helpful phrases for women

Greetings my friends and family and strange roving members of the public.

As I'm sure I'm not the only woman out there who sometimes feels herself at a loss of what to say, I am posting this helpful guide I recently came across:

"The following exclamations all have approximately the same meaning. They are generally used by women and express surprise, astonishment, fear, or consternation.

Heavens! Heaven forbid!
Goodness! My goodness!
Good heavens! For goodness sake!
Heaven help us! For goodness sakes!
For heaven's sake! Mercy!
For heaven's sakes! Mercy me!
Land sakes!

Other exclamations frequently used by women:

My! (said in surprise or admiration)
Oh, my! (said in surprise, admiration, or a worried fashion)
My, my! (said in surprise or in a worried fashion)
My word! (said in surprise or astonishment)
Well, I never! (said in amazement)
Eeek! (said when the speaker is frightened by a mouse or is in a similar frightening predicament)
Oh dear! (said in worry or consternation) "

From: Dobson, Julia. Effective Techniques for English Conversation Groups. OELP: Washington, DC, 2005.

At least now I know what to do in those awkward pauses.