Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a mild excl., lit. by Jesus!

1801		C. Dibdin Yngr Song Smith 77: By Jabers, my skull is as thick as your own!
1821		D. Haggart Autobiog. 126: By jappers, you’re a liar.
1829		Hull Packet 15 Dec. 4/3: ‘Och, murder!’ says I, ‘is that Tim!’ ‘By Jagers, it is,’ says he.
1838		W.N. Glascock Land Sharks and Sea Gulls II 205: By Jagers, a finer feller never sot fut afloat noryer same salf, Larking Larry.
1839		Odd Fellow 4 May 4/1: When I seen this by jappers it made me look two ways for Sunday.
1845		D. Corcoran Pickings from N.O. Picayune (1847) 21: Why, be jabers, I’d put a turkey-cock under my arm.
1847		Thackeray Punch’s Prize Novelists: Phil Fogarty in Burlesques (1903) 209: ‘Clubbed, by Jabers!’ roared out Lanty Clancy.
1851		M. Reid Scalp-Hunters II 170: A rid skin, by japers!
1851		Bell’s Life in Sydney 15 Nov. 3/1: Be jabers he’d niver say it in the strate [i.e street] I’m thinkin.
1854		Delhi Sketch Bk 1 July 79/1: Thin the Calcutta papers / Is growlin by Japers.
1855		Broadway Belle (NY) 12 Mar. n.p.: ‘Be jabers [...] he owed me two dollies!’.
1863		‘Paddy Burke’ Donnybrook-Fair Comic Songster 66: Be jabers, the first man I saw comin’ at me was two brickbats!
1872		‘Sage of Chappaqua’ Farmer of Chappaqua Songster 58: Be jabers we are going for the Sage of Chappaqua.
1873		J.H. Beadle Undeveloped West 37: It didn’t weigh half as much as I expected, an’, be japers, I always knowed it wouldn’t.
1874		‘Old Calabar’ Won in a Canter I 72: ‘Be jabers, he is seated in the card-room alone’.
1875		Donaldsville Chief (LA) 29 May 1/6: Bejabbers, we shall have to take the weather as it comes.
1879		C.J. Kickham Knocknagow 256: Be japers, he’s afther killin’ a soger!
1879		H. Hartigan Stray Leaves (2nd ser.) 12: ‘[S]hutes [i.e. suits] fit, be japers, fur the Lord Liftinint’.
1882		A. Trumble Mysteries of N.Y. 43: ‘By main stringth, be Jabers!’.
1884		Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday 21 June 58/1: ‘There goes a boy on duty, and, by jabers, hear how he whistles’.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 21 Mar. 20/1: ‘The divil the like av it ever crossed me,’ said one bobby; ‘he is as drunk as a lord yet, be jabbers!’.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 5 Sept. 24/3: By jabers, chaps, I believe in thim Triangular Parlamints, and, be gobs, Oill vote for thim!
1889		B. Mitford Fire Trumpet III 239: Be jabers, but ye’d better knock off now.
1892		H. Nisbet Bushranger’s Sweetheart 152: Arrah, be jabbers! but that’s the foinest song I have listened to.
1892		E.W. Rogers ‘Galtimore Banshee’ 🎵 The banshee, The banshee, bejabbers don’t you hear? / It's groanin’ and moanin’ bedad, it’s mighty queer.
1893		Dly Herald (Brownsville, TX) 2 Mar. 2/2: ‘Bejabers, my friend,’ remarked Pat, ‘ ye shpoke too late!’.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 6 May. 1/7: ‘Do you buy rags and bones here?’ [...] ‘Then, be jabers,’ said Pat. ‘ye may put me on the scales’.
1894		E.W. Rogers [perf. Walter Monroe] ‘The Best Man’ 🎵 Down at McGilligan’s wedding, bejabbers we had a mighty burst.
1896		Regiment 2 May 68/1: ‘Shot! and, be Jabers, the gun with it’.
1900		Boy’s Own Paper 20 Oct. 47: Be jabers, you’ve woke that durty nagur, and left me fifteen miles behint!
1903		H. Hapgood Autobiog. of a Thief 312: Be Japes, you don’t look as if you had enough brains to play them.
1910		H. Hapgood Types From City Streets 331: ‘Be jabers!’ he said.
1914		Sport (Adelaide) 5 June 4/6: He served some neighbours / And be jabers / Has some in pickle still.
1915		‘Sapper’ Michael Cassidy 9: By jabers! it’s a souvenir you’ll have.
1916		G. Squiers More Skitologues 14: Hurroo, be jabbers and bedad.
1917		O.O. McIntyre New York Day by Day 6 Aug. [synd. col.] And, b’jinks, they even have a belt with a buckle across the front of your vest.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 257: God, do you remember? Ben bulky Dollard said, turning from the punished keyboard. And by Japers I had no wedding garment.
1924		S. Scott Human Side of Crook and Convict Life 110: Oh, bejabbers! he’s been cold this twinty year.
1934		E. Raymond Child of Norman’s End (1967) 77: Ah, be javers, and I suppose you work with these creatures all day.
1936		(con. 1830s–60s) ‘Miles Franklin’ All That Swagger 1790: Be japers, ye hurrt her proide.
1937		X. Petulengro Britain Through Gipsy Eyes 51: I’m Michael Devaney of no fixed abode. / I live by my wits as a tramp on the road [...] I’m before the Recorder of Abingdon Court to-day; / But where I’ll be to-morrow, be Jabers, I can’t say.
c.1940–5		‘Myles na gCopaleen’ Best of Myles (1968) 203: It is, be the japers!
1946		B. Cerf Anything For a Laugh 102: Bejabbers, and where did you get thim black eyes and bloody nose?
1948		P. Kavanagh Tarry Flynn (1965) 15: Be jabus! did you see her? [Ibid.] 231: ‘Jabus, that’s a dread,’ said Eusebius, ‘that bates the little dish as the fellow said.’.
1953		H. Tracy Mind You, I’ve Said Nothing (1961) 16: The Irish may sometimes say Bejabbers and Bejasus and Begob but they do not say Begorrah.
1961		(con. 1890–1910) ‘Flann O’Brien’ Hard Life (1962) 38: By the jappers I have, many a time.
1969		T. Murphy Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer’s Assistant (1978) Scene xi: Does he want, bejabers, to get me sacked for nothing?
1976		P. O’Farrell Book of Irish Soldiers’ Jokes 23: The common Irish expression [...] ‘Bejaypurs’.
1979		F. Kelly Annals of Ballykilferret 41: Be japers I have ye now, ye shite!
1979		H. Leonard A Life (1981) Act I: Ah, bejay, will you looka who’s here.