bedad

English

Etymology

From by dad, euphemistic form of by God.

Interjection

bedad

1. (dated, chiefly Ireland) by God
   • 1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair‎^[1]:

     Lady O'Dowd is also so attached to it that, she says, if anything were to happen to Mick, bedad she'd come back and marry some of 'em.

   • 1867, Anthony Trollope, Phineas Finn‎^[2]:

     But as for the party, bedad, it's rotten to the core, and won't stand another session.

   • 1875, Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), Sketches New and Old‎^[3]:

     "Ah, bedad, ye can finish it yourself--it's too expansive for me!"

   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses‎^[4]:

     May I tempt you to a little more filleted lemon sole, miss Dubedat? Yes, do bedad. And she did bedad.