intj
golly
GO-lee
intj
1
A mild, old-fashioned exclamation of surprise or delight.
"Golly, I didn't expect to see you here!"
"Golly, that was a close call."
How to Use Golly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old-fashioned, polite way of saying "wow" or "gosh" without swearing.
When to use it
Sounds quaint or old-fashioned in modern speech; mostly used for comic or nostalgic effect.
Common pairings
golly gosh
well, golly
Word Forms
gollied past tense, gollies plural, gollies plural, gollies plural, gollies singular
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_____, I didn't expect to see you here!
Etymology
An 18th-century softened stand-in for "God," likely shortened from an oath like "God's body."