWqjqReOg6XyNY2ES7Ycn4

1995, Charles Conrad and Lucinda Sinclair-James, “Institutional Pressures, Cultural Constraints, and Communication in Community Mediation Organizations,” in Conflict and Organizations, Anne Maydan Nicotera ed.
M1: Mkay. Let me point us back to. This is related to um what we were talking about and how you’re going to um sort of report what happened here tonight.

My bold, Crocodile Hunter “Absolutely” withered into “mkay” with the end of the word lilted up like a desperate question.

2004, Gordon Atkinson, RealLivePreacher.com http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=txlWQXzOIukC&pg=PA34&lpg=PA34&sig=xzYsGkjZNOFHeKU7vnfoysmeOH0

That has nothing to do with star-power crap and everything to do with keeping it real, mkay?

2004, Deanna Kizis, How to Meet Cute Boys http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=QAu5foUdyEkC&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&sig=oNcYAAFSGryL3NbegfxWLHkDy8M

(informal) Okay; an expression of acknowledgment or affirmation, now sometimes used in an ironic or condescending sense.

C: I want you to re:st (.) re:st (.) as much as you can do (.) is just re:st (.) hhh when >you go< home (.) >you tell< your husband you make dinner honey (.) hhh you take care of me (.) . . . I need >to set< down (.) I need >to rest< (.)
P: mmkay (.)
C: and >get down< (.) watch your sodium (.) the salt=

1997: Christina S. Beck, Partnership for Health (dead link)

well i used to have some skilled sticky fingers of my own back in the day so i know a shoplifted dress when i see one mmkay.

I looked back to him...mmkay brown hair dark eyes...high cheek bones that lucky monkey I wonder if he has some native American.

2005, Catherine Delaney, The Rosameorns (dead link)

She was sitting perched on her desk, in that nonchalant, ‘mmkay?’ way teachers do when they’re trying to pretend they’re down with the kids.

2005, Jenny Colgan, Boy I Loved Before (dead link)

1999, “It's Easy, MMMKay.” [title, in soundtrack] South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

Let’s get all this straight. He took me to a place he hates to see if I like it. Mmmkay.

2004, Victoria Schmitz, If It’s Not One Thing It’s the Other http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=lFcLqmFytiMC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&sig=H_Qm7nTzqEzS470vfocV9c74reI

2004, Stephanie Lehmann, Are You in the Mood http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=ECabx9_RoXAC&pg=PA49&lpg=PA49&sig=pW9_uvNdBOBHc__4hwhYzAfhRWs
He told her she could sleep in if she liked. “Mmmkay,” she said without opening her eyes, and he kissed her good-bye.

I’ll tell you a secret if you promise not to tell anybody, not even the missus, m’kay?

1999, Tom Bradley, Black Class Cur http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=Fdo3ky2yq-sC&pg=PA179&lpg=PA179&sig=PGLARdInWR86z9kI3MQaQKe5G9s

But do keep in mind that this film [viz. South Park] is not for the faint of heart, and it ain’t for kids, m’kay?

2003, Bill Hunt and Todd Doogan, The Digital Bits: Insider’s Guide to DVD http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=ZPvgA1QU1BMC&pg=PA294&lpg=PA294&sig=hJv3zSuA9sriREBxGXxi7ZevcuQ

She didn’t ask what that was supposed to mean, but tallied a while on her fingertips and obliged him.
“Mm-kay, bye.”

2000, Tom Bradley, Hustling the East http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=GYnGE49yhPsC&pg=PA236&lpg=PA236&sig=JIS7zjR3YOAzjIW-jrKuyOrxpQM

2005, Bill Eisele, Scrub Match http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=7M31jHxhJawC&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&sig=no7YkuHLZazkBAuC0ztcd6i9AJI
“All I’m saying,” the Asian man said, “is it’s about time she got a whiff of her own breath. Mm-kay?”

“Well, I’m going to take a picture of your arm and then this nice doctor is going to fix it for you, okay?”
“Mmm-kay.”

2005, Michael Collins, Hot Lights, Cold Steel:


OMFG

The messages also show the reaction of Hancock and Coladangelo to a video obtained by the Sun. “OMFG,” Coladangelo said.

2023 March 4, Hayden Vernon, quoting Gina Coladangelo, “New leaked messages show Matt Hancock’s reaction to footage of him kissing aide”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(Internet slang, blasphemous, vulgar) Initialism of oh my fucking God.


laters

Ellipsis of see you later + -s (hypocoristic suffix) (compare toodles and bye-byes).

But all she says is “Ring us if you want to go out this week. Laters!” and puts the phone down.

2001, Anna Maxted, Getting Over It http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=658ZQCdB-e4C&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&sig=QA1HWuIr72BLnEhEh_2n8VhPwD0

‘Shanks,’ says Trevor into his mobile, ‘we just gone down a snake. I’ll see ya tomorrow, laters.’

2004, J J Connolly, Layer Cake http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=moH7-dVMlLcC&pg=PA144&lpg=PA144&sig=C8ip3JP1HZSFuqfBjRDvXJEYmFM

You know where the money is and how much. Tell him the usual. Yep. Laters.

2004, Thomas Neradin, Last Train http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=-wcHR-WlhXkC&pg=PA47&lpg=PA47&sig=4_asKYcTxPOHVinOI5NvJ_9LEMY

(slang) see you later; an expression used at parting.


gramercy

/ɡɹəˈmɜː.si/

From Middle English gramerci, from Old French grant merci (“great thanks”).

Gramércy, liegé King, / This is to me a comforting: / I tell you sickerly / For to have land or lede / Or other riches, so God me speed, / It is too much for me.

[late 14th – early 15th century, “Transition English: From the Conquest to Chaucer.—a.d. 1666 to a.d. 1352 [Sir Cleges.]”, in Henry Morley, editor, Shorter English Poems (Cassell’s Library of English Literature), London, Paris: Cassell & Company, […], published c. 1870s, →OCLC, page 28, column 2, lines 409–412:

"Gramercy! good fellow," cried Prince John, "thou pleasest me—Here, Isaac, lend me a handful of byzants."

1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter VIII, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 155:

(archaic) Used as an expression of gratitude: thanks; many thanks.

