2006-12-20 07:43:15 · 5 answers · asked by maskmanmikep@verizon.net 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Golly Gee Whilikers
The spellings begin "wh-." Webster's unabridged, 1934, has "gee whizz" with "gee whilikins" given as a variant, although nobody I know of says "whilikins." It doesn't give an origin. "Gee" by itself is a minced oath for "Jesus," so the "whiz(z)" and "whilli-whatever" still need an explanation.
"Golly" dates back to 1743 in England. "Gee whillikens" back to 1857. "I Hear America Talking" by Stuart Berg Flexner (Von Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 1976). This substitution of a G-word for God follows ".the old Hebraic and Middle English tradition of avoiding the sacred words, such as God, by substituting words with the same initial letter." A minced oath.
2006-12-20 08:26:00 · answer #1 · answered by courage 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question, What is Gee Whillikers?
2006-12-20 07:44:49 · answer #2 · answered by Elizabeth L 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gee Whillikers, however it might be spelled, is an exclamation indicative of surprise, generally, and is a method used by some religious people to avoid taking the Lord's name in vain by saying "Jesus Christ."
2006-12-20 08:08:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Other than Williker/Wiliker being a surname, I don't know. I read something about it showing up around 1857 as "Gee whillikens", jewillikin (1851) and gee whitaker (1895)
2006-12-20 07:51:40 · answer #4 · answered by Pico 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Nonsense word means nothing
2006-12-20 07:46:57 · answer #5 · answered by Josephus 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