# Lawks a lordy, my bottom's on fire **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 25, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawks-a-lordy-my-bottoms-on-fire/100078 "2002-03-25T22:02:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawks-a-lordy-my-bottoms-on-fire/100078/1 "2002-03-25T22:02:06Z")
> [@](#): > > “Who said, ‘Lawks a lordy, my bottom’s on fire’?” > > “Lenin!” > > “Yes, I can accept that, although the exact answer is Joan of Arc.” I can see by the context that “Lawks a lordy!” is an expletive (“Oh, my goodness!”?), but what does it actually mean? Where did it come from? What’s a “lawk”? ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawks-a-lordy-my-bottoms-on-fire/100078/2 "2002-03-25T22:41:11Z")
Without conferring with my fellow scumbags, I reckon it was… **Bambi Gascoigne:** “Who said, ‘Lawks a lordy, my bottom’s on fire’?” **Kendal Mintcake:** “Lenin!” **Bambi:** “Yes, I can accept that, although the exact answer is Joan of Arc.” You total and utter bastard Johnny (and how liberating it feels to be able to say that outside of the Pit). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawks-a-lordy-my-bottoms-on-fire/100078/3 "2002-03-26T02:11:51Z")
Seriously, though. What’s the origin of the phrase “Lawks a lordy”? ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawks-a-lordy-my-bottoms-on-fire/100078/4 "2002-03-26T04:50:25Z")
Johnny, I Googled the phrase and got 48 returns. Having only taken a quick look, I’ll hazard a guess that it’s used on UK sites mostly and that it may be Cockney–for what, I don’t know. But a UK Doper may know. –Viva, to your east ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawks-a-lordy-my-bottoms-on-fire/100078/5 "2002-03-26T05:23:13Z")
[http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/ap2/language/lexicon-L.html](http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/ap2/language/lexicon-L.html) > [@](#): > > Lawks > > Epithet. > > Example: “Freeze! You’re all under arrest.” “Lawks.” > > Secret origin: Traditional. Popularised by legendary television programme The Young Ones. > > Note: “Lawks a lordy” can only be used in times of emergency, such as if you’re being killed. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawks-a-lordy-my-bottoms-on-fire/100078/6 "2002-03-26T06:06:07Z")
I always assumed that “lawks” was a (perhaps mainly southern) English euphemism for anyone who started to say “lord” but thought it more polite not to, because of Lords, taking-name-in-vain-of or somehting similar. I thought that words like “gosh” and “dash” would be similarly derived. The “a-lordy” bit, I _think_ would be more of North American origin in itself. Bur, oops - I now think this is not, perhaps, a very GQ-worthy answer really. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawks-a-lordy-my-bottoms-on-fire/100078/7 "2002-03-26T06:24:43Z")
MY OED agrees with Ceyln. “ **Lawk, Lawks** …vulgar form of LACK or deformation of LORD”. Also referenced: “lawk-a-daisy” or “lawk-a-mercy”; I suspect “lawks-a-lordy” was coined in the same vein. First use “lauk” in 1768; by 1845 “lawk”. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawks-a-lordy-my-bottoms-on-fire/100078/8 "2002-03-26T06:55:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gaudere \* > \*\*MY OED agrees with Ceyln. \*\* Happy happy joy joy! Gosh, flipping heck, darn, dash, lawks, holy faeces, and Gordon Bennet! The O.E.D. agrees with me? Now there’s a lovely sig, should I want one! And, **Gaudere** , you possess a full copy of the O.E.D.? Can I be your friend? \ ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawks-a-lordy-my-bottoms-on-fire/100078/9 "2002-03-26T16:15:24Z")
It may have been popularised by **The Young Ones** , but I am most familiar with it through the works of Terry Pratchett. Most notably, his witch characters use “Lawks!” when they are trying to pass themselves off as harmless old crones. The trick tends to work well when the phrase is combined with a stare like that of an arc-welder. RR