God-a-mercy

English

Alternative forms

Godamercy

Interjection

God-a-mercy

(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, I le call him Peter;
  For new made honor doth forget men s names: […]

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