Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a euph. excl., lit. ‘God’s wounds!’; sometimes intensified to zounds and blood! or zounds and death!

c.1580		‘I.T.’ Grim The Collier of Croydon I iv: Zowndes, what a prating keeps the bald-pate Fryer?
1592		Arden of Feversham line 824: Zounds Ile kill them all three.
1599		H. Porter Two Angry Women of Abington D: Swounds will that mouth, that’s made of olde sed sawes And nothing else, say nothing to vs now?
1600		Dekker Shoemakers’ Holiday V ii: O Swounds no.
1606		H. Parrot ballad in Wardroper (1969) 118: Zounds, dost not see my punk and paramour?
1608		R. Armin Nest of Ninnies 52: One comes sweating (zoons!).
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle V i: Zounds, yonder comes Moll, my whorish master and mistress!
1612		N. Field Woman is a Weathercock III iii: ’Zoons; a man is fain to break open doors, ere he can get in to you.
1628		R. Speed Counter-Rat E4: [A Roaring Rat] Why here (quoth we) — Why? zounds, because I tugg’d with Beares [...] But sure I mawld Mr. Constables Iawes.
1633		Rowley Match at Midnight II i: ’Sounds, was that her manners to take away Randalls cups?
c.1638		R. Brome Mad Couple Well Match’d I i: Zownds I was going with full speed a Tilt.
c.1643		‘An Irish Quarter’ in Carpenter Verse in English from Tudor & Stuart Eng. (2003) 245: Zownds, here’s a Stable has no Rack nor Manger.
1653		Urquhart (trans.) Gargantua and Pantagruel (1927) I Bk I 104: By his zounds, you may have chance to repent it.
1663		Dryden Wild Gallant IV i: Zounds, the rogue has a quint-major.
1672		‘A Country Dialogue’ Covent Garden Drollery 106: Zounds, and she be so mad of Kissing.
1682		‘Mrs. Nelly’s Complaint’ in Wilson Court Satires of the Restoration (1976) 99: Loudlier we swore than plundering dragoons; / S’blood follows s’blood, and zoons suceeded zoons.
1686		Behn Lucky Chance III iii: Hah, zouns, what’s here, a hovel or a hog-sty?
1699		Farquhar Love and a Bottle II ii: Zoons is only us’d by the disbanded Officers and Bullies: but Zauns is the Beaux pronunciation.
1700		Farquhar Constant Couple II ii: Zoons! I cannot speak to her.
1702		T. Brown Letters from the Dead to the Living in Works (1760) II 182: Zounds, says he, ’tis so hot there’s no enduring on’t.
1714		S. Centlivre Wonder! III iii: Zounds, she here!
1719		in D’Urfey Pills to Purge Melancholy I 24: Zoons, how shall I kiss the king’s Hand.
1721		Penkethman’s Jests 85: Half a Year! says the Fellow – Zoons, I have had one this ten Year.
1728		Defoe Street Robberies Considered 13: Zounds, you Dog.
1732		Proceedings at Sessions (City of London) Jan. 46/2: Zounds! says I, yes my Lord, I did say Zounds, that I did, Zounds! says I, and which is for me?
1741		Witchcraft of Love 50: Zoons, Sir!
1743		Fielding Life of Jonathan Wild (1784) II 183: Zounds! had I imagined it necessary, I would have cautioned you.
c.1750		‘The Irish Man’s Ramble’ in Holloway & Black I (1975) 129: Zouns says the Clown the Stairs kick him Down.
1756		W. Toldervy Hist. of the Two Orphans I 14: Zounds! what do you talk of parsons and schoolmasters for?
1762		Bridges Homer Travestie (1764) I 217: Zoons! quoth the king, I thought, Tydides, / [...] / Might absent been perhaps a whoring.
1768		Gentleman’s Bottle-Companion 22: Zounds! crys the lad, like one just mad.
1772		Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 24: Zoons! what a burning shame.
1777		Sheridan School For Scandal II i: Zounds! madam, you had no taste when you married me!
1780		New London Jester 197: Zoons, how came you here.
1780		R. Tomlinson Sl. Pastoral 11: Zounds! what shall I do? I shall die in a ditch.
1794		W. Godwin Caleb Williams (1966) 86: Zounds, sir, do not think to put your conundrums upon me!
1802		G. Colman Yngr Poor Gentleman III iii: Zounds! I am quite out of breath.
1812		W. Combe Doctor Syntax, Picturesque (1868) 21/2: Zounds! – ’tis enough to make one swear.
1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London I 84: Zounds! you are clipping the wig too close.
1832		in Egan Bk of Sports 83: Hark forward! hark forward! Zounds, don’t make a noise.
1833		J. Neal Down-Easters I 95: Now sir! why zounds an’ death, you lump of tarred rattlin with a figger-head to match.
1839		Thackeray Yellowplush Papers in Works III (1898) 376: Is this not rare wit? ‘Zounds! how can I keep mice?’ is well enough for a miser.
1840		R.B. Peake Devil In London II ii: Why, zounds and the devil, sir! Do you suppose I can possibly put up with it?
1842		S. Lover Handy Andy 351: Zounds! there’s nothing like the life of a soldier!
1854		Delhi Sketch Bk 1 May 51/1: ‘Zounds,’ cried the Rajah, ‘Here’s a go!’ .
c.1858		J.H. Green Reformed Gambler 146: Zounds! I will have my money back, Bill! You and Green can’t come a swindle over me like that.
1865		‘The Laundress And Her Ass’ Rambler’s Flash Songster 5: Said his worship, odd zounds, ’twill cost him some pounds.
1876		A.B. Sedgwick Queerest Courtship 14: Zounds! That box closes with a spring which Mrs. Brown alone knows how to open.
1882		‘Thormanby’ Famous Racing Men 18: Zounds! Joe has jockeyed us after all.
1883		Phillipsburg Herald (KS) 20 Sept. 3/1: Zouns, how bilious he must have been.
1891		Punch 13 June 287: Z — ‘Zounds!’ which is all Directors can say.
1896		Leeds Mercury 8 Feb. 12/3: He threw the rattling dice. ‘Swounds!’ says he.
1906		Marvel 14 Apr. 314: ‘Zounds!’ sullenly muttered the being thus addressed.
1908		A.N. Lyons Arthur’s 312: Gadzooks! and likewise zoons!
1914		Day Book (Chicago) 5 jan. 11/1: ‘Zounds!’ cried the jester.
1928		T.W.H. Crosland ‘Robert’ Last Poems 89: Before the ‘beaks’ he’ll hale you, / Though you say ‘Sir!’ and ‘Zounds!’ / And, on the mathematics, / They’ll fine you twenty pounds.
1935		E.F. Benson Mapp and Lucia (1984) 87: ‘Zounds and Zooks,’ she shouted.
1953		L. Uris Battle Cry (1964) 41: Zounds, I curled a tow when he wasn’t looking.
1959		A. Sinclair Breaking of Bumbo (1961) 17: In fact, zoonds and sdeath, any room for a Boswell, Johnson?
1966		R. Stone Hall of Mirrors (1987) 83: Zounds, he thought.
2000		Indep. Rev. 20 Mar. 3: Zounds!
2001		S. King Dreamcatcher 139: Zounds, Marcy, bring the gasogene.