goodness gracious

1. Also, good gracious; gracious sakes. Exclamation of surprise, dismay, or alarm, as in Goodness gracious! You've forgotten your ticket. Both goodness and gracious originally alluded to the good (or grace) of God, but these colloquial expressions, which date from the 1700s, are not considered either vulgar or blasphemous.

Example Sentences

I wish to goodness gracious that PBS were in a position to do that.

From Salon

"One more game, one more push," said Goodness Gracious Me actor Sanjeev Bhaskar.

From BBC

Cassandra Loftlin, a chef, recipe developer and co-founder of Goodness Gracious Grocery, has done a lot of work in the food education space, including writing recipes specifically for children, and has seen firsthand the impact it can have on students.

From Salon

Katie Hafner: So Lillian, oh my goodness gracious.

From Scientific American

She made her name writing 1993 film Bhaji on the Beach and as part of sketch show Goodness Gracious Me.

From BBC