If the good Lord is willing.
Should the “g” be capitalized? Not because of who it refers to, but because it’s in a title.
Peace,
mangeorge
In the the title of what? A book? Thread? Huh?
If you mean “title” as in label on something, then “good” should be the same capitalization as “willing.” Upper or lower case is then a matter of which style manual you follow.
If you mean “title” as in honorific, then “good” should be capitalized, just like Senator or Prime Minister.
I thought he might mean that, but “Good Lord” isn’t a title. “Lord” is (sometimes). “Lord” in “the good Lord willing” is a name, not a title, and “good” is an adjective, which isn’t capitalized. I can’t think of any titles off the top of my head that have “Good” in them.
in the example I provided. Did I do it wrong? Did the “g” reference confuse things?
Huh?
That’s what I’m asking. I think “Good Lord” in this case is obvious enough to be a title. Most any reference to Jesus or God gets a cap. It’s pretty clear that we’re not talking about the boss of the manor.
I’m here to learn, fer crissakes.
Well, my APA Publication Manual wasn’t any help, sorry. It avoids any mention of deities in the capitalization section.
Please don’t interpret any of the above as any kind of a snarky comment. Just trying to help, but wasn’t much, I know.
In the phrase “the good Lord willing”, “good” is an adjective. “Lord” is a name - not a title.
To reiterate what others have already asked: It’s the word “title” that’s ambiguous.
Is “If the Good Lord is Willing” a title of something like a book?
Or:
Is “good” simply an adjective modifying the title “Lord”?
If it’s the latter, why would you capitalize “good”? Other examples would be a good American, a good Christian, etc.
Or “the good King Wenceslas”.
Two people leaving work:
James, “Good night, see ya in the morning”.
Pete, “If the good lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise”.
I think it’s asumed that the lord here is good.
I’ve seen that. I’ve also seen “His Most Wise and Just King” and so on.
It’s not assumed if it’s stated outright. Good = adjective here.
Can I ask what this is for? Did this derive from a discussion somewhere? Maybe some context can help us help you understand.
I think the source of confusion stems from the use of a definite article. Consider whether it’s the Good American or the good American (or, in some cases like band names, The Good American). “The” makes it read almost as if the phrase after it is a functional title/whole proper noun rather than a noun with a modifier.
I’m not confused. Really. I believe what you guys are saying.
Other references to Jesus are upper case, like Baby Jesus, Christ Child, Him, He, The Son, etc. Even Bible is. How about the Good Book.
Maybe I’m so curious because I’m not religious.
Yes, I think of "Good Lord’, when used in this way to mean “Jesus”, as a proper name.
A title, in the sense of an official epithet, is capitalized, but an adjective not part of a title, even if commonly used with it, is not. King Louis the Fat has “Fat” capitalized because it is a part of the “official” epithet applied to that particular king. King St. Wenceslas III of Bohemia, he who looked out on St. Stephen’s Day, is described as “good” but it is not an official epithet, and hence not capitalized uness beginning a sentence (or line of verse).
In a title of a work of art, the initial word, and all subsequent words except articles and short conjunctions and prepositions, are capitalized. “The oracle”, “And Quiet Flows the Don”, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” but “A Jouenwy Through the American States” (‘through’, though a preposition, is long enough to capitalize).
How about “Do you serve the Good Lord or the Evil Lord of Darkness?”
In that case, it seems to me that the ‘good’ or ‘evil’ is needed to distinguish between the Lords, so it is part of the title, and so should be capitalized.
No. “Good” and “evil” are, as mentioned several times, adjectives that do a perfectly good job of describing who you’re talking about without having to include them in a title. If one of the Lords were orange, would you capitalize “orange”? Or what if one of them was unhappy? No - adjectives do just fine on their own without making them into a Winnie-the-Pooh story where E.E. Milne randomly capitalizes words to show just how Very Important they are.
You know something, Munch, you’re right. But it just doesn’t look good. I think I take license and go with Milne on this one. And, of course with t-bonham, a poet if ever there was one. 
Eighty per-cent of feeling good is looking good.