It's a very old way of saying "Oh! My God" my grandmother use to used it, she would now be over 130 years of age if still with us, God bless her - oh! my gosh, I must be getting old 😉 - rarely if ever used in Australia now-a-days.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)

Also in UK. Same meaning; equally archaic.

A.

'Zooks'... and, I forgot 'Zounds'...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

What? On its own with no Gad?

'Zooks' was a short for 'God's Hooks' and 'Zounds' was short for 'God's Wounds'. No point being verbose... as I understand the archaic meaning.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

0707,

A lot of popular english exclamations are blasphemous. People sort of say them...

• Gosh!
• Golly! (The movie Airplane!) makes good use of this.
• By jing!
• Gee Whiz!
• H E double hockeysticks (my favourite)
• Goldurn it!
• Dagnabbit!
• Dangnabbit! (alternate spelling)
• Dang (in general)
• "Go do something physically impossible."

George Bernard Shaw in his play Saint Joan, claims that the French called the English "goddamns" because they kept saying that. I have no idea of how historical that is.

I have probably missed something cool.

--
JHG

Jimmy Stewart was the last person I heard use that expression.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."

GBS... one of my favourites...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

I use it sometimes. Never realized, but by the comments here, it looks like I am archaic.

0707,

Also assume you mean "slang".

"Slag" has an entirely different set of meanings....

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

My dad would say 'cheese and crackers' when not wanting to swear when us kids were around.

Ted

littleInch

Thank you for correcting me. My mistake

luis

Gordon Bennett!!! and "Damn and blast and set fire to it" were two of my dad's favourite polite exclamations...

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

Someone I used to know would say "razzlefrazits".

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-'Product Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
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The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

My Uncle Cliff would use, "Son of a biscuit box."

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

"Stone the flaming crows" has become a favorite in Australia, due to a character on a long running serial soap opera. Also "struth", not sure of the spelling.

don't start with the Oz slang ! "struth" is short for "god's (or gospel) truth".

To replace "god" with "gosh" is a sign of an earlier time, considered more "polite".
But look at how "god" is in many "polite" terms ... like "goodbye" (short for "god be with you")

ah "septic" ... a good example of how words have meanings from/by popular usage (it's an example of rhyming slang).

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?

Quote (hydtools)

My dad would say 'cheese and crackers' when not wanting to swear when us kids were around.

I have never heard the expression used that way. Could that explain this, by the Two man Gentlemen Band?

--
JHG

I'm under 50 and say dadgummit a lot. My friends make fun of me.

All quaint efforts to avoid infractions against the Second Commandment.

... or Second Amendment? Back in the 16th century and maybe earlier, people were really cautious and careful about that... to the point they would make up words to avoid using the word 'God'.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

To this day, many Jewish people still go out of their way to avoid saying the name of 'God', using alternative words or phrases so as to keep them from misstating or mispronouncing it, thus violating the Second Commandment. In fact, the Catholic church, a couple of years ago, was asked to refrain from using the word 'Yahweh' in our liturgy or songs, as this was seen by many in the Jewish world as a violation of the Second Commandment.

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-'Product Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

Equally so, the devil, as in "Well. Speak of the 😈, shortened from "and whom shall appear."

Statements above are the result of works performed solely by my AI providers.
I take no responsibility for any damages or injuries of any kind that may result.

rb1957:septic will be lost on most if convoluted rhyming slang is not understood.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)

I know what it means, and I take exception, not to that word, but to the other one.

hokie66, how can you take offence, I don't see any malice in this particular case. A bit like calling a young lady a Charlie, coming from Charlie Wheeler - from sheila.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)

I just don't like being called a Y..k. An insult to a good Southern boy.

In the US maybe - but to an Aussie it certainly doesn't have that connotation. The majority of Aussies today wouldn't have a clue about the North / South conflict.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)

Many of my golf buddies do know about it. And I have tried to educate them about this particular piece of rhyming slang.

"all I said was this fish was good enough for Jehovah" (MP's "Life of Brian")

"The majority of Aussies today wouldn't have a clue about the North / South conflict." ... Sure, that's the Northern Territory trying to secede ...

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?

hokie66, lots of luck trying to re-educate a true blue dinkie di ocker 😉
PS, where in OZ are you?

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)

I'm in Brisbane. And here in Queensland, there is also a North / South conflict. All the government is interested in is the Southeast corner, of a state three times the size of Texas.

Oh, was it Y..k? I assumed you had a completely different opening consonant in mind. Too much time spent playing Mornington Crescent.

A.

Quote (of a state three times the size of Texas)

Way back on a sawmill project a couple of engineer were up from Texas... I asked them if there was any truth to 'Clinton wanting to cut Alaska in half and making Texas the third largest state'. The reply was that, "Nothing that a**hole would do would surprise me."

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

North/South? That's nothing. The entire universe ends at the boundaries of Toronto.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."

It used to be a good universe... but, it has changed in the last couple of decades.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik