blimey en · INTJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
A minced oath derived from (God) blind me (either concurrent with or from a clipping of cor blimey or gorblimey), or blame me. Compare crivvens, drat, etc.
Meanings
-
(Commonwealth, Ireland, UK) Used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.
‘Blimey,’ said Barnaby. ‘Come on, Jack, quick as you can.’ / ‘Blimey,’ said Jack. ‘Blimey blimey blimey.’
1996, Penny Vincenzi, The Dilemma, London: Headline Review, published 2007, →ISBN, page 311:'But, if there's room, aren't they bound to take me in?' / 'Course they are,—and, blimey, if I was you I'd make 'em. Blimey I would!'
1897 September, Richard Marsh [pseudonym; Richard Bernard Heldmann], “Outside”, in The Beetle: A Mystery, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin […], published August 1907, →OCLC, book I (The House with the Open Window), page 4:I know the chap that started the lie. There ain't no Invisible Man whatsoever—Blimey.
1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “At Port Stowe”, in The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance, New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC, page 120:Blimey! Where did you come from?
Blimey! I didn’t see that!
"Blimey!" he says in his rough, shepherd's voice, "blimey, but it's cruel 'ard to be chucked out of one's digs wivout a blarsted word! [...]"
1935, Kenneth [Lewis] Roberts, “For Authors Only”, in For Authors Only: And Other Gloomy Essays, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, →OCLC, page 11:Blimy if I don't believe 'e's taking 'ome 'is washing up his back.
1908 September, Jerome K[lapka] Jerome, “Passing of the Third Floor Back”, in Passing of the Third Floor Back, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, →OCLC, page 2:"Blimey," he said, "this is a bit er orl roight! Never thought yer'd be ible to tork our lingo like a blinkin' nitive. Cahm orn—let's 'op it to the kerridge!"
1919, The Windsor Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly for Men and Women, volume IV, London: Ward, Lock and Bowden, →OCLC, page 99, column 1:‘Blimy, Will,’ he said confidentially.
1988, Alan Hollinghurst, The Swimming-Pool Library, New York, N.Y.: Random House, published 2010, →ISBN:According to an Australian gunner, 'a nostalgic little new-arrival' among the Tommies asked: 'Is it true all you Aussies are volunteers?' When told that it was, '… he hesitated a moment. Then he blurted out: "Blime, choom, y' must 've 'ad a fair ——— of a 'ome-life!"'
2013, Mark Johnston, “Introduction”, in Anzacs in the Middle East: Australian Soldiers, Their Allies and the Local People in World War II, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire; Port Melbourne, Vic.: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 1:If you're the O'Reilly, they speak of so highly, / Why blime me, O'Reilly, you're doing quite well.
1915, Harry S. Miller, “Blime Me, O’Reilly (You’re Doing Quite Well) [cover title: Blime Me Mr. O’Reilly but You’re Looking Mighty Well]”, New York, N.Y.: The Cadillac Music; Springfield, Mass.; Chicago, Ill.: A. H. Goetting, →OCLC, page 5:‘Blimey,’ said Laurie. ‘Is she serious? Was it something I said?’
2009, Duncan Campbell, chapter 5, in If It Bleeds, London: Headline Publishing Group, published 2011, →ISBN:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| blimy | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
blimey O'Riley · blimey Charlie · blimey O'Reilly · gawd blimey · cor blimey · gorblimey
Relateds
fuck me · damn my eyes · eff and blind · I'll be · I'll be § Related terms
Synonyms
cor · chihuahua · I'll be shot · holy magnum · oh em gee · oh my stars · Christ on a cracker · odzookens · my · by jingo · I'll be dashed · what do you know · land sakes · I'll be hanged · I'll be hornswoggled · ay · O gemini · odsfish · geez Louise · I'll be danged · holy cricket · Christ on a bike · Christ alive · wow · ohmigod · zooterkins · whoa · holy doodle · Jesus Christ · golly gosh · Judas Priest · eep · Christ almighty · oh my heck · great balls of fire · rah · holy moly · blow me over · mamma mia · holy crap on a cracker · sheesh · bless my heart · holy hell · gaw · oh my · heyday · strike me pink · jumping Jesus · sodding hell · holy kamoley · holy Toledo · gorblimey · please · gyatt · I'm blowed · adzooks · mother of Pearl · holy fuck knuckles · criminy · oh my hell · gad so · sweet mother of Jesus · holy guacamole · gadsbud · goodness gracious · whoah · peas and rice · holy Hannah · you don't say · I'll be · I never · great Caesar · Jerusalem crickets · Jesum Crow · heavens to Betsy · Christ on a crutch · blow my buttons · I'll be darned · son of a gun · geeminy · I'll be a son of a gun · my goodness · shart · glory be · holy shit · holy smoke · by gosh · chuffing hell · 'sheart · hello · jeez Louise · sakes alive · Christ on a raft · I'll be a dirty bird! · jeez · my God · holy cow · golly · wowzers · 'struth · gee willikers · egads · praise the Lord · sweet mother of God · holy kamoly · snakes alive · I'll be damned · bleeding heck · good heavens · lawl · Holy Mother of God · holy Moses · cowabunga · zoinks · get out of town · goodness · cor lummy · God's teeth · ruddy hell · man alive · oh my fuck · fucking hell · by Jupiter · dear me · Christ · oh my Lord · hey · oh my God · gosh · suffering Sappho · egad · holy crap · byrlady · Jaysus · great googly moogly · Gadsbodikins · butter my butt and call me a biscuit · by golly · dear Lord · oh · zounds · holy cannoli · hooly dooly · mercy sakes · dear God · gracious · jeezy peeps · my sainted uncle · bloody Nora · stone the crows · suffering succotash · lauks · shitting Nora · stone me · flipping Nora · yowzah · gadzooks · zoiks · oh my days · by gummy · lawks · fuck me · holy moley · blow me down · my word · gee · hallo · shut my mouth · Jiminy Cricket · slap my ass and call me Judy · God Almighty · omigod · fuark · 'sblood · I'll be blowed · jeepers · ods bodikin · oh my life · heavens above · God in heaven · Jesus Murphy · oh my goodness · sweet Grandma on stilts · by George · goodness gracious me · I'll be dipped in shit · I'll be a monkey's uncle · flaming Nora · goodness me · oh my word · I'll be a son of a bitch · jumping Jehoshaphat · Christ on a stick · holy dignity · hold up · ye gods · well · blige · mirabile dictu · Jesus fuck · good golly · yikes · by all that is holy · my conscience · oh my Goddess · suffering Moses · slap my ass and call me Sally · wow · sweet Jesus · Jupiter · hell's bells · great Scott · my my · ruddy Nora · my gosh · Mary and Joseph · gosh all hemlock · dearie me · knock me down with a feather · holy man · good grief · geshmak · Jeebus · my sainted aunt · no way · geez · Lord · zowie · blow me up · sweet Mary · heavens to Murgatroyd · mama mia · Mother of God · waow · OMG · my Lord · I'll be dipped · strewth · Janey Mack · jeezy-peezy · holy buckets · caramba · begorra · deary me · ZOMG · coo · lawks a-mercy · sacré bleu · by God · jings · crikey · shiver my timbers · suffering centipedes · zound · great Caesar's ghost · jeepers creepers · gee whiz · cor blimey · what · jinkies · fancy that · yikes bikes · fucking Nora · bless my soul · holy crud · by the living jingo · bleeding Nora · holy ravioli · lordy · Holy Mother · good God · shut the front door · holy macaroni · good gracious · ermahgerd · my heavens · Jesus · blow me pink · by Allah · wowee · my giddy aunt · Jesus H. Christ · googly-moogly · oi · Gordon Bennett · shit fire and save matches · holy fudge · 'sdeath · imagine that · good gravy · bless us · by gum · I say · by cracky · I'll be jiggered · holy crickets · blimey · I'll be buggered · by juckies · heavens · flipping heck · diggety · omigosh · good Lord · by thunder · cripes · Lord be praised · blow me backwards · golly gee willikers · blow me tight · oh my goodness gracious · blow me · bloody hell · hot damn · I'll be bound · by Jove · gramercy · crivvens · knock me over with a feather · leapin' lizards · ZOMFG · holy stromboli · Lord love a duck · holy mackerel · holy fuck · oh my gosh
Translations (32)
nl amai (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · cs no nazdar (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · fi jukra (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · ca ostres (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · fr diantre (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · it urca (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · fi jukranpujut (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · it miseriaccia (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · cs jejdanánku (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · it dannazione (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · fr fichtre (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · cs šmankote (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · es caramba (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · cs ať do mě hrom uhodí (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · cs sakryš (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · cs přisámbu (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · it foccalabindella (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · cs páni (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · fr mazette (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · de verdamm mich! (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · it perbacco (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · de verdammt (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · cs ajcem trajcem (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · pt caraças (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · fr mince (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · fi helkkari (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · it cribbio (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · cs jémine (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · fr bon sang (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · nl verdraaid (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · de sakra (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.) · it ostia (used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.)