(archaic) Used as an exclamation expressing surprise or sudden strong feelings.


but hey

Streaming a movie prevents any but the most dedicated and well-equipped hacker from making a digital copy (pointing a camera at the screen still works, but hey).

2003, S. Gulie, Quicktime for the Web, Morgan Kaufmann, page 136:

I am pretty sure it's another computer glitch, but hey, it's not my fault and it's perfectly legal.

2004, R. Broadhead, Dear Valued Customer, You Are A Loser, Andrews McMeel Publishing, page 89:

By that time they had navigated about 120 miles of the Green River, almost twice their planned run for the day—but hey, time flies when you're having fun.

2007, Jim Burnett, Hey Ranger 2: More True Tales of Humor and Misadventure from the Great Outdoors, page 101:

Used to show that the thing just referred to is not ideal or does not support the argument, but that the situation cannot be improved upon, or the speaker is unwilling to try.


whammo

So, I'm driving along when, whammo, a tree falls in front of the car.

"Sure, the boys say, 'What's the use? I'd just get started and whammo, I'm gone.'"

1951 November 5, “The Younger Generation”, in Time Magazine:

Every year I try to catch the first buds as they break out of their winter closets, and every year I miss. One day you hit the street on your way to your day's routine and there it is, whammo, LIFE, popping up and out all over the place.

1983 April 16, Nancy Walker, “Spring Surprises”, in Gay Community News, page 6:

He lifted one foot and set it down again, whammo, but Ed was so engrossed in Pynchon's novel that all he recalls is tromping the scorpion to death with his stung foot, then quickly fetching a bucket of ice water, jamming the foot into it, and continuing to read.

1988, David Quammen, The Flight of the Iguana:

(informal) Used to emphasize the suddenness of an event.


goody

Oh goody, ice cream!

(informal) Used to indicate pleasure or delight.


mhm

Nasalized form of uh-huh, a form imitative of non-verbal sounds.

Shows agreements or allows the speaker to continue talking.


aite

Aite then! After the game we will rap about getting you down to the gym so we can work.

2018, DeMarcus Rogers, Chasing Faith, page 100:

I was like Aite, fasho, putting my hands up.

2022, Sean Thor Conroe, Fuccboi, Hachette, →ISBN:


cool beans

Cheech: “Hey man, look at this car made out of weed!” / Chong: “Oh cool beans, man!”

1978, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Up in Smoke, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong (Cheech & Chong) (actors), Los Angeles, Calif.: Paramount Home Video, →OCLC:

‘It’s cool beans!’ That’s what Betsy always says when she thinks something is fantastic, and I couldn’t help wondering what she’d say if she could see me now.

1985, Marlene Fanta Shyer, Grandpa Ritz and the Luscious Lovelies, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, →ISBN, page 30:

(childish) A humorous and lighthearted nonsense phrase indicating approval or mild excitement: great, wow.


whoops-a-daisy

(informal) Used to acknowledge a mistake.


nudge nudge wink wink

/ˈnʌdʒ nʌdʒ ˌwɪŋk wɪŋk/

Suggests that the speaker is nudging, and winking at, the person to whom the term is directed. Popularized by the Monty Python sketch "Candid Photography" (better known as Nudge Nudge).

The Opposition is so insensitive to the South Island that it gets a North Island member to move a private member's Bill about a South Island issue. […] The Bill represents a broken half-promise—"nudge, nudge, wink, wink"—by the Leader of the Opposition in Timaru only a short time ago. […] So down [to the South Island] he goes—"nudge, nudge, wink, wink". They let him out of the closet for a while to go down to talk to some South Islanders and he told them they would get 25 percent and 10 percent. Now there is a Bill from a North Island Opposition member, the member for New Plymouth—a Bill that backs off from that promise in the space of a couple of weeks.

1985 June 7, Michael John Cullen, “Electricity (South Island Concession) Amendment Bill”, in Parliamentary Debates (Hansard): First Session, Forty-first Parliament, 1985: House of Representatives, volume 462 (Comprising the Period from 22 March to 7 June 1985), Wellington, N.Z.: V. R. Ward, Government Printer, →OCLC, page 4609:

Toby Miller, a professor at New York University, commented on [actress Drew] Barrymore's attitude: "She seems to be saying, 'I see no reason to hide my sexuality, my body—I want to celebrate it' … And all the women I know, even those who thought such a spectacle was tragic in the Seventies, love it. It's a nudge-nudge, wink-wink parody."

2007, Rikke Schubart, “High Trash: Lara, Beatrix, and Three Angels”, in Super Bitches and Action Babes: The Female Hero in Popular Cinema, 1970–2006, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 300:

Sally unlocked her tiny cubicle and found herself feeling quite nostalgic. No more early mornings on the number 13 bus to work. No more Geordie and his nudge nudge, wink wink greetings; from next month she would be a professional actress, working in repertory.

2014, Lynda Bellingham, chapter 2, in The Boy I Love, London: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN:

(idiomatic, humorous, also attributive) A phrase used to hint that the speaker is euphemistically referring to something else.


erk

(colloquial) An expression of trepidation; eek.

‘Gawd, erk!’ She recoiled and turned away.

1959, D'Arcy Niland, The Big Smoke, page 43:

‘Erk! What’s that big ugly growth you’ve got?’

1995, Paul Vautin, Turn It Up!, page 29:

(Australia, colloquial) An expression of revulsion or disgust; yuck.


erm

She was going to, erm... the salon, I think.

(UK) Used in hesitant speech, or to express uncertainty; um, umm.

Erm, I don't think that was supposed to happen.

– Bob would never say something like that!
– Erm, he just did.

(UK) Used to express embarrassment or subtle disagreement.


pfui

From German pfui, also the source of phooey.

'Pfui!' The captain spat. 'I've never met such a dumb sailor as you. So where do you think the old moon goes?'

1981, Charles H. Kahn, The Art and Thought of Heraclitus, →ISBN:

She liked Arschlochweh and adored Improvisation; but the Anatomiestunde and the bending and stretching she did not like. "Pfui!" she was disgusted, lifting her shoulders and spreading her hands like the Mandarin, "pfui! the old body!'

