Green’s Dictionary of Slang

used in mild oaths as a euph. for God! (cf. edad! excl.).

1674		Rochester ‘Tunbridge Wells’ in Works (1999) 52: Madam, I Gad, / Your Luck att Cards last Night was very bad.
1682		‘The West-Countryman’s Song on a Wedding’ in Farmer Merry Songs and Ballads (1897) III 57: E’gad not I, let Master fret it.
1693		Congreve Old Bachelor i: But, egad, I durst not stay to give him thanks.
1697		Cibber Woman’s Wit I i: Igad I had as good show myself.
1701		Farquhar Sir Harry Wildair IV ii: Egad I should think so too.
1704		Cibber Careless Husband II ii: Ha! ha! I’gad, my Lord you deserve to be ill us’d.
1714		S. Centlivre Wonder! II i: ’Egad, methinks I have a very pretty hand, and very white, and the shape!
1717		Cibber Non-Juror I i: I-gad, this love-sick Monkey had stole it for a private Play-thing.
1721		Cibber Refusal 64: Ha! ha! I-gad this is a pleasant Question indeed.
1733		C. Coffey Boarding-School 39: But Ivads! my Heart goes a-pit-a-pat about it.
1738		Swift Polite Conversation 15: I’gad I don’t know whence it comes.
1748		Smollett Roderick Random (1979) 17: Egad, I’ll play him the salt-water trick.
1753		Foote Englishman in Paris in Works (1799) I 31: Egad I’ve a mind to set up some trade.
1762		O. Goldsmith Life of Richard Nash in Coll. Works (1966) III 357: Follow your prescription, cried Nash, No—Egad, if I had, I should have broke my neck.
1767		‘Andrew Barton’ Disappointment I i: Egad! you might have said Noah’s-ark [...] for it looks old enough.
1775		Sheridan Rivals (1776) III i: I’ll never forgive you if you don’t come back, stark mad with rapture and impatience – if you don’t, egad, I’ll marry the girl myself!
1786		‘Peter Pindar’ ‘Ode Upon Ode’ Works (1794) I 435: So there is, egad!
1793		W. Macready Irishman in London II i: Oh, charming! you make me young again—Egad I begin to think—oh dear.
1800		‘Sung in Two to One’ Songster’s Companion 64: Adzooks, old Crusty! why so rusty, Stupid, queer, and mumpy? Egad, if you don’t mend your manners, Somebody will lump you.
1802		G. Colman Yngr Poor Gentleman III i: Egad so you did!
1814		Last Act in New British Theatre I iii: Egad, I think so.
c.1815		J.K. Paulding Bucktails (1847) III ii: Egad, admiral, this beats the Labors of Hercules put together.
1822		C. Dibdin Yngr Larks of Logic, Tom and Jerry I ii: Egad! if it didn’t savour of conceit, I should consider myself a handsome fellow.
1824		‘Geoffrey Crayon’ Tales of A Traveller (1850) 22: Egad, you have not given any thing a chance to happen.
1829		‘I’m One of the New Police’ in C. Hindley James Catnach (1878) 206: I’m one of the New Police — egad.
1832		in Egan Bk of Sports 183: ‘Egad, you’re just right,’ says the breeches.
1835		‘The Lady’s Front’ Knowing Chaunter 6: Why, Jenny, by Jingo, betwixt your two thighs, / Egad I have found your long lost hairy front!
1839		Thackeray Yellowplush Papers in Works III (1898) 373: Violet won’t know me; and, egad! I’ll run off with her.
1842		S. Lover Handy Andy 15: Egad, maybe they’ll hang him for this!
1848		G.W.M. Reynolds Mysteries of London II (2nd series 34: ‘Egad!’ said he, laughing.
1853		Southern Literary Messenger Apr. 218: Egad, if I was starving, I’d steal a calf.
1861		M.E. Braddon Trail of the Serpent 334: Egad, Peters, I think you’d make evidence, if there wasn’t any.
1874		M. Clarke Term of His Natural Life (1897) 23: Ask me! Egad I wish you would, you black-eyed minx!
1886		M.E. Braddon Mohawks III 148: Egad, I shall have to commit bigamy if she doesn’t.
1899		A.C. Gunter M.S. Bradford Special 53: Egad! it will only cost me a bottle of wine.
1900		Sporting Times 12 May 1/5: ‘Two months, egad,’ laughed the commander, ‘why I haven’t seen mine for nearly twelve!’.
1909		Gem 23 Jan. 27: ‘Egad!’ muttered Lord Gethlin.
1910		Marvel 5 Feb. 4: ‘Eh? Egad!’ cried the marquis.
1922		B. Hecht A Thousand and One Afternoons [ebook] The curtain is up. Egad, what a masterly scene.
1927		(con. 1835–40) P. Herring Bold Bendigo 20: Egad! Here’s Sam Turner giving a boxing lesson.
1934		Wodehouse Right Ho, Jeeves 8: Egad, Jeeves! Fancy that.
1944		in W.C. Fields By Himself (1974 261: Egad, – what a woman.
1954		Wodehouse Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit 102: ‘Egad!’ I said [...] ‘This is not so good.’.
1958		Willans & Searle Complete Molesworth (1985) 154: Ho fie lo egad and away for it is the BELL.
1963		H.S. Thompson letter 6 Apr. in Proud Highway (1997) 370: Ah, yes, ah ... egad, the meaning of it.
1971		Wodehouse Much Obliged, Jeeves 12: Does he, egad!
1989		R. Dahl Rhyme Stew (1990) 36: The brainy men all cried, ‘Egad! / Oh, Majesty, you lucky lad!’.
1999		Guardian Rev. 1 Oct. 16: Worse still, they’d want to start bands. Egad!