The English, being a restrained lot, have a long list of euphemistic phrases, many of which became part of the language before it spread to other parts of the world. The root cause of these is a wish to communicate without being explicit. This is something the English are particularly fond of, hence their long tradition of double-entendre comedy.

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Minced oaths are a sub-group of euphemisms used to avoid swearing when expressing surprise or annoyance. If you hit your thumb with a hammer when great aunt Edith is in the room what do you say? It's probably going to be a minced oath. Shakespeare might have resorted to 'gadzooks' (God's hooks - referring to the nails in the cross), we might try 'shoot' or 'freaking heck'.

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They are usually, although not exclusively, religious in nature and date from the days when it wasn't acceptable to use the name of God, Jesus or other religious notables in everyday speech. To mince your words, or mince matters, means to choose words so as not to offend anyone. Some example are 'Jiminy Cricket' (Jesus Christ), 'dagnamit' (God d--n it'), 'for Pete's sake' (for St. Peter's sake).

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It's interesting that, while we continue to generate new euphemisms, new minced oaths are few and far between. Perhaps that's because, while there are still taboos about discussing death, disability, homosexuality etc, the restrictions on swearing out loud when surprised or annoyed have slackened somewhat.

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There are many examples:

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Begorrah --> By God 
Bejabbers --> By Jesus 
Bleeding heck --> Bloody Hell 
Blimey --> Blind me 
Blinking heck --> Bloody Hell 
By George --> By God 
By golly --> By God's body 
By gosh --> By God 
By gum --> By God 
By Jove --> By God 
Cheese and Rice --> Jesus Christ 
Chrissakes --> For Christ's sake 
Christmas --> Christ 
Cor blimey --> God blind me 
Crikey --> Christ 
Criminy --> Christ 
Cripes --> Christ 
Crivvens --> Christ defend us 
Dad gum --> G-d d--n 
Dagnabbit --> G-d d--n it 
Dagnammit --> G-d d--n it 
Dang --> Damn 
Dangnabbit --> G-d d--n it 
Dangnation --> Damnation 
Darn --> Damn 
Darnation --> Damnation 
Doggone --> G-d d--n 
Drat --> God rot it 
Egad --> A God 
Figs --> F--k 
Fink --> F--k 
Flaming heck --> F--king Hell 
Flipping heck --> F--king Hell 
For crying out loud --> For Christ's sake
For Pete's sake --> For St. Peter's sake
For the love of Mike --> For St. Michael's sake 
Freaking --> f--king 
Gadzooks --> God's hooks 
Gat Dangit --> G-d d--n it 
Gee --> Jesus 
Gee whizz --> Jesus 
Gee willikers --> Jesus
Godfrey Daniel --> God 
Golly Gee willikers --> Jesus 
Good garden party --> Good God 
Good grief --> Good God 
Goodness gracious --> Good God 
Gorblimey --> God blind me 
Gosh --> God 
Gosh darned --> G-d d--ned 
Heck --> Hell 
Holy spit --> Holy s--t 
Jason Crisp --> Jesus Christ 
Jebus --> Jesus 
Jeepers Creepers --> Jesus Christ 
Jeez --> Jesus 
Jeezy Creezy --> Jesus Christ 
Jehosaphat --> Jesus 
Jiminy Christmas --> Jesus Christ 
Jiminy Cricket --> Jesus Christ 
Judas Priest --> Jesus Christ 
Land sakes --> For the Lord's sake 
Lawks a mercy --> Lord have mercy 
My goodness --> My God 
My gosh --> My God 
Odds-bodkins --> God's sweet body 
Sacré bleu --> Sang de Dieu (God's blood) 
Sam Hill --> Hell 
Shoot --> sh-t
Shucks --> sh-t
Strewth --> God's Truth 
Suffering succotash --> Suffering Saviour
Sugar --> shit 
Tarnation --> Damnation 
What in Sam Hill? --> What in damn Hell? 
Wish to goodness --> Wish to God 
Zounds --> God's wounds