diff --git a/__init__.py b/__init__.py
index 9dabe82..5bac297 100644
--- a/__init__.py
+++ b/__init__.py
@@ -35,59 +35,59 @@ OPENING_INTERJECTIONS = [
 
 # Vocabulary replacements - case-insensitive regex patterns
 # Format: (pattern, replacement)
+# Uses [!,] to match both exclamation and comma contexts
+# SpongeBob phrases always end with ! - the emphasis carries the emotion
 VOCABULARY_PATTERNS = [
-    # Exclamations (surprise, excitement) - standalone or at start
-    (r'\bWow!\s', 'Tartar sauce! '),
-    (r'\bWow!\Z', 'Tartar sauce!'),
-    (r'\bWow,', 'Tartar sauce,'),
+    # Wow - surprise/excitement
+    (r'\bWow[!,](\s)', r'Tartar sauce!\1'),      # Wow! or Wow, → Tartar sauce!
+    (r'\bWow!\Z', 'Tartar sauce!'),            # Wow! at end of string
+    (r'\bWow,', 'Tartar sauce,'),              # Keep existing comma pattern for variety
     
-    # Amazing variations
-    (r'\b[Aa]mazing!\s', 'Holy Krabby Patties! '),
+    # Amazing - praise/excitement
+    (r'\b[Aa]mazing[!,](\s)', r'Holy Krabby Patties!\1'),
     (r'\b[Aa]mazing!\Z', 'Holy Krabby Patties!'),
     
-    # Excellent
-    (r'\b[Ee]xcellent!\s', 'Holy fish paste! '),
+    # Excellent -satisfaction
+    (r'\b[Ee]xcellent[!,](\s)', r'Holy fish paste!\1'),
     (r'\b[Ee]xcellent!\Z', 'Holy fish paste!'),
     
-    # Great
-    (r'\bGreat!\s', 'Barnacles! '),
+    # Great -emphasis (case-sensitive, only "Great" not "great")
+    (r'\bGreat[!,](\s)', r'Barnacles!\1'),
     (r'\bGreat!\Z', 'Barnacles!'),
     
-    # Perfect
-    (r'\b[Pp]erfect!\s', 'Holy cephalopod! '),
+    # Perfect - satisfaction
+    (r'\b[Pp]erfect[!,](\s)', r'Holy cephalopod!\1'),
     (r'\b[Pp]erfect!\Z', 'Holy cephalopod!'),
     
-    # Fantastic
-    (r'\b[Ff]antastic!\s', 'Holy shrimp! '),
+    # Fantastic - excitement/praise
+    (r'\b[Ff]antastic[!,](\s)', r'Holy shrimp!\1'),
     (r'\b[Ff]antastic!\Z', 'Holy shrimp!'),
     
-    # Brilliant
-    (r'\bBrilliant!', 'Great Barrier Reef!'),
+    # Brilliant - praise (British flavor, matches both cases)
+    (r'\b[Bb]rilliant[!,](\s)', r'Great Barrier Reef!\1'),
+    (r'\b[Bb]rilliant!\Z', 'Great Barrier Reef!'),
     
-    # Damn frustration
-    (r'\b[Dd]amn!', 'Barnacles!'),
-    (r'\b[Dd]amn,', 'Aw, barnacles,'),
+    # Damn - frustration/mild swearing
+    (r'\b[Dd]amn!', 'Barnacles!'),              # Damn! → Barnacles!
+    (r'\b[Dd]amn,', 'Aw, barnacles,'),          # Damn, → Aw, barnacles,
     
-    # Ugh frustration
-    (r'\bUgh!', 'Fish paste!'),
-    (r'\bUgh,', 'Aw, fish paste!'),
+    # Ugh - frustration
+    (r'\bUgh!', 'Fish paste!'),                 # Ugh! → Fish paste!
+    (r'\bUgh,', 'Aw, fish paste!'),             # Ugh, → Aw, fish paste!
     
-    # Fantastic praise
-    (r'\b[Ff]antastic!', 'Mother of Pearl!'),
-    
-    # Common openers
-    (r'\bWell,', "Flappin' flounders,"),
-    (r'\bOh,', 'Oh, barnacles,'),
+    # Common openers - conversational fillers
+    (r'\bWell,', "Flappin' flounders,"),         # Well, → Flappin' flounders,
+    (r'\bOh,', 'Oh, barnacles,'),               # Oh, → Oh, barnacles,
 ]
 
 # Patterns to preserve (never transform)
 PRESERVE_PATTERNS = [
     r'```[\s\S]*?```',  # Code blocks
-    r'`[^`]+`',  # Inline code
+    r'`[^`]+`',          # Inline code
     r'https?://[^\s]+',  # URLs
-    r'~/[^\s]+',  # File paths starting with ~
-    r'/[a-zA-Z][^\s]*',  # Absolute paths (start with /)
-    r'\$[^\n]+',  # Shell commands
+    r'~/[^\s]+',        # File paths starting with ~
+    r'/[a-zA-Z][^\s]*', # Absolute paths (start with /)
+    r'\$[^\n]+',        # Shell commands
 ]
 
 
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ def transform_vocabulary(response_text: str, session_id: str = "", model: str =
         transformed = transformed.replace(f"\x00PRESERVE{i}\x00", original)
     
     # Add random opening interjection (25% chance)
-    # Configurable via SPONGEBOB_INTERJECTION_CHANCE env var(0.0-1.0)
+    # Configurable via SPONGEBOB_INTERJECTION_CHANCE env var (0.0-1.0)
     interjection_chance = float(os.environ.get("SPONGEBOB_INTERJECTION_CHANCE", "0.25"))
     
     if random.random() < interjection_chance:
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ def transform_vocabulary(response_text: str, session_id: str = "", model: str =
         )
         
         if not already_interjected:
-            # Prepend interjection with newline separator
+            # Prepend interjection with space separator
             transformed = f"{interjection} {transformed}"
             logger.info(f"[spongebob-vocab] Prepended interjection: {interjection}")
     
@@ -162,6 +162,6 @@ def register(ctx):
     """Register the transform hook with Hermes."""
     ctx.register_hook("transform_llm_output", transform_vocabulary)
     logger.info("[spongebob-vocab] Registered transform_llm_output hook")
-    
+
 
 __all__ = ["transform_vocabulary", "register"]
\ No newline at end of file