Ellipsis of a full oath of the form "I swear by God that …".
Meanings
(not-comparable) Used as an oath to emphasize the veracity of an associated statement.
I should not wonder if you had your orders to-morrow; but you cannot sail with this wind, if you are to cruize to the westward; Captain Walsh thinks you will certainly have a cruize to the westward, with the Elephant. By G—, I wish you may. 1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter VII, in Mansfield Park: […], volume III, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 150:
With a frown, Rye studies my face. He disengages my arm in order to take my hand in both of his and squeeze it tight. "Why don't you go back and confront him, sweetheart? I'll go with you, by God. I don't like the idea of him bullying you, and he needs to hear that." 2007, Cassandra King, Queen of Broken Hearts:
(not-comparable) Used as an intensifier.
I saw that map and I said right then, 'Someday I'm going to make a map of how it was that day, make a drawing of Pearl Harbor, and I'll make it right.' And I did, by God. 1991 November 20, Paul Hendrickson, “Echoes Of the Day of Infamy”, in Washington Post:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
by gods
alternative
lexicographic
by the gods
alternative
lexicographic
Translations (26)
ru ей-бо́гу (intensifier) · fa-ira وَٱللّٰه (oath) · az ətağa (intensifier) · fi Jumalan kautta (oath) · tr vallahi (intensifier) · ru ей-бо́гу (oath) · tr vallahi (oath) · prs وَٱللّٰه (oath) · gl par Deus (oath) · pl na Boga (intensifier) · az Allaha and olsun (intensifier) · ar وَٱللّٰهِ (oath) · ur وَاللّٰہ (oath) · az var-yoxuna nəhlət (intensifier) · el μα τω Θεώ (oath) · fi Jumalan nimeen (oath) · es por Dios (oath) · fr pardieu (oath) · pnb قسمِ خدا (oath) · gl por Deus (oath) · az vallah (intensifier) · gl por Deus (intensifier) · sw wallahi (oath) · az Quran haqqı (intensifier) · pl na Boga (oath) · fi totisesti (intensifier)
Ellipsis of a full oath of the form "I swear by God that …".
Meanings
An exclamation of surprise.
By God! That chicken has no head!
[…] having made a cross cut, so as to ascertain the depth of the fat upon the chest, exclaimed, in a sort of rapture, “Three inches of white fat on the brisket!—prime—prime, as I am a crowded sinner—and de’il ane o’ the lazy loons in but mysell! Seven—aught—aught tines on the antlers. By G—d, a hart of aught tines, and the first of the season![…]” 1822 May 29, [Walter Scott], chapter III, in The Fortunes of Nigel. […], volume III (in English), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 85: