| 单词 | heavens to betsy |
| 释义 | > as lemmasHeavens to Betsy b. Chiefly in plural. In exclamations expressing surprise, horror, excitement, etc. Frequently with intensifying adjective, as good heavens, gracious heavens, great heavens, etc. merciful heavens: see merciful adj. 1; please heaven: see please v. 3b(b); thank heaven: see thank v. 3g. In later use often in various extended forms, as Heaven and earth, Heavens above, Heavens alive, Heavens to Betsy (originally and chiefly U.S.), etc. [The origin of the exclamation Heavens to Betsy is unknown; perhaps compare Betsy n.] ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > expectation > surprise, unexpectedness > exclamation of surprise [interjection] whatOE well, wellOE avoyc1300 ouc1300 ay1340 lorda1393 ahaa1400 hillaa1400 whannowc1450 wow1513 why?1520 heydaya1529 ah1538 ah me!a1547 fore me!a1547 o me!a1547 what the (also a) goodyear1570 precious coals1576 Lord have mercy (on us)1581 good heavens1588 whau1589 coads1590 ay me!1591 my stars!a1593 Gods me1595 law1598 Godso1600 to go out1600 coads-nigs1608 for mercy!a1616 good stars!1615 mercy on us (also me, etc.)!a1616 gramercy1617 goodness1623 what next?1662 mon Dieu1665 heugh1668 criminy1681 Lawd1696 the dickens1697 (God, etc.) bless my heart1704 alackaday1705 (for) mercy's sake!1707 my1707 deuce1710 gracious1712 goodly and gracious1713 my word1722 my stars and garters!1758 lawka1774 losha1779 Lord bless me (also you, us, etc.)1784 great guns!1795 mein Gott1795 Dear me!1805 fancy1813 well, I'm sure!1815 massy1817 Dear, dear!1818 to get off1818 laws1824 Mamma mia1824 by crikey1826 wisha1826 alleleu1829 crackey1830 Madonna mia1830 indeed1834 to go on1835 snakes1839 Jerusalem1840 sapristi1840 oh my days1841 tear and ages1841 what (why, etc.) in time?1844 sakes alive!1846 gee willikers1847 to get away1847 well, to be sure!1847 gee1851 Great Scott1852 holy mackerel!1855 doggone1857 lawsy1868 my wig(s)!1871 gee whiz1872 crimes1874 yoicks1881 Christmas1882 hully gee1895 'ullo1895 my hat!1899 good (also great) grief!1900 strike me pink!1902 oo-er1909 what do you know?1909 cripes1910 coo1911 zowiec1913 can you tie that?1918 hot diggety1924 yeow1924 ziggety1924 stone (or stiffen) the crows1930 hullo1931 tiens1932 whammo1932 po po po1936 how about that?1939 hallo1942 brother1945 tie that!1948 surprise1953 wowee1963 yikes1971 never1974 to sod off1976 whee1978 mercy1986 yipes1989 the mind > mental capacity > expectation > surprise, unexpectedness > exclamation of surprise [interjection] > mingled with horror Heavens above1588 Heavens to Betsy1588 horror1879 crivens1917 1588 in J. Nichols Progresses Queen Elizabeth (1823) II. 559 O Heavens! O Earth! O never-dying Fame! a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) i. ii. 59 O the heauens, What fowle play had we. View more context for this quotation 1655 T. Stanley Hist. Philos. (1687) iii. 102/2 Good Heavens, what voice is this, how strange and stately? 1673 J. Dryden Assignation v. i. 58 Good Heavens, that I should live to see this day! 1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 23. ⁋7 Heavens! Is it possible you can live without Remorse? 1752 C. Lennox Female Quixote II. viii. iii. 187 Good Heavens! cried Mr. Glanville..quite out of patience, I shall go distracted! 1752 C. Lennox Female Quixote ix. i. 209 Oh, heavens!.. this must..be a very notable adventure. 1801 A. Opie Father & Daughter (1809) 102 Gracious Heaven! who are you? 1819 J. Marcet Conv. Nat. Philos. (1851) ii. 36 Heavens, Emily, what an idea! 1857 Ballou's Dollar Monthly Mag. May 419/1 ‘Heavens to Betsy!’ he exclaims, clapping his hand to his throat, ‘I've cut my head off!’ 1887 W. P. Frith Autobiogr. II. iv. 75 Great heaven! What a place to stop at! 1895 A. W. Pinero in M. R. Booth Eng. Plays of 19th Cent. (1969) II. 275 They say Orreyed has taken to tippling at dinner. Heavens above! 1906 L. Mortimer No Mother to guide Her iv. 24 Heavens an' airth, child! 1913 ‘S. Rohmer’ Myst. Dr. Fu-Manchu xix. 205 The eyes—heavens above, the huge green eyes! 1957 M. Summerton Sunset Hour i. 56 Heavens alive, it's ten past one. I haven't been up so near dawn for years. 1958 H. M. Hayward & M. Harari tr. B. Pasternak Dr. Zhivago ii. viii. 246 But Heavens above! You misunderstood us. What are we talking about? 1968 ‘E. V. Cunningham’ Cynthia (1969) xi. 130 ‘Oh, heavens to Betsy, I am scared, Harvey,’ Lucille whispered. 1995 New Scientist 9 Sept. 47/1 Heavens, I thought, I didn't know the Friends were into that. 2002 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 11 Oct. 23 Good heavens! That's the 38th game Brian has trounced me at! < as lemmas |
| 随便看 |
英语词典包含1132095条英英释义在线翻译词条，基本涵盖了全部常用单词的英英翻译及用法，是英语学习的有利工具。