student asking question

Can I use "girl" as an interjection instead of "boy"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Oh boy" is used an exclamation of happiness or joy. Unfortunately, "oh girl" isn't used in these kinds of contexts, and would sound awkward. Using "oh boy" like the speaker here would sound the most natural. Ex: Oh boy, our food's here! Dig in! Ex: The food's here! Oh boy. Sometimes, it can also be used to express disappointment, surprise, or annoyance (by feigning excitement in a sarcastic way). Ex: Oh boy, we have an exam tomorrow. Great. Ex: Oh boy, I missed my bus. What do I do now?

Popular Q&As

04/21

Complete the expression with a quiz!