Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a mild, euphemistic oath, lit. ‘God blind me!’.

[1879		Proc. Old Bailey 15 Dec. 249: It was not Shea who said ‘God blind me you can’t do me’].
1891		F.W. Carew Autobiog. of a Gipsey 417: ‘Gorblimy!’ – I begins.
1894		A. Morrison Tales of Mean Streets (1983) 37: If y’ don’t give me the money, gawblimy, I’ll do for you!
1900		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 10 Mar. 11/3: ‘Terry McGovern comes honestly by his scrappin’ talents, gorbloimy’.
1902		H. Lawson ‘Will Yer Write It Down For Me?’ in Roderick (1967–9) II 26: That’s the truth, bloke! Sling it at ’em! O Gorbli’me, that was grand!
1903		J. London People of the Abyss 92: ‘I come through Kent,’ went on the first voice, still more angrily, ‘an’ Gawd blimey if I see any tommy.’.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era 139/2: Gawblimy (Street, 1870). Ceaseless apostrophe by the lower orders to heaven, in reference to some declaration. This is ‘Gaw Bli Me’. Gaw from the street shape of the word ‘God’ – this shape being Gawd, ‘bli’ an ellipsis, and ‘me’.
1910		Sun. Times (Perth) 20 Mar. 2nd sect. 12/7: ‘Lor-bli-me’ has been banished as blasphemy from the London theatre and music hall stage. Thank hevying we still base ‘Gadzooks!’ ‘joliy wretch !’ and ‘fast cat!’.
1911		E. Dyson ‘On a Bender’ Benno and Some of the Push 76: A torpid little gazob [...] cried: ‘Gor’ bli’, look et the lost boy!’.
1911		L. Stone Jonah 105: Gorblimey! A knock-out!
1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 3 Sept. 22/3: But the Sport went on anxiously searching the columns of an ‘extraordinary’ which blazoned forth in big type the news from Europe. [...] ‘Gor’ blime!’ he said, ‘I paid 1d. for that — rag and it ain’t got the weights in for Saturday, after all.’.
1917		E. O’Neill In the Zone in Mayorga (1919) 188: Gawd blimey!
1917		‘Henry Handel Richardson’ Aus. Felix (1971) 11: Gaw-blimy! . . . is the old fool gone dotty?
1919		C.H. Thorp Handful of Ausseys 199: Gorblarney, I uster be afraid to cross the Strand at furst.
c.1921		T. Norman Penny Showman 25: Cor blimy, if that ain’t old mother Parker, Seventy if she’s a day, and blind as a bat!
1922		Joyce Ulysses 297: With his mailed gauntlet he brushed away a furtive tear and was overheard by those privileged burghers who happened to be in his immediate entourage to murmur to himself: – God blimey if she ain’t a clinker, that there bleeding tart.
1923		‘Bartimeus’ ‘In the Dog-Watches’ Seaways 19: Tricks! Gorblime, you’d fair bust yourself with laughin’.
1929		‘Henry Green’ Living (1978) 210: Gor glomey ain’t ’Tis ’im about with the governor’s son. [Ibid.] 247: Oh gor blimey, you men it’s enough to drive us women mad. [Ibid.] 378: Gor blimey, you a Villa supporter and won’t take a loan of a bob to see ’em play.
1931		R.E. Howard ‘Breed of Battle’Action Stories Nov. 🌐 ‘Gorblime,’ said the doorman. ‘You cawn’t go in there.’.
1936		J. Curtis Gilt Kid 276: Why, Gaw blimey all bloody hurray, I thought I was going to dodge that ride in the Black Maria.
1937		Jennings & Madge May the Twelfth: Mass-Observation Day-Surveys 4:14: We couldn’t quite hear the words of the ceremony and some of the phrases sounded like ‘Gawd blimey’ and ‘swelp me bob’.
1941		G. Kersh They Die with Their Boots Clean 52: You’re as ignorant as gorblimey.
1943		in T. Harrisson Mass-Observation War Factory: Report 2: ‘You can’t put that one over to me! I’m a married man myself!’ ‘Well. Isn’t that what happens when you get home from work?’ ‘Cor blimey!’ is all he says.
c.1943		S .J. Baker Aus. Vulgarisms [t/s] 6: God: gad, egad, cor, gawd, gosh, golly, gawblimey, gawstruth, good god, good grief, by ghost, goldarn it, for gorsake, for goshsake, my goodness, by gum.
1950		C. Harris Three-Ha’Pence to the Angel 2043: Get older and, Gorblimey, what is it?
1954		J. Phelan Tramp at Anchor 205: ‘Gaw bly mee,’ muttered Denny Delaney.
1955		Galton & Simpson ‘The Television Set’ Hancock’s Half-Hour [Radio script] Oh cor blimey, it’s him.
1962		B. Behan Brendan Behan’s Island (1984) 75: With his hands trembling, said to His Lord: ‘Cor blimey, guv’nor, turn it up. I ain’t goin’ to knock you’.
1963		K. Waterhouse Jubb (1966) 20: Oh, God blimey mate, turn it up!
1968		S. Gore Holy Smoke 2652: Gorblimey O’Reilly!
1971		Wodehouse Much Obliged, Jeeves 90: After the ancestor had said ‘For heaven’s sake!’ or ‘Gorblimey!’ or whatever it was.
1975		D. Nobbs Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976) 110: Cor blimey, all right, I’ll go for a flaming walk.
1981		S. Berkoff Decadence in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 21: Cor blimey, shush / you’re putting me off.
1981		S. McAughtry Belfast 19: ‘Gorblimey,’ he said.
1994		B. Fallowell One Hot Summer in St Petersburg 135: Cor blimey, guv’ner, spot on!
1999		Guardian G2 22 July 22: Bloody hell! Oh my God! Gorblimey heck!
2008		Camden New Journal Rev. 11 Dec. 3: Cor blimey, murderous events on the streets of the East End?
2010		P. McMahon Out of the Mists of Ireland 51: Cor blimey you should have seen our Paddy. Knocked two bloke out he did. Cor blimey I never seen anything like it.