good God

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

good God

1. (idiomatic, mildly blasphemous, dated) Expression of surprise, outrage, or horror.
   • 1724, Jonathan Swift, A Letter to Mr. Harding the Printer, Upon Occasion of a Paragraph in His News-Paper of Aug. 1st. Relating to Mr. Woods's Half-Pence, page 9:

     Good God! Who are this Wretch’s Advisers?

   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter VIII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 73:

     “Young lady, there is no hope; one side of the Duchesse is struck with palsy; she retains her senses, and will, most probably, to the last; but she cannot live through the night.” / “Good God!” exclaimed Francesca; “and the Duc de Mercœur left Paris this morning!” For a moment all command over herself was lost, and she sank on a seat, sick and faint with sudden agony.

   • 1885, Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde:

     "Good God, sir," exclaimed the officer, "is it possible?" And the next moment his eye lighted up with professional ambition. "This will make a deal of noise," he said.

• (expression of surprise): See Thesaurus:wow

• good God bird