Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(mainly US juv.) a mild, euph. excl.; note adj. use in cit. 1963.

1850		W.C. Hall ‘Mike Hooter’s Bar Story’ Spirit of the Times 26 Jan. (N.Y.) 581: It was that feller Arch Cooly [...] Didn’t you know that ar’ hoss fly? He’s a few! well he is. Jewhilliken! how he could whip er nigger! and swar!! whew!
1855		Broadway Belle (NY) 24 Sept. n.p.: ‘Gee-whittiker!’ exclaimed the stranger.
1856		Town Talk 20 July 1/1: Geewhitaker! what a kurchy she made, and bowed so low that I nearly fell outer my dickey onto the floor [DA].
1859		in N.E. Eliason Tarheel Talk (1956) 273: Geewhilekins! how it did rain.
1861		Vermont Phoenix (Brattleboro, VT) 24 Oct. 1/6: A magnificent plum blonde she was! little, but oh! — Jewhackity!
1864		‘Edmund Kirke’ Down in Tennessee 88: Jewhitiker!
1866		C.H. Smith Bill Arp 74: Gee whilikens, Juba; what a fortune I could make by buying folks’ property at their own valuation.
1872		Orangeburg News (SC) 16 Nov. 1/6: Geewilikins! this egg’s got two yolks!
1875		M. Thompson Hoosier Mosaics 118: I think I jumped as high as your head, stranger, and come down flat-footed onto a railroad cross tie. Whillikins, how I was scared!
1878		‘’Arry on the Turf’ in Punch 29 Nov. 297/1: Gewellekens! Wot is life wuth, if you’re out o’ the best o’ the fun?
1879		Yorkville Enquirer (SC) 27 Nov. 1/2: ‘Gewhillitins! how he run’.
1882		E. Nye Forty Liars (1888) 155: Jewhillikins, how he pawed the gravel!
1884		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Huckleberry Finn 325: ‘Geewhillikins,’ I says, ‘but what does the rest of it mean?’.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 6 June 26/2: St. Peter: […] Why, just look, Michael, here’s a go! / Our luck is coming back; / Geewilikins! why this is good – / Two bishops at a whack!
1890		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 3 May 6/1: Just imagine 12,000 people within the confines of four fences! Jewhittaker, what a noise !
1891		Helena Indep. (MT) 27 Dec. 1/5: ‘Jewhillikens! Just listen...’.
1891		‘’Arry on Arrius’ in Punch 26 Dec. 303/2: ‘Jest fancy a gentleman not knowing Greek!’ said a josser named Froude / [...] Oh Gewillikens! Must ha’ bin dotty or screwed.
1891		Sporting Times 28 Mar. 1/1: The reporters room at Hurst Park has been christened [...] ‘the cave of Æolus’. Geewillikins!
1895		Truth (Sydney) 27 Jan. 2/4: ‘Holy Jewellikins!’ sez I.
1895		J.S. Wood Yale Yarns 159: ‘Gee Whitaker!’ I said.
1895		Belfast News-Letter 26 Dec. 7/2: A hundred quid! Gee-whimminy!
1899		F.E. Daniel Recollections of a Rebel Surgeon 183: Gee whillikens! — what a-b-i-g sil-ver side!
1901		Boy’s Own Paper 9 Feb. 294: ‘Geewhilikins!’ was all Mason could say.
1903		O. Wister Philosophy 4 74: Gee-whittaker, Mary, if you ain’t the most unmitigated sight!
1904		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 27 Jan. 3/4: Geewhiz, and likewise Geewhitaker, Jehoram, Jehosaphat!
1905		‘Central Connecticut Word-List’ in DN III:i 12: jeewillikens, interj. An exclamation.
1907		C. M’Govern By Bolo and Krag 183: ‘Gee-whitaker!’ one regular presently exclaimed.
1908		L.W. Payne Jr ‘Word-List From East Alabama’ in DN III:iv 314: geewhilligins [...] interj.
1908		Vanguard Library 31 Mar. 11: Geewhittaker, it would so!
1910		Marvel 15 Oct. 25: ‘Geewillikins!’ exclaimed Spatts.
1914		S. Lewis Our Mr Wrenn (1936) 79: Gee! ... Gee whittakers!
1919		Eve. World (NY) 1 May 30/5: Great geewhilikens!’.
1922		S. Lewis Babbitt (1974) 176: He blurted, Gee whillikins, Mrs. Babbitt, if you knew how good it is to have home eats again! [Ibid.] 314: Gee whittakers, Rone, you got married yourself, didn’t you?
1928		M. Bodenheim Georgie May 260: Jimminy-Whillikins, ah cain’t hahdly believe it!
1931		B. Lubbock Bully Hayes 14: Gee wittikins!
1933		M. Marshall Tramp-Royal on the Toby 105: ‘Geewillikens!’ thought I to myself.
1933		Intelligence Jrnl (Lancaster, PA) 18 Mar. 6/2: G wizzikers tinkle tinlkle I can’t hardly say anything now.
1936		J.T. Farrell World I Never Made 122: Gee whiskers!
1936		L. Dent ‘Angelfish’ in Goulart (1967) 239: Gee whillikers, Mister, do you feel any wind up there yet?
1939		Detroit Free Press (MI) 17 Sept. 8/3: ‘Geemininy willikinazzy, a fellow can’t wear clean white shoes to a swingaroo like tonight, can he?’ ‘Maybe those sharpies from Canuck High can’.
1942		Whizzbang Comics 13: Gee-whillikins, did you see all that that’s just happened almost quicker than we can say it?
1942		W. Winchell On Broadway 24 Apr. [synd. col.] Brings gardenias every time too . . . G-whillikizz!
1947–53		W. Guthrie Seeds of Man (1995) 249: Geewhizzserkins!
1953		Mad mag. Jan.–Feb. 17: Gee whillikers! Weeth my bare ’ands I weel finish the Sheik of Araby!
1963		J. Blake letter 5 May in Joint (1972) 208: There’s at times a gee whillikers air of ersatz-wicked.
1964		J. Thompson Pop. 1280 in Four Novels (1983) 427: ‘Well, god-dang, gee-whillikins!’ I said.
1986		Beano Comic Library No. 96 53: Gee Whillikins! There’s one now!
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 268: Gee willikers, this was some kind of celebrity trial.
1994		J. O’Connor Secret World of the Irish Male (1995) 234: Guy [...] runs his fingers through his mop of blond hair and says aw gosh and gee whillakers and so on.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 84: gee whiskers! Euphemistic exclamation of surprise [...] Early C20.