What is your most frequently used expression of surprise?

[curiousmarcus]

I was just wondering what your most frequently used expressions of surprise are. I'm interested to see how different they'll be among those who frequently reply to my threads. Thank you.

 

[Matthew Wai]

http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/astonished

 

[curiousmarcus]

I must have phrased it wrong. I was talking about interjections. What do you use most frequently? Something along the lines of Oh my God!

 

[Matthew Wai]

http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/ah
http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/wow_1

 

[curiousmarcus]

I'm asking because I'm interested in how interjections differ among native speakers across the world. What do you often use that you would consider only common in your area of the world?

 

[emsr2d2]

My most commonly used ones are probably "Oh my god!" and "Bloody hell!" (I'm pretty sure the latter is used almost exclusively in BrE and AusE but I could be wrong). For something particularly surprising or shocking, I do say "Sh*t!" a lot!

Be aware that some of the expressions you're probably going to get in this thread can be considered offensive (or even blasphemous) so I don't recommend actually using them but it's useful for learners to know that they'll hear them.

In that vein, a good example of one that I've only ever heard in southern England (possibly, so far, only in London when I worked there) is "Christ on a bike!"

 

[Matthew Wai]

I did not know that 'fool me' could be used to express surprise.
You live and learn!

 

[emsr2d2]

Interestingly, despite my previous answer, when I told my mum about this thread, before I'd told her what my answer was, she said "Oh, that's easy. You say "F*ck" for just about everything!" I thought about it and she's probably right. "F*ck me!", "Holy f*ck" and the very basic "F*cking hell" are frequently to be heard emanating from my oh-so-ladylike facial orifice.

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

Holy sh*t for me.