Gadzooks
/ɡædˈzuːks/noun
An old-fashioned exclamation of surprise, annoyance, or emphasis.
Did you know?Gadzooks is a euphemistic oath that likely began as a softened form of a religious swear, with the second part traditionally linked to the phrase “God’s hooks,” referring to the nails of the Crucifixion.
Etymological Timeline
16th–17th Century
English
gadzooks
“A minced oath used to express surprise or irritation, masking stronger religious swearing.”
16th–17th Century
English
God's hooks
“A likely euphemistic source of the oath, referring to the nails or wounds of the Crucifixion.”
Middle English
English
god
“The Christian deity; a source of many taboo-based oath substitutions.”
Old English
OE
god
“God; the supreme deity in Germanic Christian usage.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gudan
“God, the deity.”
Explore more surprising origins