OriginFrom Lord + -y. Nineteenth century, originally U.S.
- Expressing mild emotion, such as exasperation or frustration.
“Lordy! Where's he off to now?”
“Aunt Betty graciously permitted this. She always did; but if the forgetful old man wandered for a moment away from his theme she brought him back with a surreptitious: “Lordy! yo' ole head done filled”
““I said, ‘Lordy, we have to put tops on bottoms. Let’s get something done,’ ” Comey recalled.”
- Expressing strong emotion, such as amazement.
“Lordy! Call your dogs off, call your dogs off! Oh! Lordy! call em off quick! quick!”
“It can only be AC/DC: black black black! with the first single from their first new album in eight years, Black Ice. It's blues-metal heaviosity in exelcis^([sic]). Not clever but, oh lordy, it's big.”
- alt-ofAlternative letter-case form of Lordy.
Formslordy(alternative)