Meanings
- UKalternativeidiomaticAlternative form of goodness gracious.
- UKidiomaticSuggestive of stereotypical portrayals of Indians in British media.
The protagonists speak with neutral accents, an important aspect of the characterisation and chosen by the film-makers to pre-empt the 'goodness, gracious, me' Asian stereotype.
1988, Institute of Contemporary Arts (London, England), Black Film, British Cinema2 more examples
[…]the fact that though there were quite good restaurants of all nationalities in Beverly Hills, there was (dropping into his goodness-gracious-me voice) no good Indian restaurant ... He was an enthusiast.
1983 06, PunchHe was condescending to me, presuming a goodness-gracious-me prejudice on my part. "Why does that matter? Aren't the clothes from Asia the same quality as those made here?" I countered.
2001, New StatesmanSynonyms: wow
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseSuggestive of stereotypical portrayals of Indians in British media.
Cite this entry
goodness gracious me. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goodness%20gracious%20me
“goodness gracious me.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goodness%20gracious%20me. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “goodness gracious me,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goodness%20gracious%20me.
Source: goodness gracious me on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.