An exclamation expressing surprise, wonder, or mild shock; a mild oath.
A euphemistic alteration of 'God,' emerging in the 1700s as a way to exclaim surprise without blasphemy. Similar to 'gosh,' 'gee,' and 'goodness,' it's a softened religious oath.
Golly is one of many euphemistic oaths—'gosh,' 'gee,' 'jeez,' and 'darn' are all softened versions of stronger religious exclamations that people invented to express emotion without offending others.
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