An exclamation of surprise, shock, or amazement — a mild, family-friendly oath that lets you vent genuine astonishment without offending anyone. Common in mid-20th century American English, it slots right in alongside 'holy cow' and 'holy smokes' as a go-to reaction when something catches you completely off guard. Still heard occasionally today, especially among older speakers or as a nostalgic throwback.
Holy cats, I can't believe they finished building that in one weekend!
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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(slang) Expressing astonishment.
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