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Etymology Journal ยท G

Great googly moogly

Meaning

A nonsensical, humorous exclamation used to express extreme surprise or befuddlement. It is intentionally silly and hard to say with a straight face.

Silly, nonsensical

Used in a sentence

  • Great googly moogly, did you see how fast that guy ran?
  • I dropped my sandwich on the floor and all I could say was great googly moogly.
  • Great googly moogly, that is a lot of homework.

The backstory

This phrase appeared in the 1950s in R&B music, notably in a song by The Five Royales. It has since become a pop-culture staple for people who want to sound funny while expressing shock.

Heard in

Nationwide

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