[
johv] 
| 3. | by Jove! (an exclamation used to emphasize an accompanying remark or to express surprise, approval, etc.): It was a good fight, by Jove! |
| Jove (jōv) n. Roman Mythology See Jupiter. [Middle English, from Archaic Latin Iovis or from Latin Iov-, stem of Iuppiter; see dyeu- in Indo-European roots.] |
by Jove
Also, by cracky. Used to express surprise or emphasis. For example, By Jove, I was glad to see her, or It was a great day, by cracky. These mild oaths are euphemisms, the first for "by Jesus" or "by God" (Jove is another name for Jupiter, the principal Roman god), and the folksy variant by cracky for "by Christ." Both idioms may be dying out.