gorry! excl.
(orig. US) a euph. for God and used as such in various mild excls., e.g. gorry mighty!
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Life and Adventures of Dr Dodimus Duckworth II 11: ‘Gorree!’ exclaimed the youth. | |
| Cudjo’s Cave 120: Gorry! me sech a brute, me war for leavin’ ye dar in de lot. | |
| ‘Word-List from Hampstead, N.H.’ in DN III iii 188: gorry, interj. Used instead of the name of the deity as an imprecation. Not felt to be an Irish word. | |
| N.Y. Tribune 13 Jan. 15/1: My gorry! ’bout a year before [...]. | |
| Clear the Decks! 208: Gorry, what a mess! | |
| Manhattan Transfer 72: Gorry I’m all in. | |
| Dolores Claiborne 5: Oh, gorry! I’m gettin to it, Andy, if you’ll just give me a little peace! |
In exclamations
(orig. US) a euph. for by God!
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Traits and Stories of Irish Peasantry I 270: By Gob, by Gog, by gad, by Gor, and by Gorra. | |
| Walden 162: May be the man you hoe with is inclined to race; then, by gorry, your mind must be there; you think of weeds. | |
![[WI]](/static/img/flags/wi.png "West Indies") | in Trinidad Sentinel 8 Apr. n.p.: By Garra, da nagar read en paper lek so me hin nuise lang time. | |
| Americanisms 595: The Yankee is peculiarly fertile in variations on the name of God, and gives a striking proof of his ingenuity in inventing new forms for the forbidden I swear. He has his by Gorram, by Goldam, and by Goshdang, by the side of the English oath by Golly. | |
| Behind the Bars 163: Only thra months more, be gorry. | |
| Chicago Trib. 17 July n.p.: ‘Come out o’ that, Dutchy Brown, and throw the sthuff into number noine.’ ‘Be gorry, she needs it bad enough’. | |
| ‘Word-List from Hampstead, N.H.’ in DN III iii 183: by gorry, phr. Used as an interj. Softened form of by God. | |
| Cincinnati Enquirer (OH) 12 May 12/2: ‘Well, by gorry, that wuz hard luck all right’. | |
| (con. WWI) One Man’s Initiation: 1917 (1969) 82: ‘That one didn’t explode though.’ ‘That one did, by gorry,’ said Randolph, getting up off the floor, where he had thrown himself automatically. | |
| Broadway Brevities Aug. 14: By gurry! can you beat this bird? And he gets away with it! | |
| Me – Gangster 105: I guess, by gorry, you would! | |
| (con. 1919) Nineteen Nineteen in USA (1966) 587: By gorry, I’d rather have the Reds have it than the British. | |
| Any Old Dollars, Mister? 41: ‘By kori,’ he said with a kind smile. |