Dictionary

I'll be blowed en · INTJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˌaɪl bi ˈbloʊd/ (General-American)
• /ˌaɪl biː ˈbləʊd/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Probably a hyperbole expressing that the speaker is so surprised it is as if they have been blown over by a gust of wind: compare blow me down and blow me over, and also knock someone over with a feather, which have the same sense. Used as a euphemism for I'll be damned; compare also blasted.

Meanings

1. (UK, dated, euphemistic, informal) Used to express amazement and surprise.
   • ‘[…] Luke at that there homnibus; why, darn me—’ and now, in his eloquence at this peculiar point, my friend became more loud and powerful than ever—‘why, darn me, if maister harns enough with that there buss to put hiron on them osses feet, I’ll—be—blowed!’ 1858, Anthony Trollope, chapter XV, in Doctor Thorne. […], volume II, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 5:
   • The sound of his voice quickened the other’s memory, his face expanded to its fullest capacity, and he also broke into a laugh. “Why, Newman—I’ll be blowed! Where in the world—I declare—who would have thought? You know you have changed.” 1876 June, Henry James, Jr., chapter II, in The American, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, […], published 5 May 1877, →OCLC, page 20:
   • Well, I’ll be blowed if it isn’t my old school friend, John!
   • “I’ll be blowed if it isn’t the kid,” ejaculated Wheeler. 1893, Horatio Alger Jr., chapter XXX, in Cast Upon the Breakers:

Forms

Synonyms

I'll be a son of a bitch · blow me · Christ on a crutch · bloody Nora · good God · suffering Sappho · jeepers creepers · Judas Priest · what · blow me down · Christ on a stick · by golly · holy crud · holy mackerel · great Scott · shitting Nora · geez Louise · mama mia · geez · my goodness · shut my mouth · holy stromboli · lauks · holy man · Jiminy Cricket · jeepers · Jesus fuck · cor blimey · adzooks · good gracious · good grief · I'll be hanged · I'll be a son of a gun · OMG · crikey · Jesum Crow · cripes · ermahgerd · oh my stars · Holy Mother · I'll be blowed · by gum · geeminy · ohmigod · suffering centipedes · oh my hell · Jaysus · fuark · Christ on a raft · slap my ass and call me Sally · lawks · I'll be damned · zounds · I'll be hornswoggled · blimey · my God · oh my Goddess · jumping Jehoshaphat · blow my buttons · holy shit · Lord love a duck · sacré bleu · bloody hell · gosh · shart · Lord be praised · Jerusalem crickets · O gemini · hold up · hello · my · holy crickets · mirabile dictu · zowie · I'll be jiggered · you don't say · bless my heart · holy macaroni · sweet mother of Jesus · by cracky · shit fire and save matches · 'sdeath · blow me tight · bleeding Nora · my giddy aunt · Jupiter · blow me over · bleeding heck · hallo · deary me · dear God · fucking Nora · hot damn · bless us · whoah · I'm blowed · no way · by gosh · Jesus Murphy · praise the Lord · sodding hell · goodness · holy fuck knuckles · by George · golly gee willikers · hell's bells · gee whiz · ay · blow me down · slap my ass and call me Judy · Mary and Joseph · Mother of God · heavens to Murgatroyd · please · jeez · by the living jingo · Christ almighty · yikes · chihuahua · oh my God · lawks a-mercy · heavens · my sainted aunt · Jesus · cor lummy · well · yikes bikes · hey · by Jove · sweet Mary · great googly moogly · odsfish · blow me tight · dear Lord · holy cow · Jesus H. Christ · gramercy · googly-moogly · great balls of fire · blow me · gad so · bless my soul · fancy that · I'll be a dirty bird! · Janey Mack · by God · Christ alive · I'll be darned · glory be · God's teeth · goodness gracious me · holy ravioli · by all that is holy · chuffing hell · blow me pink · oh my goodness gracious · oh my · diggety · sweet mother of God · imagine that · holy dignity · ods bodikin · jeezy peeps · oh my word · holy Toledo · stone me · I'm blowed · wowee · lawl · holy buckets · omigod · sweet Grandma on stilts · Gordon Bennett · I'll be shot · by Jupiter · ruddy hell · strewth · Christ on a bike · peas and rice · suffering Moses · odzookens · holy Hannah · strike me pink · I never · my sainted uncle · begorra · Holy Mother of God · sheesh · gosh · sweet Jesus · egad · my word · I'll be dipped in shit · holy guacamole · zoiks · fucking hell · fuck me · my Lord · flipping heck · holy moley · ruddy Nora · waow · zoinks · good gravy · hooly dooly · omigosh · 'sblood · God in heaven · cor · mother of Pearl · 'sheart · 'struth · gadzooks · rah · oh em gee · mamma mia · byrlady · oh my Lord · suffering succotash · Christ on a cracker · oh my heck · God Almighty · my heavens · cowabunga · I'll be buggered · my gosh · gyatt · holy fuck · holy kamoley · gracious · heyday · coo · holy moly · holy magnum · man alive · holy kamoly · what do you know · leapin' lizards · Lord · dearie me · by gummy · egads · zooterkins · flaming Nora · get out of town · blow me up · Christ · blow me over · whoa · gadsbud · knock me over with a feather · holy crap on a cracker · oh · lordy · I'll be dashed · jumping Jesus · golly gosh · jings · son of a gun · good golly · crikey · ye gods · I'll be · stone the crows · holy cannoli · by Allah · oh my goodness · goodness me · heavens to Betsy · holy crap · I'll be bound · jeezy-peezy · ZOMFG · wow · butter my butt and call me a biscuit · gee · criminy · oi · holy cricket · goodness gracious · oh my gosh · I'll be dipped · shut the front door · great Caesar's ghost · holy hell · by thunder · jeez Louise · blow me pink · my conscience · land sakes · Jesus Christ · yowzah · oh my fuck · oh my days · sakes alive · shiver my timbers · zound · I say · flipping Nora · heavens above · holy Moses · snakes alive · blige · Gadsbodikins · holy fudge · crivvens · gaw · by jingo · my my · gosh all hemlock · wowzers · I'll be a monkey's uncle · oh my life · gee willikers · gorblimey · holy smoke · ZOMG · jinkies · knock me down with a feather · good Lord · Jeebus · geshmak · by juckies · good heavens · great Caesar · caramba · holy doodle · I'll be danged · golly · blow me backwards · dear me · eep · mercy sakes

wikipedia: Michael Quinion