Green’s Dictionary of Slang

my stars! excl.

a mild oath.

1631		J. Shirley School of Complement V i: O my starres, I doe acquit you all your iniuries, If you possesse me of Antonio.
1697		Female Wits I i: Oh my stars, she has pulled my head-clothes off!
1707		Cibber Double Gallant II i: O my Stars! is’t you Madam?
1714		S. Centlivre Wonder! III iii: My stars, my lady here!
1728		Vanbrugh & Cibber Provoked Husband III i: My Stars! and you would really live in London half the year, to be sober in it?
1730		J. Miller Humours of Oxford IV ii: O my Stars! – I am in an universal Fermentation at the thought of it!
1775		Sheridan Rivals (1776) II ii: O true, sir – but then she reads so – my stars! how will she read off-hand!
1810		C. Dibdin Yngr New Comic Pantomime called The Astrologer 18: Ye stars! what a life I’m led!
1819		‘One of the Fancy’ Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress 64: And sure ’tis no wonder [...] That sweet Lady FANNY should cry out ‘my stars!’.
1825		J. Neal Brother Jonathan III 382: My stars! how he jumps!
1837		‘The Romance of a Day’ Bentley’s Misc. June 567: The muttered ‘My stars!’ of the servant as she glanced at the wreck before her.
1845		G.W. Harris ‘The Knob Dance’ Spirit of the Times (N.Y.) XV July in Inge (1967) 52: She was weak in two of hir legs, but t’other two – oh, my stars and possum dogs! they make a man swallow er tobacker jist to look at ’em.
1851		‘Polly Peablossom’s Wedding’ in T.A. Burke 13: My stars! that parson is powerful slow a-coming!
1851		Melville Moby Dick (1907) 381: Oh, ye stars! he sat up with me indeed, and was very severe in my diet.
1866		R. Hallam Wadsley Jack 21: But, my stars! wot a turnowt.
1876		Banbury Guardian 14 Dec. 7/3: My stars! madame, what are you doing?
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 7 Feb. 7/1: The cock that you see at his feet was a friend / Named Alectryon, a chap ever ready to lend / Assistance in watching whilst Venus and Mars / Were doing the soft until one night, my stars!
1888		H. King Savage London 135: My stars! what a beauty we’ve got here!
1899		Boy’s Own Paper 7 Jan. 229: ‘My stars!’ he cried at once. ‘My collar’s all dirty.’.
1901		Boys Of The Empire 23 Apr. 41: Neville! My stars!
1910		O. Johnson Varmint 38: Oh, my beautiful stars, think of eating your first Jigger!
1922		H.L. Wilson Merton of the Movies 40: My stars! You’re certainly goin’ to be a real one, ain’t you?
1928		F. Willard ‘Moon Mullins’ [comic strip] My stars alive!
1931		E.M. Berry ‘Sawmill Divertissements’ in Botkin Folk-Say 208: Well, my stars, Winnie.
1944		W. Blair Tall Tale America 93: ‘My stars and comets!’ thought Davy.
1959		D. Hewett Bobbin Up (1961) 142: ‘My stars,’ the old woman panted. ‘You’re mad, that’s what’s up with you.’.
1961		C. Himes Pinktoes (1989) 211: My stars [...] I have just seen a white officer of the lawe brutally beating a Negro.
1979		‘Iceberg Slim’ Airtight Willie and Me 19: My stars! I just remember.