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Lordy

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Lord +‎ -y. Nineteenth century, originally U.S.

Interjection

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Lordy

  1. Expressing mild emotion, such as exasperation or frustration.
    Lordy! Where's he off to now?
    • 1889 July 11, Herbert Tidd Bradley, “Fo' He am de Lord of de blue and de gray”, in America: A Journal for Americans, volume 2, page 453:
      Aunt Betty graciously permitted this. She always did; but if the forgetful old man wandered for a moment away from his theme she brought him back with a surreptitious: “Lordy! yo' ole head done filled wid me yit."
    • 2011 July 18, John Cassidy, quoting James Comey, “Mastering the Machine”, in The New Yorker[1], →ISSN:
      “I said, ‘Lordy, we have to put tops on bottoms. Let’s get something done,’ ” Comey recalled.
  2. Expressing strong emotion, such as amazement.
    • 1863 March, “A horrible scrape”, in The Southern Literary Messenger, volume 37, page 172:
      Lordy! Call your dogs off, call your dogs off! Oh! Lordy! call em off quick! quick!
    • 2008 September 14, Craig McLean, “Rock review: AC/DC, Rock 'n' Roll Train”, in The Observer[2]:
      It can only be AC/DC: black black black! with the first single from their first new album in eight years, Black Ice. It's blues-metal heaviosity in exelcis[sic]. Not clever but, oh lordy, it's big.

Usage notes

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Often used in a combination like “Oh Lordy”, “Oh Lordy Lord” or even repeated “Oh Lordy, Lordy Lord”.

Synonyms

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Further reading

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