Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(orig. US) an excl. used to describe a sudden impact, or fig. amazement.

1902		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 90: Zowie!!
1908		Wash. Times (DC) 17 July 10: Zowie, what a walloping those Browns got in New York yesterday! A few more like that [...] then watch the anvil chorus in St. Louis.
1909		Pacific Commercial Advertisier (Honolulu, HI) 25 Dec. 3/5: This [baseball] game will not take place if it rains. If the weather is fine, all right; if not, then zooey for the fans.
1912		Ade Knocking the Neighbors 88: She would fiddle around for an Opening and then Zowie! — right on the Conk.
c.1913		S. Ford On with Torchy 302: ‘Zowie! A plush one!’ says I .
1913		Rock Is. Argus (IL) 13 June 15/1: [cartoon caption] Zooey! Zing! Zow! Now What’s Eatin’ Ben?
1913		J. London Valley of the Moon (1914) 210: Biff! Bang! Bingo! Swat! Zooie! Ker-slambango-blam!
1919		Harrisburg Teleg. (PA) 13 jan. 11/3: [cartoon caption] ‘Zow!’ [...] ‘Zooey-Zooey!’.
1922		S. Lewis Babbitt (1974) 137: You’re a natural-born orator and a good mixer and --- Zowie!
1925		G.H. Mullin Adventures of a Scholar Tramp 129: Before I knew it though, zowy! the door flew up and caught me right on the bean.
1925		J. Tully Beggars of Life 215: I snapped my fingers – Bingo! – Zooey!
1934		Times (Munster, IN) 31 Oct. 44/4: The proper ideophonics representing ‘Zowie!’ ‘Bam!’ and ‘Squiff!’.
1947		S. Lewis Kingsblood Royal (2001) 157: If I could only do that – camp and swim and fish – zowie!
1959		M. Richler Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1964) 284: ‘Zowie!’ ‘Duddy, what is it?’.
1967		W. Murray Sweet Ride 95: ‘Zowie!’ said Dolphie.
1979		G. Swarthout Skeletons 124: How would you like, men, to go into combat with a BRIGHT RED WARHEAD? ZOWEE!
1993		I. Welsh Trainspotting 210: They had left their vehicle to examine this road block when pow! zap! bang! zowie!, and they were no more.