By Cracky! intj.—A meaningless ejaculation conveying no idea beyond that of general surprise.—See Oaths.
1888. Superior Inter-Ocean. Say, haint Tubbs a Methodist? By cracky! here's where it is, and in we walked.
Bye-Drink, subs. (common).—Liquid
refreshment taken at
other than meal-times. [From
bye = not in regular course +
drink.]
1766. Kenrick, Falstaff's Wedding, i., 1. I could wish, nevertheless, old white wine stood higher in his lordship's favour; that I may not be stinted at table, or in my by-drinkings.
1883. Daily Telegraph, Jan. 10, p. 5, col. 3. Our business men—and many others who are not men of business—take, as it is, a great many more 'bye-drinks' in the way of 'sherry' and 'whiskey cold' than is good for them.
By George! intj. phr. (popular).—An
ejaculation signifying either
surprise, or anger, or used
without any special meaning.
Phrases of the kind are very
numerous, and are mainly employed
by those whose poverty
of language is otherwise very
marked. [By George! may
either be a reference to St.
George, the patron saint of
England, or to the predominant
Christian name of the early
sovereigns of the Brunswick
dynasty.]
1731. Fielding, Grub Street Opera, Act iii., Sc. 7. By George, I'll make an example of him.
1737. Bacchus and Venus, p. 117. 'Fore George, I'd knock him down.
1852. Dickens, Bleak House, ch. xxxviii. 'I—er—a little subject to this sort of thing—er—By George!'
By Goldam! intj. phr. (American).—A
semi-veiled oath. The
Yankee is peculiarly fertile in
variations on the name of God,
and gives a striking proof of his
ingenuity in inventing new
forms for the forbidden I swear.
He has his by Gorram! by
Goldam! and by Goshdang! by
the side of the English oath by
Golly! which occurs as early
as 1743.—See Oaths.
By Golly! intj. phr. (popular).—A
euphemistic phrase for by
God!—See Oaths.
1743. W. Warren, Five Arguments against Tythes. 'The first person consulted a gentleman-farmer, and declared that he never read anything so good in his life. 'By golly,' says he, 'he 'as mauled the parsons.'
1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. III., p. 204. Then I turn round to him and say, 'By golly, if you don't leave off, I'll broke you over de jaw.'
By Gorram!—See By Goldam!
By Gosh! intj. phr. (popular).—A
compromise for By God!
1804. C. K. Sharpe, in Correspondence (1888), I., 210. I promise, by Gosh (which is the most elegant and classical oath imaginable).
1877. W. Black, Green Past, and Picc., ch. xxxv. 'If this goes on,' said he suddenly, 'by Gosh, I'll heave!'
By Gum! By Gummy! intj. phr.
(American).—Both these expletives
are extracts from the great
American Dictionary of Oaths
and Cuss Words, compiled by
descendants of the Puritan
Fathers.—See Oaths.
I860. Haliburton ('Sam Slick'), The Season Ticket, No. ix. 'By gum, Squire Shegog, we have had the greatest bobbery of a shindy in our carriage you ever knowed in all our born days.'
By Hook or By Crook.—See Hook.