1993, Samuel Beckett, Eoin O'Brien, Edith Fournier, Dream of Fair to Middling Women, →ISBN, page 14:

He comes barging in here as if the place belonged to him. And intoxicated . . . pfui! . . . the disgusting pig!

2008, Christopher Isherwood, The Berlin Stories, →ISBN, page 175:

an exclamation indicating disagreement or rejection of an argument; contempt


Wilma

A substitute for wilco when used for the phonetic W.


hullo

There he is, now. Bang went the front door open and shut. Harry shouted: “Hullo, you people. Down in five minutes.”

1918 August, Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “Bliss”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, page 126:

“Mr Wooster?” “Oh, hullo, Lady Wickham.”
[...] “Hullo, Bobbie,” I said. “Hullo, Bertie,” she said. “Hullo, Upjohn,” I said. The correct response to this would have been “Hullo, Wooster”, but he blew up in his lines and merely made a noise like a wolf with its big toe caught in a trap.
[...] But as I approached the [telephone] and unhooked the thing you unhook, I was far from being at my most nonchalant, and when I heard Upjohn are-you-there-ing at the other end my manly spirit definitely blew a fuse. For I could tell by his voice that he was in the testiest of moods. Not even when conferring with me at Malvern House, Bramley-on-Sea, on the occasion when I put sherbet in the ink, had I sensed in him a more marked stirred-up-ness. “Hullo? Hullo? Hullo? Are you there? Will you kindly answer me? This is Mr Upjohn speaking.”

1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “II, XV, AND XIX”, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

(UK, New Zealand) Alternative form of hello (Greeting.)

Suddenly Sydney gave an exclamation. ‘Hullo! — The front door’s closed!’

"Hullo, there's a monkey's wedding," said my wife's niece, a girl of about twenty, born in South Africa […] She was looking out on the lawn, and it was one of those lovely April mornings with sunshine and rain alternating[…]

1939, Country Life, volume 85, page 290:

(UK, dated, New Zealand) Alternative form of hello (expressing puzzlement or discovery)


Kobe

Dave Chappelle
Kobe
Kobe Bryant
Michael Jordan
NBA

After NBA player Kobe Bryant, emulating an earlier use of the name of Michael Jordan. Popularized by Dave Chappelle in a 2004 sketch. Kobe Bryant's parent named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu.

(throws aforementioned paper cup at Russell Byrd– hits Byrd in the head) KOBE!
[…]
Derrick Nix: Are you serious? You threw a crumpled paper cup at his head, hit him, and then yelled “Kobe!”

2012 January 18, The Black Sheep, volume 6, number 2, Michigan State University, published 2012 January 17, page 7:

Miguel: When you write a bad draft of your Signal article, there’s only one thing to do to it — smash it up into a ball, throw it to the nearest recycle bin and scream “KOBE!”

2016 April 20, The Signal, volume XLIV, number 2, The College of New Jersey, published 2016 April 19, page 27:

As I spend 10 minutes debating what to order, a kid nearby entertains himself by squirting free edamame beans across the restaurant. I try the same, saying “Kobe!” as I shoot one in my mouth at arm’s length on the first try.

2019 March 22, OC Weekly, volume 24, number 30, Orange County, California: Duncan McIntosh Company, published 2019 March 20, page 20:

(slang, US) Exclaimed, while throwing something at a target, as a prediction or acknowledgement of accuracy.


criminy

A minced oath from "Christ's money", in reference to the silver that Judas was paid for betraying Jesus.

A minced oath that expresses surprise or impatience.


'sfoot

A style of oath appearing in Jacobean drama in the 17th century.

’Sfoot, I’ll learn to conjure and raise devils

1602, William Shakespeare, The History of Troilus and Cressida:

Again, again, as God judge me: ’sfoot, cuz, they stand thrumming here with me all day, and yet I get nothing.
’Sfoot, my wit bleeds for’t, methinks.

1604-1616. Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton, The Honest Whore

’Sfoot, what a bevy of beaten slaves are here!

1611, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, King and No King:

“’Sfoot,” Mr. Editor, — what exquisite nonsense hast thou here suffered to pass wholly unnoticed?

1814, . Ralph Griffiths, George Edward Griffiths, The Monthly Review, page 234:

(obsolete) A contraction of "God's foot"; an oath.


your mom

Conrad: I am not sure if this phrase is commonly used...
Dominic: Your mom is commonly used.

Student 1: Why are you being such a douche about it?
Student 2: Your mom. [intentionally nonsequitous type of use]

Deb: Well, isn't anyone else here trying to earn money for college?
Kip: Your mom goes to college.

2004, Jared Hess, Jared Hess, directed by Jared Hess, Napoleon Dynamite, Fox Searchlight Pictures:

(derogatory, slang, chiefly US) A general-purpose insult, often used to comedic effect due to becoming stale.


drat

An aphetism of od-rat (“God rot”) as a minced oath.

Drat! I forgot to post these letters.

Expressing anger, annoyance or frustration.


facts

(Internet slang) Used to express agreement.


shoots

The concierge began talking on the phone in the local pidgin. “Eh, anikala Moki, diz Rodney at work, howzit? I get one winnah for you today. Diz guys like go Miloliʻi … no kidding uncle, four poʻe ipukea kane, come now. Shoots.”

2010, David Heaukulani, The Reficul Parallax: Godsquad Genesis, page 112:


pff

An expression of annoyance or disappointment.

My doctor advised me to drink less. Pff, if only it were so easy.

A dismissive response to a ridiculous comment.

The sound made whilst blowing a raspberry.


garn

mrs pearce. […] But you dont know anything about her. What about her parents? She may be married. / liza. Garn! / higgins. There! As the girl very properly says, Garn! Married indeed! Dont you know that a woman of that class looks a worn out drudge of fifty a year after shes married?

1912 (date written), [George] Bernard Shaw, “Pygmalion”, in Androcles and the Lion, Overruled, Pygmalion, London: Constable and Company, published 1916, →OCLC, Act II, page 125:

(Cockney slang) A response that expresses disbelief or mockery.


duh

Imitative, possibly indicating stupidity by mocking the speech of an intellectually disabled person.

It's hot in the desert. - Well, duh!

Disdainful indication that something is obvious.

