Golly

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Golly

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

exclamation and noun

Pronunciation

GOL-ee  /ˈɡɒli/

Definition

As an exclamation: used to express surprise, wonder, or mild shock — a euphemistic substitution for 'God'. As a noun (informal, dated): a golliwog.

Plain meaning

Golly is an old-fashioned British exclamation of surprise — like 'gosh' or 'goodness me', used instead of saying 'God'. It has a distinctly dated, gentle quality.

Register

Informal and dated. Golly has a nostalgic, gentle, slightly comic quality in modern use. It is associated with a certain kind of mild, inoffensive British character — the exclamation of someone who is surprised but would never dream of actually swearing.