lawks
English
editAlternative forms
editInterjection
editlawks
- (UK, dialectal) Lord! (especially as an expression of surprise)
- 1850, Anthony Trollope, La Vendée:
- "Lawks! how uncomfortable," said the cook. "And M. Henri, was he wet too?"
- 1988, Terry Pratchett, Wyrd Sisters:
- "Your civic pride does you credit," said Hwel. "And now, please, leave the cart. I'm sure you've got some wood to gather. Lawks."
Usage notes
editThis is a stereotypical utterance of a Cockney house-servant in literature, particularly 19th-century and early 20th-century literature, but by the end of the 20th century its use had become primarily ironic outside of historical fiction.