why (modern equivalent)

[englishhobby]

What interjection can be used in modern English as an equivalent to the old fashioned Why! (meaning surprise).
I need some up-to-date interjection to be used in the following micro dialogue:

Let Dave help Lily. - Why! Dave? He is meeting Steve!

Here's the entry in the dictionary which says the word Why! as an interjection is outdated:

http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/why_2


P.S. Can Hey! or Huh! be used in this context?

[Matthew Wai]

Is 'Wow!' OK? See http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/wow_1

Not a teacher.

[englishhobby]

Wow expresses very big surprise and I need some "milder" surprise without "being very much impressed by something".
Maybe Why! could be OK (I'm making up a microdialogue for my students), but the dictionary says it's old-fashioned

[Charlie Bernstein]

Your exclamation point confused me. A comma is correct: Why, Pablo, what a wonderful painting!"

It's still used, though you might be right that it's on the way out. I haven't noticed. Nothing has replaced it. Nothing needs to. Words and expressions die natural deaths, and new words and expressions are constantly born, but there is never a one-to-one exchange.

You could also say "Whoa, Pablo...." or "Man, Pablo...." which are newer. "There are also the older "Gee, Pablo...." and "Hey, Pablo...."

There are a lot of choices. Keep listening to English speakers and you'll get the hang of it.

[englishhobby]

Your exclamation point confused me. A comma is correct: Why, Pablo, what a wonderful painting!"

And in my particular example, would the following be correct:
Let Dave help Lily. - Why, Dave meets Steve! (= it was agreed before that Dave meets Steve, so he can't meet Lily)