Etymology Journal · L
Lawsy mercy!
Meaning
- A cry of surprise, pity, or shock. It is a distinctly folksy Southern way to express sympathy or astonishment.
Southern, sympathetic
Used in a sentence
- Lawsy mercy, that poor dog looks so hungry.
- Lawsy mercy, I have never seen so much snow in my life.
- Lawsy mercy, you look like you have seen a ghost!
The backstory
A phonetic alteration of 'Lord have mercy'. It evolved to sound a bit more folksy and less overtly religious for casual conversation.
Heard in
The South
Vibe check