خو

disdainful indication that something is obvious

ja klar with a squeaking tone on the second word

sag bloß all with an interrogative intonation

Duhhh, I'm Jasmine, I can't even tie my shoe laces right!


hands off

(nautical, historical) cut off a hand: decreed by old admiralty law as punishment for pulling a knife during a fight with a shipmate.


unf

(Internet slang, text messaging) Inarticulate grunt of desire issued upon sighting someone sexually attractive, or made in response to a spasm of pleasure during sexual intercourse.


by jingo

Uncertain for a long time. Main theories include:
* a minced oath of "by Jesus"; compare crikey, zounds, egads, etc.
* a corruption ultimately of "by St. Gingoulph", in reference to Saint Gangulphus of Burgundy.
* a borrowing from Basque Jinkoa (“god”); compare by Jove. Basque sailors ― a common famous occupation for their people, who often swore by their term for God ― travelled far through the seas for centuries, and often met Englishmen.

[…] of all commend me to Ball, this is the Friar of the World, for my Money; you've heard how short, concise, and compendious he is in his Answers? Nothing is to be got out of him but Monosyllables; by Jingo, I believe he would make three bits of a Cherry.

1694, François Rabelais, chapter XXVI, in Peter Anthony Motteux, transl., The fifth book of The works of Francis Rabelais, M.D. […] , page 145:

“Yes, I'll make Simpledoria get out of the way. Come here, Simpledoria. Now, Bill, put your heels together on the edge of the walk. That's right. All ready? Now then! One for the money—two for the show—three to make ready—and four for to GO!” Another silence. “By jingo, Bill Hammersley, you've beat me! Ha, ha! That was a jump! What say?”

1909, Booth Tarkington, Beasley's Christmas Party, New York: Harper & Brothers, pages 22–23:

You can't tell the difference between surface and substance. Between celebrity and real accomplishment. By jingo, you're right. The scales have fallen from my eyes and I owe it all to you.

Used to express determination or surprise.


there, there

There, there. Even though you broke up with her, you'll be fine.

Conveys comfort; used to calm somebody or urge somebody to relax, especially when the person is crying.

nu budet, budet; da ladno už; čevo už tam

ну будет, будет; да ладно уж; чего уж там


now, now

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

Now, now. Don't be rude.

Now, now, there's nothing to worry about.


ZOMG

/zəʊ̯ ɛm d͡ʒiː/

Variant of OMG, presumably from excited users accidentally hitting the Z key while attempting to press shift or from conscious imitation of such excitement. The earliest known existence of the term comes from the imageboard 4chan in 2004. The meme was spammed and eventually the name was given to the hidden board /z/.

I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that my initial reaction to this machine went something like: ZOMG it's an overgrown Blackberry.^([sic])

2007 August, Germaine Ong, “Sony Vaio VGN-UX38GN”, in GameAxis Unwired:

My fellow Tweeters were supportive, bless their hearts, but I know I was getting annoying constantly tweeting stuff like: "ZOMG I JUST BURNED 1K CALORIES!!11!"

2010, Shawn Collins, “Walking the Walk in Affiliate Marketing”, in Internet Marketing from the Real Experts, page 204:

What was he doing pursuing me? He didn't seem happy about it, like, ZOMG, I met my soul mate and now my life can begin! It was more like he was being compelled against his will.

2012, Cate Tiernan, Darkness Falls, page 62:

(Internet slang) An emphatic form of oh my God.


night night

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

(colloquial, usually childish) Goodnight.


don't go there

'Surely, in hindsight, you realise she was an unsuitable wife for you,' he stated unequivocally.
'Don't go there, Dad,' Luc warned, hard ruthless steel in his own eyes. 'You've lost one son. You're very close to losing another.'

2009, Emma Darcy, Sara Craven, Diane Hamilton, The Italian's Love-Child (Mills & Boon By Request):

(idiomatic, informal) Do not broach that topic.


mazel tov

Borrowed from Yiddish מזל־טובֿ (mazl tov), from Hebrew מַזָּל (mazál, “star, constellation; fate, luck”), from Akkadian 𒌓𒁕 (manzaltum) + Hebrew טוֹב (tov, “good”); literally “good stars, good luck”.

der

(in a Jewish context) Used to express congratulations or good wishes, especially at weddings.

مَازَل تُوف

(Hebrew/Yiddish) congratulations or good wishes, especially at weddings

(chiefly in non-Jewish contexts) Used to sarcastically express congratulations for an unimpressive accomplishment or in order to dismiss an accomplishment.


privet

From Russian приве́т (privét, “hello, hi”).


occupied

Used to communicate that a toilet is unavailable.

مَشْغُول

(used to communicate that a toilet is unavailable)


hard lines

(slang, dated) Expressed to someone suffering misfortune.


hard cheese

(idiomatic) An unsympathetic retort to someone suffering misfortune.


ding dong

Ding dong bell, pussy's in the well! / Who put her in? Little Johnny Thin. / Who pulled her out? Little Tommy Stout. (Traditional English nursery rhyme)

(onomatopoeia, colloquial, often childish) The sound made by a doorbell.

丁冬

onomatopoeia for the sound of a doorbell

— Here's a photo of my new girlfriend. — Ding dong!

Ding dong, you're not wrong.

1959, Norman Hudis, 0:44:35 from the start, in Carry On Nurse (motion picture), spoken by Jack Bell (Leslie Phillips), Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors, →OCLC, retrieved 2017-11-10:

(colloquial) A general exclamation of surprise or approval.


stone the crows

Originally Australian English of 1910s, "referring to the former occupation of watching over cornfields and stoning crows that attempt to plunder the crop."

“Why, stone the crows! I′ll look yous up,” sez ′e. / “I need some friends: I ain′t got wife nor chick.”

1924, C. J. Dennis, “Rose Of Spadgers”, in Sentimental Bloke and Other Verses, published 1988, page 86:

The he pinched himself to make sure he was really awake, "Stone the crows!" he said softly. "Stone the crows!"

1971, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle and the Magic Zodiac, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 141:

So I says to meself: stone the crows, I′m a doomed man, might as well shoot through. It was cyclone time, see, and there′s been flash floods and this rock as big as a house has gone.

