God-a-mercy

English

Alternative forms

• Godamercy

Interjection

God-a-mercy

1. (obsolete) Eye dialect spelling of God have mercy: an exclamation of dismay or of relief.
   • 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], Act I:

     Content thee, tis no matter, and Iacke Strawe godamercie,
     Herein thou haſt done good ſeruice to thy country:
     VVere all inhumaine ſlaues ſo ſerued as he,
     England would be ciuill, and from all ſuch dealings free.

   • c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 2:

     Baſt[ard]. A foot of Honor better then I was,
     But many a many foot of Land the worſe.
     Well, now can I make any Ioane a Lady,
     Good den Sir Richard, Godamercy fellow,
     And if his name be George, Ile call him Peter;
     For new made honor doth forget mens names: […]