golly

Interjection

1. (euphemistic, minced oath) A mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm.
   • Golly! That was a long trip to California.
   • “Golly! What would dad say if I did marry him?”1898, The Overland Monthly, page 511

   Synonyms:

   wow

Noun (1)

golly (plural gollies)

1. A type of black rag doll.
   • 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.1985, New Society, Volumes 71-72, page 4
   • 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...2007, Richard Littlejohn, Littlejohn′s Britain, page 162
2. (ethnic, offensive, slur) Any dark-skinned person.
   • “Bloody gollies!” muttered David Bromhead, provoked by the assault into bitter xenophobia.2005, Richard Snailham, The Blue Nile Revealed: The Story of the Great Abbai Expedition, 1968, page 217
   • […]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.2008, Theo van Leeuwen, Discourse and Practice: New Tools for Critical Analysis, page 137

Noun (2)

golly (plural gollies)

1. (Ireland, UK) A galosh.

Verb

golly (third-person singular simple present gollies, present participle gollying, simple past and past participle gollied)

1. (Australia, juvenile) To spit; to force up phlegm from one's throat.
   • When he saw what was happening he threw down his bag, gollied up some phlegm, and spat into the sand.2010, Marion Houldsworth, The Morning Side of the Hill: Growing Up in Townsville in World War II, revised edition, page 113

Noun (3)

golly (plural gollies)

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