1988, Janette Turner Hospital, Charades, page 63:

‘Stone the crows,’ I whispered in sheer relief.

2008, Norman Jorgensen, Jack′s Island, ReadHowYouWant, published 2011, page 170:

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, colloquial) Generalized expression of surprise or amazement, or just for emphasis.


hosanna

From Latin osanna, hosanna, from Ancient Greek ὡσαννά (hōsanná), from Aramaic אושענא/ܐܘܫܥܢܐ ('ōsha‘nā), from Biblical Hebrew הוֹשַׁע נָא (hōsha‘ nā, “please save”).

A cry of praise or adoration to God in liturgical use among the Jews, and said to have been shouted in recognition of the Messiahship of Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem; hence since used in the Christian Church.


alpha and omega

From alpha and omega, first and final letters of the Greek Alphabet, from Revelation 1:8, see quotations. Translation of Ancient Greek τὸ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ὦ (tò álpha kaì tò ô).

τὸ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ὦ

"Alpha and Omega, will you look at that!"

1994, Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons, page 14:


merci

Borrowed from French merci (“thank you”).

bor+

Rebecca Rosen, merci for helping me to understand that connection between you and The Other Side, and making the character of Theresa come alive.

2005, Victoria Laurie, A Vision of Murder: A Psychic Eye Mystery, →ISBN:

"Improve the roads! Merci for the reception!" With this insouciant remark and the banner he affixed to his automobile that read "Auto rally against roadlessness and slovenliness!"

2008, Lewis H. Siegelbaum, Cars for Comrades: The Life of the Soviet Automobile, →ISBN:

“Merci, Bob. I'll inform Lauren,” Bergere said as he hurried out of the office.

2014, Art Wiederhold, Hunter: Quebec, →ISBN:


shucks

Shucks. It's too bad you can't make it to the party.

(colloquial, euphemistic) Exclamatory response to a minor disappointment.

Aw, shucks, ma'am, catching those wild horses was easy.

(colloquial, euphemistic) A bashful expression of thanks.


on your marks

Used to start a race, followed by "Get set, go!" or "Set, go!".

各就各位

Interjection used to start a race, followed by "Get set, go!" or "Set, go!".


diddly

On the handcar mornings or evenings he would amuse his companion by pumping away to a triple-tongued pattern, which he would hum emphatically as they rolled along: "dum diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly dee dee-dum dum diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly dee..."

1993, Hugh Hood, Be sure to close your eyes: a novel:

...When combined with the following picked note, this gives a rhythmic 'diddly-dum' effect.

2005, Gordon Giltrap, Total Giltrap: Guitar Encounters of the Fingerstyle Kind:

It's easy enough for him to go “diddly-diddly-diddly-dum” a thousand and one times, whereas with me it's “diddly-diddly-diddly- omigodIcan'tbreathe-dum!”)

A written representation of a trill sound.


oy vey

From Yiddish אוי וויי (oy vey, literally “oh woe”), from Middle High German ōwē, from ō + wē, the latter being from Old High German wē, from Proto-Germanic *wai, from Proto-Indo-European *wai. Cognate with German o weh, Dutch oh wee, Latin vae, and Esperanto ho ve.

bor

(slang, ascribed to Jewish people, potentially offensive) oh dear

ascribed to Jewish people; potentially offensive; ascribed to Jewish people; potentially offensive


salaam

From Arabic سَلَام (salām, “peace”). Doublet of shalom, a borrowing from Hebrew.

A respectful ceremonial greeting used mostly in Islamic countries.


crumbs

(chiefly British) An expression of mild surprise.


touch wood

And the reds are going to avoid relegation this year, touch wood.

If it′s ever me (Jesus Christ, touch wood!), I don′t want you bringing me flowers.

1988, Janette Turner Hospital, chapter I, in Charades, page 314:

The English press has been very good to me, touch wood.

2008 March, Anna Friel with Deanna Kizis (interviewer), “A Conversation with: Anna Friel”, in Women′s Health, page 88:

I know I have my faults and one of them is my impatience and I also cannot tolerate people who are ill, mainly because I am so very rarely ill—“Touch wood,” I said out loud and touched my head at the same time.

2009, Lee Hobin, chapter I, in The Male Survival Guide to Pregnancy, page 59:

(idiomatic, UK, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, India) Hopefully; said while touching something wooden, to avert superstitious bad luck from what has just been said.


knock on wood

I do a lot of walking, and I have never had any knee problems yet, knock on wood.

(idiomatic, US, Philippines) Hopefully; a self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.

hopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action

أَمْسِكْ الْخَشَبَ (ʔamsik al-ḵašaba, literally “seize wood”)

(Lebanon) دُقَّ عَالْخَشَبَ (duqqa ʕālḵašaba, literally “knock on wood”)

大吉利是 (daai⁶ gat¹ lai⁶ si⁶, literally “lucky lucky”)

syv-ni-tretten; while physically knocking under a table or on wood

χτύπα ξύλο (chtýpa xýlo, literally “knock on wood”)

桑原桑原 (くわばらくわばら, kuwabara kuwabara, literally “mulberry field mulberry field”)

بزن به تخته (bezan be taxta, literally “knock on the table”)

چشم بد دور (češm-e bad dur, literally “far [be] the evil eye”)


bru

From Afrikaans broer. Doublet of brother, friar, and pal.


anchor's aweigh

[1928] 1988, Frederick Pease Harlow, The Making of a Sailor http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0486256138&id=maCNIgbmJMgC&pg=PA106&lpg=PA106&sig=9Fd6uA0SsfwXRKuI4mZqnZokyAU
Then the mate called again to the captain, “Anchor’s aweigh, sir!” while the men kept on heaving.

Amory’s voice came again from the fo’c’sle. ‘Anchor’s aweigh, sir.’

‘Anchor’s apeak — they pawl and back — ’ At this moment the American frigate fired a gun, dropped her topgallantsails, and sheeted them home. ‘Anchor’s aweigh,’ called Broke. ‘He plucked it up in fine style.’

