Green’s Dictionary of Slang

used as a euph. for SE Lord; usu. as excl. in its own right but also in a variety of mild oaths, esp. lawks-a-mussy!

1737		H. Carey Dragon of Wantley II i: Lauk, what a monstrous Tail our Cat has got!
1768–74		A. Tucker Light Nature (1805) V 483: She cried, Lauk! that cannot be like mistress, for she has never a blue gown .
1796		Sporting Mag. Dec. IX 162/1: Lauk, what a bonnet!
1803		‘Corsican Drover’ in Holloway & Black II (1979) 185: Lawk, mamma! where’s papa?
1819		W. Oxberry Actress of All Work 5: Lawks, what a funny man.
1824		R.B. Peake Americans Abroad II iv: Lauks! how civil to a poor body.
1825		‘Margate Steam Packet’ in Universal Songster I 14/1: Lauk, pa, pay the man.
1827		J.J. Stafford Love’s Frailties I i: Lawks! I do love a secret. Out wi’ it, Master Bumblebee.
1831		‘Gallery of 140 Comicalities’ Bell’s Life in London 24 June 1/3: Lawks! a precious row my wife will kick up.
1831		Mr Mathews’ Comic Annual 21: Lauk! how pleasant ’tis to ride.
1837		Comic Almanack Apr. 87: Oh, lawk! what a stodge of carriages!
1838		Crim.-Con. Gaz. 1 Sept. 23/3: Lady Blessington being engaged the other morning, with her draper, made the following remark, — Lork [sic] sir, you are quite a lady’s man, for you seem a very expert linen-lifter’.
1840		R.B. Peake Devil In London I iii: Lauks, what a nasty dusty place this Lunnon be.
1842		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 5 Feb.. n.p.: ‘Oh, lorks! Oh, lorks! young missus gone, Oh, lorks!’.
1842		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 5 Mar. n.p.: Oh lauks! how snug I gulls the greens.
1844		J.W. Kaye Peregrine Pultuney I 289: ‘Lauk, my dear, that I will,’ rejoined the old lady.
1845		R.S. Surtees Hillingdon Hall II 229: ‘It’s a race!’ [...] ‘Go along, guts!’ ‘Lawk, what a man for a jockey!’.
1849		Bell’s Life in Sydney 1 Dec. 3/1: Sarah, says she - where’s the sarsepan? Whlch I says to her, says I, lauks, Mem, I’m sure I don’t know.
1859		‘George Eliot’ Adam Bede (1873) 163: Molly [...] said ‘Lawks!’ whenever she was expected to wonder.
1861		T. Hughes Tom Brown at Oxford (1880) 60: Oh, lawk! I declare I be all of a tremble.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 95/1: ‘Now, do you think a man in my position in life would be guily of robbing a woman in your condition?’ ‘La, no sir,’ she answered.
1872		Schele De Vere Americanisms 613: La, for Lord! is generally pronounced law, and often so written. Even laws and lawks are heard in these contemptible efforts to avoid the charge of profanity, and yet to yield to the temptation.
1887		Bulletin (Sydney) 29 Oct. 8/1: Here’s a noble old peer, draws his thousand a year / From England (the Land of the Free), / As the Master of Hawkes, and his duties – O! lawks – / Are light as ‘no duties’ can be.
1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) I 159: I joked about her legs and my seeing them. She gave a supressed laugh [...] saying, ‘Lawk! did you sir?’.
1891		G.R. Sims ‘A Mild December’ Dagonet Ditties 84: O, ain’t I hot, O lawks, / With my thick flannel shirt on!
1905		Marvel III:63 23: Oh, lawks, ain’t she ever going to stop?
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era 164/2: La! (Suburban London). Nimminy-pimminy for the vulgar ‘lor!’ which is an abbreviation of the exclamation ‘Lord!’.
1915		Comic Life 13 Feb. 1: Lawks! We’ll get run in for assault and battery!
1928		‘Sapper’ Female of the Species (1961) 32: Lawks sakes – look at this ’ere!
1939		A. Durie One Jamaica Gal 19: ‘Lawks! lawks! help! help!’ yelled Icilda.
1948		P. Larkin letter 9 Sept. in Thwaite Sel. Letters (1992) 150: But o lawks, writing a novel is such a long labour.
1976		L. Bennett Auntie Roachy Sey (2003) 14: Lawks, what a joke!
1999		K. Sampson Powder 14: You’re spooking me, la.