Andrew, as soon as I saw the title of your post, the word "cringe" came to mind. We're on the same page.
Alas, I can't think of a substitute either. I prefer the more explosive "Shit!" to "Oh, shit.", but neither really works in situations like the opening word of this paragraph. "Sadly", works there - but not in other applications. On the Sphere I frequently use "Oy!" (I can do that with more authenticity than you, Maryann), but it's a word with narrow application and audience. Is there something pretentious in French we could employ? The French do a lot of sighing.
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