1994, Patrick O'Brian, The Fortune of War:

(nautical) Response to order to weigh anchor when the anchor has been tripped and is no longer attached to the bottom.


toodle pip

Right, I'm off. Toodle pip!


pooh

Originally onomatopoeic ("perhaps ancient" according to Online Etymology Dictionary) for a puff of air, after earlier poh and similar to later pew, phew, pho, phoo, poof. Later influenced by poop, onomatopoeic for the sound of flatulating and defecating, and by interjections of disgust similar to phew, pee-ew. Interjection for an unpleasant smell possibly linked to French puer (“to stink”).

I am carelesse what the fustie World speakes of me, puh.

1600, Ben Jonson, Every Man out of His Humor, iii, i, sig. iii

Pooh, ha, ha, ha, I know you envy me.

1694, William Congreve, Double-Dealer, I, i, 2:

Expressing dismissal, contempt, impatience, etc.

Pooh!... How you smell of tobacco.

1859, S.S. Steele, Conjugal Lesson, page 182:

Expressing disgust at an unpleasant smell.

Mom offers everybody fudge and says ‘Oh, pooh!’ when she gets upset.

(euphemistic) Alternative form of poo: a minced oath for 'shit'.


harrow

From Middle English harrow, harrowe, haro, from Old French haro, harou, harau, harol, from Frankish *harot, *hara (“here; hither”), from *hēr. Akin to Old Saxon herod, Old High German herot, Middle Dutch hare.

Harrow, the flames, which me consume (said hee) / Ne can be quencht, within my secret bowels bee.

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

(obsolete) A call for help, or of distress, alarm etc.


fucking A

Possibly an ironically shortened form of fucking affirmative from US military.

A: "We won!"

B: "Fucking A!"

Here is an anecdote from the writer Patricia Highsmith: "Not so long ago I said to a friend of mine: 'If I saw a kitten and a little human baby sitting on the curb starving, I would feed the kitten first if nobody was looking.' My friend said: 'I would feed the kitten first if somebody was looking.'" I would too, Patricia.
Some people seem shocked and say, "You care more about animals than you do about humans!" Fuckin'-A well told!

1997, George Carlin, Brain Droppings, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 237:

(US, slang, vulgar) An expression of triumph or joy, usually in response to unexpected good news.


psychedelic

Aldous Huxley
psychedelic
psychedelic experience

From Ancient Greek ψυχή (psukhḗ, “mind, soul”) + δῆλος (dêlos, “manifest, visible”) + -ic. Coined by English psychiatrist Humphry Osmond in 1956 in a letter to Aldous Huxley.


pish

Expressive; perhaps partly from Scots pish (“piss”).


tits

"Oh tits, a slight mishap, I've taken his fuckin' feet off!"

"Oh, tits. We can't do anything with those."

2007, Damian Tarnopolsky, Lanzmann and Other Stories:

(British, Ireland, vulgar, slang) Used to express dismay or annoyance.

2000, "The Tooth Fairy's Tats 2000" (season 4, episode 1), South Park
Eric Cartman: Alright! Kenny's in, you guys! Tits!

(US, vulgar, slang) Used to express excitement.


hoity-toity

Probably from hoit (“to behave frivolously and thoughtlessly; to play the fool”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’), reduplicated with a change of the initial consonant. The noun is attested earlier than the adjective.

suffix

Hoity toity, VVhat have I to do vvith his Dreams or his Divination—Body o' me, this is a Trick to defer Signing the Conveyance.

1695, [William] Congreve, Love for Love: A Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act III, scene x, page 46:

‘Hoity! toity!’ cries Honour, ‘Madam is in her Airs, I proteſt.[…]’

1749, Henry Fielding, “Containing Scenes of Altercation, of No Very Uncommon Kind”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume III, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book VII, page 59:

VVhy, here is nothing in the vvorld in this houſe but catter-vvavvling from morning till night, nothing but catter-vvavvling. Hoity toity! vvho have vve here?

1762 December 8 (first performance), [Isaac Bickerstaffe], Love in a Village; a Comic Opera. […], 4th edition, London: […] W. Griffin; for J[ohn] Newbery, and W. Nicoll, […]; G[eorge] Kearsley, […]; T[homas] Davies, […]; and J. Walter, […], published 1763, →OCLC, Act II, scene ii, page 26:

"I have some reason to fear," interrupted Nicholas, "that before you leave here my career with you will have closed." […] "Why, he don't mean to say he's going!" exclaimed Mrs. Grudden, making her way towards Mrs. Crummles. "Hoity toity! nonsense."

1838 March – 1839 October, Charles Dickens, “Of the Proceedings of Nicholas, and Certain Internal Divisions in the Company of Mrs. Vincent Crummles”, in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 478:

"Hoity-toity!" said the Chrysanthemum, "what is this? Who is it? Where is it?" So she had to come out from under the holly; and the young trees gathered round her, fussing and twittering, and asked each other what they had better do. It was very puzzing for them—because no such thing had ever happened before, as a Human Child in the Gardens on a winter night.

1929 November, May Byron, chapter II, in J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens: Retold for Little People […], London: Hodder and Stoughton, published 1958, →OCLC, part II (The Little House in Kensington Gardens), page 70:

(dated) Expressing disapprobation or surprise at acts or words that are pompous or snobbish, or flighty.

onpa koppavaa

expressing disapprobation or surprise at acts or words that are pompous or snobbish, or flighty


see ya

(colloquial) Alternative form of see you, see you soon, see you later or see you again soon.


fark

(Australia, New Zealand, vulgar) Pronunciation spelling of fuck, used to express surprise, etc.


mary

From Mary (“female name”). Compare nan and nancy.

You that be of the court, & eſpecially ye ſworn chaplains beware of a leſſon that a great man taught me at my firſt coming to the court he told me for a good will, he thoughte it wel. He ſayd vnto me. You muſt beware how ſo euer ye do that ye cõtrary not the king, let him haue his ſaiyngs, folow him, go with him. Mary out vpon this counſel, ſhal I ſay, as he ſayes?

