Saturday word: Gadzooks

[med_cat]

Gadzooks [gad-ZOOKS]
(interj.) [archaic]

- A minced (mild) oath used to express surprise, fear, joy, wonder etc.

A minced oath (sub-genre of euphemisms used to avoid swearing)

Euphemistic shortening of "God's Hooks" (the nails on the cross). - 1690s

Used in a sentence:
“Gadzooks, Charles, what ever did you do when you noticed she had no reflection?”

(from Grandiloquent Word of the Day)

As mentioned above, an archaism, but I had once come across it used humorously in the last verse of this poem:

The Common Cold

Go hang yourself, you old M.D!
You shall not sneer at me.
Pick up your hat and stethoscope,
Go wash your mouth with laundry soap;
I contemplate a joy exquisite
In not paying you for your visit.
I did not call you to be told
My malady is a common cold.

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