Good gracious is an exclamation used to express surprise, amazement, or mild exasperation. It appeared in English in the 18th century as a polite, euphemistic way to invoke God without swearing, part of a broader pattern of mild oaths and expressions of astonishment. People used it in everyday speech, literature, and theater to react strongly but politely. Today it sounds old-fashioned, genteel, and inoffensive, often adding a polite, emphatic, or slightly dramatic tone to expressions of surprise or mild frustration.

What is the origin of the idiom "good gracious" and when to use it?

Définition et signification de « good gracious » en anglais

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