1549 April 29 (Gregorian calendar), Hughe Latymer [i.e., Hugh Latimer], Augustine Bernher, compiler, “[27 Sermons Preached by the Ryght Reuerende Father in God and Constant Matir of Iesus Christe, Maister Hugh Latimer, […].] The Seuenth Sermon of Maister Hugh Latymer, which He Preached before King Edward [VI], the .19. Day of Aprill.”, in Certayn Godly Sermons, Made uppon the Lords Prayer, […], London: […] John Day, […], published 1562, →OCLC, folio 93, recto:

And I pray thee (ſayde Pas,) gentle Nico, tell mee what miſchaunce yt was that broughte thee to taſte ſo fyne a Meate? Mary goodman Blockhead (ſayde Nico) bycauſe hee ſpeakes ageanſt Jeloſy, the filthy Treytor to true affection, and yet diſguyſing yt ſelf in the rayment of Love.

Albert Feuillerat, editor (1926), “The Third Book”, in The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia: Being the Original Version […] (Cambridge English Classics; The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; IV), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, →OCLC, page 232

Falst[aff] Fie, this is hot weather (gentlemen) haue you prouided me heere halfe a dozen ſufficient men? / Shal[low] Mary haue we ſir, will you ſit? / Falst. Let me ſee them I beſeech you. / Shall. Wheres the rowle? wheres the rowle? wheres the rowle? let me ſee, let me ſee, ſo, ſo, ſo, ſo, ſo (ſo, ſo) yea mary ſir, Rafe Mouldy, let them appeere as I call, let them do ſo, let thẽ do ſo, let me ſee, where is Mouldy?

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 III, scene ii], signature [E6], verso:

Alternative form of marry (“indeed, in truth”)


rumble

From Middle English rumblen, romblen, rummelyn, frequentative form of romen (“to roar”), equivalent to rome + -le. Cognate with Dutch rommelen (“to rumble”), Low German rummeln (“to rumble”), German rumpeln (“to be noisy”), Danish rumle (“to rumble”), all of imitative origin.

An onomatopoeia describing a rumbling noise


tara

Possibly from Irish tabhair aire (“take care”).

2004: Metro in This is London (website of London Evening Standard), Jolie says ta-ra to Lara - Pssst...Actress Angelina Jolie's days as Tomb Raider action hero Lara Croft are over.

(Northern England, Midlands or informal) Goodbye; equivalent to the more geographically widespread ta ta.


ecce

DEAR SIR, — Ecce my notes on the sermon.

1819 November 24, “Baron Merian to Samuel Butler”, in Complete Works of Samuel Butler, Delphi Classics, published 2015:

Ecce the rise of literature in the modern vernaculars, even the mother tongue

2013, T. Bonfiglio, Why is English Literature?:, →ISBN, page 58:

an interjection used to draw attention to something or someone; behold!


chucks

(UK, slang, obsolete) A warning cry used by schoolboys when a teacher is approaching.


wowser

From wow, with the "-ser" added to provide emphasis.

In Gadget's eyes she looked positively beautiful in her gorgeous satiny-red cocktail dress. "Wowser!" he exclaimed, much to the confusion of the guests, who conferred with each other.

WOWSER - Absolutely beautiful rendering - a mastrpiece work

2010, David J. Vanderpool, Pencil Drawings: A look into drawing Portraits:

Wowser. I was glad I was only a kid and didn't need to worry about that kind of stuff.

2013, Gregory E. Burchett, Missing The Links, page 241:


smell ya later

Todd jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped. "Smell ya later!" he hollered over his shoulder.

1996, Sherry Shahan, Telephone Tag (A Yearling Book), New York, N.Y.: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, →ISBN, page 16:

"Smell ya later," Scary Mary said to all of us, waddling toward the elevators.

2006, Michael Patrick MacDonald, Easter Rising: An Irish American Coming Up from Under, Boston, Mass., New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, page 72:

Hope that pleases ya. Well, smell ya later, kid and what can I say? It was nice workin' with ya.

2006, Darren Smith, “Da Bitch Gotta Go”, in Shadow’s Bliss: A Novel, Lincoln, Neb.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 115:

"Oh, yeah," Faith said. "He agreed. Da bomb." / "Smell ya later," Jason said, raising his hand as he left.

2007, Lynda Sandoval, The Other Sister (Silhouette Special Edition; 1851), New York, N.Y.: Silhouette, Harlequin Enterprises, →ISBN, page 146:


gaw

"Gaw!" he whispered, "I don' like dead bodies some'ow! I'd almost rather that chap was alive."

1908, H. G. Wells, “IX: On Goat Island”, in The War in the Air:

An expletive, expressing disbelief, horror, or disdain


far out

Far out! The game has a hidden cow level.

What do you reckon? Far outsville or far insville?

1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, →OCLC, section I, page 18:

(informal) Cool; great; an expression of support, enthusiasm, or celebration.


Jesus H. Christ

Unknown. Extension of Jesus Christ with a fantastical middle initial, perhaps derived from a reading of ΙΗΣ (IĒS) (sometimes ΙΗϹ, using a lunate sigma), a Greek-alphabet abbreviation for Jesus (ΙΗΣΟΥΣ) as three initials in Latin letters. See "Christogram" at Wikipedia.
The earliest use of the phrase is unknown, although according to Mark Twain (1835-1910) it was already common in the region of Hannibal, Missouri when he was a boy.

Jake: Yes! Yes! Jesus H. tap-dancing Christ, I have seen the light!

1980 June, Dan Aykroyd, John Landis, The Blues Brothers, Universal Pictures:

Stanton Boyd: Jesus H. Christ on a popsicle stick. First of all... Alan Stanwyk does not own one single share of stock.

1985, Andrew Bergman, Fletch, Universal Pictures:

“I’m gonna get outta their way,” he mutters, then snorts without mirth. “All I had were jacks.” We believe him, of course. What are jacks, after all, once Beelzebub and Jesus H. Christ get involved?

2004, James McManus, Positively Fifth Street:

“Jesus H. Christ on the cross,” he said. He caught my reflected gaze and held it. “How long have you known about this?”

2004, Marsha Moyer, The Last of the Honky-tonk Angels:

(potentially offensive) Jesus Christ (expression of surprise, shock, etc.)


mavrone

Anglo-Irish, from Irish mo bhrón, from mo (“my”) + brón (“grief”).

‘Mavrone, mavrone! the man has died / While I slept in the chair’

1893, WB Yeats, The Ballad of Father Gilligan:

And we to be there, mavrone, and you to be unbeknownst sending us your conglomerations the way we to have our tongues out a yard long like the drouthy clerics do be fainting for a pussfull.

