different between golly vs heavens

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???li/
• Rhymes: -?li

Etymology 1

Euphemism for God, dating from the 18th century. Possibly a compaction of “God?s body”.

Alternative forms

• gollies

Interjection

golly

1. (euphemistic) God! [From 1775.]
   • 1898, The Overland Monthly, page 511,

     “Golly! What would dad say if I did marry him?”

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:wow

Etymology 2

From golliwog.

Noun

golly (plural gollies)

1. Abbreviation of golliwog:
   1. A type of black rag doll.
      • 1985, New Society, Volumes 71-72, page 4,

        There are pictures of the original “gollywogg” (thus spelt) from Florence Upton?s 19th century children?s books; there are examples of anti-semitic Edwardian gollies with huge noses, and all sorts of other curiosities.

      • 2007, Richard Littlejohn, Littlejohn?s Britain, page 162,

        The Golliwog Squad was also making itself busy in Worthing, Sussex. Police said they were treating as a matter of ‘priority’ a complaint about gollies being displayed in a local store. Owner John Scadgell faced charges under Section 2 of the Public Order Act, which makes it an offence to exhibit anything which could be considered threatening, abusive or insulting.

   2. (offensive, ethnic slur) Any dark skinned person.
      • 2005, Richard Snailham, The Blue Nile Revealed: The Story of the Great Abbai Expedition, 1968, page 217,

        “Bloody gollies!” muttered David Bromhead, provoked by the assault into bitter xenophobia.

      • 2008, Theo van Leeuwen, Discourse and Practice: New Tools for Critical Analysis, page 137,

        […] poked fun at the American “fashion” of “political correctness” and reassured viewers that gollies and black minstrel shows are just good, old-fashioned, innocent fun.

Etymology 3

Nonstandard diminutive of galosh.

Noun

golly (plural gollies)

1. (Britain) A galosh.

Etymology 4

Possibly from Goliath.
This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Verb

golly (third-person singular simple present gollies, present participle gollying, simple past and past participle gollied)

1. (Australia, juvenile) To spit; to force up phlegm from one's throat.
   • 2010, Marion Houldsworth, The Morning Side of the Hill: Growing Up in Townsville in World War II, revised edition, page 113,

     When he saw what was happening he threw down his bag, gollied up some phlegm, and spat into the sand.

Noun

golly (plural gollies)

1. (Australian slang, juvenile) Chewing gum.
2. (Australian slang, juvenile) Saliva or phlegm.

   hack up a golly

Derived terms

• golly pot

Etymology 5

Possibly from the Swahili for "expensive," [ghali] uttered when a potential slave buyer thought a slave's price was too high.

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?h?v?nz/
• Hyphenation: heav?ens

Noun

heavens pl (plural only)

1. plural of heaven

Noun

heavens (uncountable)

1. (often with 'the') The distant sky of the sun, moon, and stars.
   • 1625, Nathanæl Carpenter, Geography delineated forth in two bookes, I iv 77:

     […] the Heauens, which are carryed in 24 houres from Ea?t to We?t, […]

   • 1981, E.R. Harrison, Cosmology, XII 250:

     […] in an infinitely large universe the stars would collectively outshine the Sun and flood the heavens with light far more intense than is observed.

2. (religion) plural of heaven: the abode of God or the gods; the abode of the blessed departed.
   • 1832, Charles Coleman, The Mythology of the Hindus, XIII 220:

     Like the Buddhas, they [the Jains] believe that there is a plurality of heavens and hells;

   • 1906 July 30, Washington Post, 12 4:

     Christ's coming from the heavens has entered into the life of humanity as the Founder of the world to come.

3. (rare) plural of heaven: the near sky of the weather, etc.
4. (rare) plural of heaven the will of God or the gods, Providence.

Usage notes

The plural form "heavens" or "the heavens" has been typical in reference to the impersonal sky since the 17th century. The plural form became less common in reference to the abode of God, the gods, or the blessed departed as the medieval view of celestial spheres was disproven; it is still commonly used, however, in discussing theologies such as Buddhism which retain numerous heavens or levels of heaven.

The term is capitalized as Heavens or "the Heavens" when (infrequently) used as a proper name.

Derived terms

• the heavens opened
• though the heavens fall

Translations

Interjection

heavens!

1. An expression of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, or frustration.

Synonyms

• (expression of surprise): See Thesaurus:wow
• (expression of various negative emotions): for crying out loud!, for Christ's sake!, for God's sake! for goodness' sake!, for pity's sake!, good grief!

Derived terms

• good heavens
• great heavens
• heavens above
• heavens to Betsy
• heavens to Murgatroyd!
• merciful heavens!
• thank heavens!

Translations

Verb

heavens

1. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of heaven