golly!
A soft surprise word. Clean enough for church porch talk.
Also called by golly, golly.
Updated September 21, 2026
golly! pronunciation
/GOL-ee/
Meaning
A mild blurt when something shocks, impresses, or tickles you. Stands in for a harder oath without getting you in trouble at Grandma's table. Often shows up as by golly. Rural Southern folks still use it when they were raised to keep God's name out of casual cussing.
How folks use it
- “Golly! That truck almost took the mailbox.”
- “By golly, that pie tastes like Mama's.”
Origin and etymology
Golly is a minced oath for God, recorded by the late 1700s among working speakers. By golly appears even earlier as a soft stand-in for by God. It spread through American English and stuck in Southern and rural talk where folks wanted heat without blasphemy. Not born only in the South, but it fits redneck manners of keeping it mild.
Frequently asked questions
Is golly a swear word?
Barely. It started as a polite dodge around saying God. Most folks treat it as kid-safe surprise talk.