gracious

a gracious plenty

An adequate amount, typically in the context of food. Thanks to all of your generous donations, we have a gracious plenty to bring down to the homeless shelter. No second helpings for me, please—I've already had a gracious plenty.
See also: gracious, plenty

good gracious

A mild exclamation of surprise, alarm, dismay, annoyance, or exasperation. Good gracious, look at the time! How is it nearly midnight already? Good gracious, Bill, would it kill you to take out the trash once in a while? Good gracious, that cyclist nearly hit me!
See also: good, gracious

goodness gracious

A mild exclamation of surprise, alarm, dismay, annoyance, or exasperation. Goodness gracious, look at the time! How is it nearly midnight already? Goodness gracious, Bill, would it kill you to take out the trash once in a while? Goodness gracious, that cyclist nearly hit me!
See also: goodness, gracious

goodness gracious me

A mild exclamation of surprise, alarm, dismay, annoyance, or exasperation. Goodness gracious me, look at the time! How is it nearly midnight already? Goodness gracious me, I'll never get this report finished on time!
See also: goodness, gracious

oh my goodness gracious

A mild exclamation of surprise, alarm, dismay, annoyance, or exasperation. Oh my goodness gracious, what a generous gift! Oh my goodness gracious! Don't scare me like that!
See also: goodness, gracious, oh
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

(a) gracious plenty

 and an elegant sufficiency
Euph. enough (food). No more, thanks. I have a gracious plenty on my plate. At Thanksgiving, we always have an elegant sufficiency and are mighty thankful for it.
See also: gracious, plenty
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

goodness gracious

Also, good gracious; gracious sakes. Exclamation of surprise, dismay, or alarm, as in Goodness gracious! You've forgotten your ticket. Both goodness and gracious originally alluded to the good (or grace) of God, but these colloquial expressions, which date from the 1700s, are not considered either vulgar or blasphemous.
See also: goodness, gracious
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • a gracious plenty
  • gracious plenty
  • plenty
  • an elegant sufficiency
  • elegant
  • sufficiency
  • oh my goodness gracious
  • revert to type
  • off to a running start
  • generous to a fault
References in periodicals archive
AUSTRALIA PENS: Foley, To'omua We've been gracious in defeat for a long time
She said her grandma would tell them about mischievous herd boys who would spend time looking for giant snakes and ended up losing their cattle and her (grandmother) imaginative tales inspired Gracious to write Gole Dema because she wanted to capture a story that reminded her of their childhood.
Syal, 53, was joined at the Buckingham Palace investiture ceremony by her husband, actor Sanjeev Bhaskar ,who has appeared alongside her in The Kumars and Goodness Gracious Me.
GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME SPECIAL 2014 (BBC2, Monday, 10pm) THE cast of GOODNESS Gracious Me have reunited for a 30-minute special episode as part of BBC2's 50th anniversary celebrations.
However, calling Miley Cyrus gracious is without reason.
Brenda Cronin (author); GRACIOUS LIVING WITHOUT SERVANTS; Stoneslide Books (Fiction: Literary) 14.95 ISBN: 9780985233839
Meera, born in Wolverhampton, shot to fame 17 years ago in Goodness Gracious Me and also starred in The Kumars At No.
Gracious Home has named former Ralph Lauren and Williams-Sonoma executive Ashley Fothergill as its president.
Connecticut, May 10 -- Woodbridge International is pleased to announce the sale of the assets of its client, Gracious Gifts, Inc.
Goodness Gracious brings together everything you need to invigorate your body, mind and spirit.
I've worked with him on numerous occasions and he was very gracious to me about the fact I am playing Eddie.
The series, in which a Pakistani pokes fun at his own culture, partly springs out of Goodness Gracious Me - and Dave Allen.
We looked and could hardly believe, There on the screen, eyes do not deceive, Was our gracious Queen with a famous man?
Gracious of the Ohio State University Columbus, and her colleagues.