Etymology Journal ยท B
By golly
Meaning
- A mild oath or exclamation used to emphasize a statement or express mild surprise. It acts as a replacement for more offensive words.
Wholesome, dated
Used in a sentence
- By golly, that is a big fish!
- I am going to finish this project today, by golly.
- Well, by golly, look who showed up.
The backstory
A classic minced oath from the 19th century. Like by George, it was designed to sound emphatic while keeping the speaker's language polite.
Heard in
Nationwide
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