1922 February, James Joyce, Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:

(Ireland) An expression of sorrow; alas.


hurrah

Unknown. Possibly adopted from German hurra, itself of uncertain origin, or possibly an alteration of huzzah.

Expressing approval, appreciation, or happiness.

ուռա

expressing approval, appreciation, or happiness


atishoo

Both onomatopoeic and a pronunciation spelling of a tissue.

[A]nd the next instant the most peculiar sounds came forth from the statue of Biggoon. "Ah-tishoo!" said the spirit voice, "Oh! Oh! ah-tish-oo!"

1943, H. Lorna Bingham, The Lost Tribe, Sydney: Winn and Co., page 24, column 1:


get away

You bought that for twenty pounds? Get away!


tchick

(UK)

(UK)

The driver mounted his box, put his long whip into a hole in the box, and, buttoning his coat, called, " Tchick, tchick, tchick." Away the horses set off, and went so willingly and briskly, till he saw a passenger waiting to get into the coach.

1855, Eliza Lee Cabot Follen, Harriet L. Brown, Anne Wales Abbot, Child's Friend and Family Magazine, page 140:

"Weel! weel!" ejaculated the carter, "that comes o' your education ; G — d be thank'd, I never could write ; get on Bess, tchick, tchick," and giving the horse a lusty thwack, he made off as fast as possible.

1861, John Heiton, The castes of Edinburgh, page 337:

Do come back! Come along, old fellow! — tchick, tchick, tchick, tchicky."

1877, Ascott Robert Hope Moncrieff, Stories of Whitminster, page 41:

I called him — "tchick-tchick-tchick" — and started making noises toward him, holding up the acorn.

1984, Da Free John, Adi Da Samraj, Georg Feuerstein, The transmission of doubt:

A click sound such as a palatal, lateral, or dental click.

used to urge on a horse or other animal.

Tchick! Tchick! Now I call that an awful pity Katie.

1884, Margaret Oliphant, The Wizard's Son, page 241:

Mr. Blantox. And she asked permission of the court for your boy to make a will and disinherit you? Mrs. Berg. Tchick-tchick-tchick.

1926, United States Congress House Committee on the Judiciary, Charges of Impeachment Against Frederick A. Fenning:

A LOOK IN THE MIRROR, CHESTER SEES CHARLES CROMWELL PEERING OVER HIS SHOULDER, LEERING AT HIM WITH A SMUG SMILE FROM EAR-TO-EAR: “TCHICK, TCHICK, TCHICK, TCHICK, TCHICK, TCHICK, TCHICK,”

2013, David Edward Collier, The World of Horrotica: Dormant, page 451:

used to express disapproval or disappointment

The clumsy Herr was trying in vain to strike a light with a flint. Tchick! Tchick! but no spark appeared.

1869, Helen Fitch Parker, Constance Aylmer., page 89:

Their shrill tchick, tchick, tchick, had done the damage, warning of our approach.

1964, Frank Cummings Hibben, Hunting in Africa, page 65:

They also fly with head sunk in 'shoulders', tail slightly raised and wings quivering, calling 'tchick tchick'.

1974, Winwood Reade, Eric Hosking, Nesting Birds, Eggs and Fledglings, page 217:

The doctor cut here, then he cut here, and pulled the skin back like this—piitchhuu—then folded it— tchick—like this, and tucked it under—tchick—like that, and pulled this piece over—tchick—like this, and sewed it across here—tchick, tchick, tchick.

1997, Seung Sahn, The Compass of Zen, page 52:

From the day that I've been lying here and can no longer move around in a wheelchair, I've been hearing the door of the sideboard open. Tchick, open, tchick, closed.

2008, Marlene Van Niekerk, The Way of the Women, page 282:

Used to represent similar animal or other natural sounds


tch

Hellen Gravely: 'Tch! How could my staff be so incompetent?! There's no way Luigi should have gotten this far!'

2019 October 31, Next Level Games, Luigi's Mansion 3, v1.4.0, Nintendo, level/area: Lounge (15F: Master Suite):

a representation of the dental click used to show disapproval or disgust; tut, tsk


dibs

Since the early 19th century, of disputed origin. Most commonly thought to be from dibstones (“counters used in a game with the same name”). Also from dib (“to tap”) or related to northern English dip (“small depression in the ground”), or a shortened version of divide.

varaan

said to reserve to the right to something before anyone else


God Almighty

A calque of Hebrew אֵל שַׁדַּי (ʼĒl Shaddạy, “God Almighty”). See also god and almighty.

der

An exclamation of surprise or astonishment.

Suur Jumal

Exclamation of surprise or astonishment.

(drawn, with little emphasis, last syllable held at same tone as penultimate) An expression of resignation or spite.

drawn; last syllable held at same tone as penultimate; drawn; last syllable held at same tone as penultimate


too much

Too much, man! That was great!


thanks a bunch

I really wanted a bucket of water dropped on my head. Thanks a bunch.

(idiomatic) A mildly sarcastic thank you.

Thanks a bunch for that great Christmas card you got me!

(US, idiomatic) An unsarcastic thank you.


inshallah

From Arabic إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَٰه (ʔin šāʔa llāh, literally “if God has willed [it]”).

bor

إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَٰه

We will sign the contract tomorrow, inshallah.

(chiefly Islam) Expressing the speaker’s wish for a given future event to occur, and also generally their emphasis on its contingency upon the divine will.

Donald Trump: And you'll get it to see it [i.e. his taxes].

29 September 2020, Joe Biden, US presidential debate

divine intervention
divine intervention#English

(colloquial, sarcastic) Expressing a skeptical affirmative, to indicate the unlikeliness of events, as if they need a divine intervention to come about.


crimes

'Oh crimes,' muttered Kate, clutching her mother's arm as Captain went up St Martin's Lane and turned into Castle Street, 'He's goin' into Seven Dials.'

2006, Bowering Sivers, Jammy Dodgers Go Underground, page 138:

(obsolete, colloquial, euphemistic) Christ; crikey.


get out of here

Get out of here and don't come back!

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see get, out of, here.

Did she really say that? Get out of here!

(idiomatic, informal) An exclamation of disbelief.