# golly
## English
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈɡɒli/
* Audio (General Australian):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɒli

### Etymology 1

Euphemism for God, dating from the 18th century. Possibly a compaction of “God′s body”.

#### Alternative forms

* gollies

#### Interjection

golly
* (euphemistic) God! [From 1775.]
** 1898, The Overland Monthly, page 511:“Golly! What would dad say if I did marry him?”
** 1906, B. M. Bower, Chip of the Flying U‎, page 88:“By golly, I don′t see how you done that without seein′ it happen,” exclaimed Slim, looking very dazed and mystified.
** 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter I, VIII, and X:“Got anybody else staying at the old snake pit?” “Five inmates in all.” “Five?” I resumed my tongue-clicking. “Golly! Uncle Tom must be frothing at the mouth a bit,” I said, for I knew the old buster's distaste for guests in the home. Even a single weekender is sometimes enough to make him drain the bitter cup. [...] “Bertie! Your manner is strange.” “Your manner would be strange if you'd been sitting on the floor of Wilbert Cream's sleeping apartment with a chair round your neck, and Ma Cream had come in.” “Golly! Did she?” “In person.” [...] “And after I had seethed for a bit I rose from my chair, took pen in hand and wrote Bobbie a stinker.” “Oh, gosh!” “I put my whole soul into it.” “Oh, golly!”

##### Synonyms

* See Thesaurus:wow

##### Derived terms

* by golly
* by guess or by golly
* golly gee
* golly gosh
* good golly

##### Translations
### Etymology 2

From golliwog.

#### Noun

golly (plural gollies)
* Abbreviation of golliwog:
** A type of black rag doll.
*** 1985, New Society, Volumes 71-72, page 4,
    There are pictures of the original “gollywogg” (thus spelt) from Florence Upton′s 19th century children′s books; there are examples of anti-semitic Edwardian gollies with huge noses, and all sorts of other curiosities.
*** 2007, Richard Littlejohn, Littlejohn′s Britain, page 162:The Golliwog Squad was also making itself busy in Worthing, Sussex. Police said they were treating as a matter of ‘priority’ a complaint about gollies being displayed in a local store. Owner John Scadgell faced charges under Section 2 of the Public Order Act, which makes it an offence to exhibit anything which could be considered threatening, abusive or insulting.
** (offensive, ethnic slur) Any dark-skinned person.
*** 2005, Richard Snailham, The Blue Nile Revealed: The Story of the Great Abbai Expedition, 1968, page 217:“Bloody gollies!” muttered David Bromhead, provoked by the assault into bitter xenophobia.
*** 2008, Theo van Leeuwen, Discourse and Practice: New Tools for Critical Analysis, page 137:[…] poked fun at the American “fashion” of “political correctness” and reassured viewers that gollies and black minstrel shows are just good, old-fashioned, innocent fun.

### Etymology 3

Nonstandard diminutive of galosh.

#### Noun

golly (plural gollies)
* (UK, Ireland) A galosh.

### Etymology 4

Possibly from Goliath. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

#### Verb

golly (third-person singular simple present gollies, present participle gollying, simple past and past participle gollied)
* (Australia, juvenile) To spit; to force up phlegm from one's throat.
** 2010, Marion Houldsworth, The Morning Side of the Hill: Growing Up in Townsville in World War II, revised edition, page 113:When he saw what was happening he threw down his bag, gollied up some phlegm, and spat into the sand.

#### Noun

golly (plural gollies)
* (Australian slang, juvenile) Chewing gum.
* (Australian slang, juvenile) Saliva or phlegm.
    hack up a golly
** 2011, Douglas Booth, Surfing: The Ultimate Guide‎, page 10:They had to have a spitting competition. They had to hack gollies at each other′s heads. […] (Abraham 1999, 53)

#### Derived terms

* golly pot