Plural of 'gee,' an exclamation expressing surprise or wonder; also commands to a horse to turn right or go faster.
The exclamation 'gee' has uncertain origins but possibly relates to 'Jesus' as a mild oath or exclamation. The command to horses likely comes from its similarity to other interjections used with animals, popular since the 18th century.
The command 'gee' to horses is older than 'whoa,' and it survives today in phrases like 'gee-haw' (right-left commands)—it's a ghost word from when humans controlled animals with precise voice commands, a whole lost language between people and horses.
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