The Archive

Etymology Journal ยท G

Great day in the morning!

Meaning

A polite, colorful way to express surprise or frustration without resorting to swearing. It is basically a G-rated version of an expletive.

Folksy, shocked

Used in a sentence

  • Great day in the morning, where did all this snow come from?
  • Great day in the morning, you scared the life out of me!
  • I heard the news and just said, great day in the morning, that is unbelievable.

The backstory

This originated in the American South as a way for pious folks to show amazement while keeping their language clean. It dates back to at least the mid-1800s.

Heard in

The South

Vibe check