Meanings
- not comparableminced oathBy God! Expressing wonderment or zeal.
"Look at Clive - just a clerk, and he conquered India! By George! I'll do something in the world yet!" She laughed at my sudden Irish effervescence.
1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC1 more example
Heaven knows, I cannot find it in my heart to blame you, but this much I will say, be it kind or unkind: when Captain Smollett was well, you dared not have gone off; and when he was ill and couldn’t help it, by George, it was downright cowardly!
1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLCSynonyms: wow
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbBy God! Expressing wonderment or zeal.
Origin
"By (God and Saint) George" is an old English oath invoked immediately before charging into battle as late as World War I. Versions of this oath can be found in several of William Shakespeare's plays: including: *Henry VI, Part 1 (written circa 1591 and set in 1431): **"God and Saint George, Talbot and England's right, Prosper our colours in this dangerous fight!" **"Saint George and victory! Fight, soldiers, fight!" *Henry VI, Part 3 (written circa 1591 and set 1460 to 1471): **"Then strike up drums; God and Saint George for us!"; **"For Warwick and his friends, God and Saint George!" **"Lords, to the field; Saint George and victory!" * Richard III: "God and Saint George! Richmond and victory!" * Henry V: "Follow your spirit, and upon this charge Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'"
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
by George. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20George
“by George.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20George. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “by George,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20George.
Source: by George on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.