Zooks

zooks \ˈzooks\ interjection: used as a mild oath (archaic)

Etymology: short for gadzooks, perhaps from God's hooks the nails of the Crucifixion

TWENTY-SIX — Myriad ethical debates have sprung up around Project Greensleeves’ initiative and what its repercussions might be for humanity. Coined “self-directed evolution” by some liberal proponents and an “abomination of nature” by their more conservative counterparts, the issue has become a central focus of fierce political battles over presidential elections and judicial appointments. Political flames were stoked recently when a privately owned florist’s shop was firebombed by angry protesters. Police were called in to break up the demonstration, and a local law enforcement official who spoke anonymously declared, “Whereas no one questions the logic behind Project Greensleeves’ endeavors, I personally don’t know if circumventing the ‘ick’ factor of traditional ingestion is worth the cost in lives over this debate.”