by jingo en · INTJ
Etymology
Uncertain for a long time. Main theories include: * a minced oath of "by Jesus"; compare crikey, zounds, egads, etc. * a corruption ultimately of "by St. Gingoulph", in reference to Saint Gangulphus of Burgundy. * a borrowing from Basque Jainkoa (“god”); compare by Jove. Basque sailors ― a common famous occupation for their people, who often swore by their term for God ― travelled far through the seas for centuries, and often met Englishmen.
Meanings
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Used to express determination or surprise.
“Yes, I'll make Simpledoria get out of the way. Come here, Simpledoria. Now, Bill, put your heels together on the edge of the walk. That's right. All ready? Now then! One for the money—two for the show—three to make ready—and four for to GO!” Another silence. “By jingo, Bill Hammersley, you've beat me! Ha, ha! That was a jump! What say?”
1909, Booth Tarkington, Beasley's Christmas Party, New York: Harper & Brothers, pages 22–23:You can't tell the difference between surface and substance. Between celebrity and real accomplishment. By jingo, you're right. The scales have fallen from my eyes and I owe it all to you.
1989, Moonlighting:[…] of all commend me to Ball, this is the Friar of the World, for my Money; you've heard how short, concise, and compendious he is in his Answers? Nothing is to be got out of him but Monosyllables; by Jingo, I believe he would make three bits of a Cherry.
1694, François Rabelais, chapter XXVI, in Peter Anthony Motteux, transl., The fifth book of The works of Francis Rabelais, M.D. […] , page 145:
Synonyms
by cracky · Christ on a bike · by Jove · ermahgerd · lawks a-mercy · geeminy · strike me pink · dearie me · oh my days · zowie · bloody Nora · dear Lord · mama mia · shiver my timbers · oh my Goddess · fancy that · holy kamoley · oi · my God · shut the front door · 'struth · OMG · holy crickets · you don't say · Jesus Christ · heyday · dear God · Jesus H. Christ · whoa · knock me over with a feather · holy hell · gee · I'll be dashed · zound · goodness gracious · googly-moogly · waow · byrlady · oh my gosh · hot damn · ZOMG · fucking Nora · shart · holy fuck knuckles · yikes · by thunder · gosh · heavens to Murgatroyd · God's teeth · ZOMFG · by Allah · hell's bells · by the living jingo · bleeding Nora · jinkies · sweet mother of Jesus · holy moly · stone the crows · my sainted uncle · Holy Mother · holy doodle · Janey Mack · holy dignity · jeez · holy buckets · please · Judas Priest · lawl · oh my fuck · gorblimey · blige · God in heaven · gyatt · holy crud · Jaysus · lauks · jeepers creepers · suffering centipedes · by gosh · shut my mouth · adzooks · bless my soul · odzookens · good gravy · holy cow · I'll be hanged · by gum · land sakes · holy macaroni · get out of town · Lord love a duck · I'm blowed · holy ravioli · mirabile dictu · wowzers · by gummy · my goodness · gad so · my giddy aunt · lordy · son of a gun · butter my butt and call me a biscuit · holy cannoli · chihuahua · gosh all hemlock · holy stromboli · mother of Pearl · oh my word · good golly · I'll be buggered · O gemini · hooly dooly · bleeding heck · Christ on a stick · gracious · Jiminy Cricket · blow me backwards · what do you know · I'll be dipped · great Scott · sodding hell · blow me down · heavens · oh my stars · my gosh · shit fire and save matches · omigod · Christ on a raft · I'll be shot · criminy · Jerusalem crickets · jeezy peeps · rah · suffering Sappho · sacré bleu · hello · odsfish · goodness me · oh my goodness gracious · jeezy-peezy · whoah · by George · lawks · holy crap · cor · oh my goodness · holy shit · chuffing hell · 'sdeath · egads · crikey · gramercy · Jesus · shitting Nora · gadsbud · holy man · holy fudge · I'll be a son of a gun · 'sblood · my Lord · flipping heck · sweet mother of God · by all that is holy · no way · holy mackerel · Jeebus · well · Christ · holy fuck · I never · I'll be a monkey's uncle · I'll be a son of a bitch · geez · yikes bikes · I'll be bound · I'll be · my heavens · golly gee willikers · gadzooks · mamma mia · zounds · jeepers · Gadsbodikins · sweet Jesus · leapin' lizards · flaming Nora · peas and rice · Lord be praised · bloody hell · diggety · Gordon Bennett · I'll be damned · what · good God · by Jupiter · begorra · oh my · I'll be a dirty bird! · my conscience · ye gods · by golly · Christ almighty · deary me · sheesh · great Caesar's ghost · Mother of God · gee willikers · omigosh · Jesus fuck · blow me up · blow me pink · jumping Jehoshaphat · stone me · crivvens · Lord · great googly moogly · coo · knock me down with a feather · Jesus Murphy · sweet Grandma on stilts · holy cricket · oh my God · snakes alive · Christ on a crutch · yowzah · jings · sweet Mary · great balls of fire · my sainted aunt · my my · good grief · good heavens · heavens to Betsy · holy Toledo · caramba · goodness · I say · I'll be darned · cripes · oh my Lord · hallo · fuark · by God · suffering Moses · ohmigod · blow me · cor lummy · jeez Louise · eep · good Lord · holy Moses · bless my heart · egad · blow my buttons · my word · glory be · geshmak · holy magnum · fuck me · holy kamoly · great Caesar · holy guacamole · geez Louise · I'll be blowed · man alive · oh my heck · I'll be hornswoggled · ay · oh my life · jumping Jesus · mercy sakes · Jupiter · 'sheart · strewth · goodness gracious me · wow · flipping Nora · golly gosh · slap my ass and call me Sally · hey · golly · blow me over · Christ on a cracker · by juckies · holy Hannah · suffering succotash · Mary and Joseph · blimey · ods bodikin · heavens above · ruddy Nora · I'll be danged · dear me · blow me tight · Jesum Crow · holy smoke · ruddy hell · zoiks · I'll be jiggered · gee whiz · zooterkins · Holy Mother of God · I'll be dipped in shit · oh em gee · my · sakes alive · slap my ass and call me Judy · holy moley · good gracious · zoinks · Christ alive · hold up · praise the Lord · fucking hell · cor blimey · cowabunga · God Almighty · holy crap on a cracker · wowee · oh · gaw · oh my hell · imagine that · bless us · by jingo