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Dec 29, 2019 · As to frequency of use, it is the predicative “gobsmacked” that one encounters most frequently in contemporary British speech, defined as “Flabbergasted, astounded; speechless or incoherent with amazement.”
Jul 4, 2019 · Gobsmacked was originally a British word but has been making inroads into the U.S. since the 1980s, probably because it is so evocative, and so much fun to say. It also encapsulates the way...
- Melissa Mohr
In this episode, we’re diving into the quirky origin of the word ‘gobsmacked’—a term that’s as punchy as its meaning, conveying complete shock or astonishmen...
Jul 7, 2023 · It is a combination of two words: “gob,” meaning mouth, – a loanword from Irish – and “smacked,” meaning struck with force. The term gained popularity among the working class of Britain and quickly made its way into everyday conversation in the decades following the 1950s.
One reason why it starts to appear in print in the 1980s is that it was used by the writers of gritty television series set in northern cities, such as Alan Bleasdale’s Boys from the Blackstuff, about five Liverpudlian tarmac layers, and Coronation Street, set in a fictional suburb of Manchester (Jeffrey Miller included it in his glossary ...
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the adjective gobsmacked. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence. This word is used in British English.
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Mar 27, 2022 · The adjective gobsmacked means flabbergasted, astounded. Apparently in reference to the shock effect of being struck in the mouth, this adjective is from:– the noun gob, of Irish-Gaelic and Scottish-Gaelic origin, denoting the mouth;– the adjective smacked, meaning struck, slapped.
