Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) a mild oath.

1785		M. Lonsdale Spanish Rivals II i: I wull, for I had it au in my head directly, and saiks I made the horses run at a fine size for it.
1831		Southern Reporter 28 July 4/1: ‘Oh my good gracious sakes alive, I don’t know what will be done’.
1838		T. Haliburton Clockmaker II 106: Why, my sakes, mamma, said Miss Arabella, with a toss of her pretty little saucy mug.
1843		T. Haliburton Sam Slick in England I 24: ‘My! sakes,’ sais I.
c.1850		F.M. Whitcher Widow Bedott Papers (1883) 7: O dear sakes! how he had altered since the first time I even see him!
1853		T. Haliburton Sam Slick’s Wise Saws I 47: Oh my sakes!
1862		‘Artemus Ward’ Artemus Ward, His Book 165: ‘What upon airth ales the man?’ sez Taberthy Ripley. ‘Sakes alive, what air you doin?’ & she grabd me by the coat tales.
1873		W.H. Thomes Bushrangers 277: You don’t call this ’ere walkin’, do you? Sakes alive! I don’t begin to feel tired.
1880		J.F. Macardle Moko Marionettes 10: Sakes a massey!
1883		E. Field ‘The Pioneer’ Little Bk of Trib. Verse (1901) 169: Why, mercy sakes alive! / There fell a fifteen foot of snow.
1895		S. Crane Red Badge of Courage (1964) 134: ‘My sakes!’ ses the colonel.
1896		P.L. Dunbar ‘The Rivals’ in Lyrics of Lowly Life 65: Er spilet the grass plot where I fell, / An’ sakes alive it hurt me.
1905		‘Central Connecticut Word-List’ in DN III:i 17: sakes! la sakes! massy sakes! sakes alive!interj. All feminine exclamations.
1907		C. M’Govern By Bolo and Krag 49: Sakes alive! but didn’t that banca go slow!
1910		Bulletin (Sydney) 22 Sept. 10/1: Sakes, Belinda, where did you get the style?
1914		‘Bartimeus’ ‘Farewell and Adieu!’ in Naval Occasions 139: Dear sakes! Where have you sprung from?
1920		S. Lewis Main Street (1921) 69: ‘Seventy-seven dollars!’ ‘Sev--- Sakes alive! Well, I suppose it’s all right for them that can afford it.’.
1925		Tamworth Herald 26 Dec. 3/6: ‘Sakes! There’s that fish-face guy rubbering us!’.
1938		J. Weidman I Can Get It For You Wholesale 327: ‘Sakes alive!’ I said.
1940		R. Chandler Farewell, My Lovely (1949) 26: My goodness sakes alive. Mike’s been gone these five years.
1947–53		W. Guthrie Seeds of Man (1995) 299: Man, sakes alive, they’s not much anything we didn’t talk about.
1978		P. Theroux Picture Palace 75: Blue skies, sakes alive!