Gee whiz

Euphemism Other phrases about:

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Gee whiz'? An interjection or exclamation of surprise.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Gee whiz'?

This little term derived in the USA as a euphemistic shorthand for Jesus; in other words it is a minced oath. That original meaning is largely forgotten by those who use it now, who are in any account fewer than before, as it is now sounds rather old-fashioned. The further shortening of simple gee is still widely used in the USA, although neither version was ever common elsewhere.

'Gee whiz' - it doesn't sound like a euphemism, but it is.



The first record of it appearing in print is from Cody and Arlington's Life on the Border, 1876:

"Gee-wees!...I'll bet one hundred dollars on that hand!"

The currently accepted spelling was used soon afterwards; for example, this piece of doggerel from the Pennsylvania newspaper The Warren Ledger, 1883: