# I requre a non-dope alternative to the use of 'god' as an expletive or expression **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 2, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199 "2006-06-02T21:05:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/1 "2006-06-02T21:05:45Z")
“What in god’s name” “oh god” “for god’s sake” Those (and more) are oft urged to be said under life’s common circumstances. But as an atheist who believes with a high degree of certainty that this ‘God’ person is nothing more than a figment of human imagination I feel a sense of guilt whenever I feel the urge. I sometimes replace ‘God’ with ‘Og’ but those outside the dope are unlikely to know who or what ‘og’ is. So what are my alternatives, if any? ---
**Author:** ![volvelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e0b2c6/32.png) [@volvelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/volvelle)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/2 "2006-06-02T21:07:54Z")
I usually go with “What the fuck?” “Oh shit” “Jumpin’ Jesus on a pogo-stick!” ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/3 "2006-06-03T00:41:42Z")
Frith Watership dpwn ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/4 "2006-06-03T00:43:07Z")
Watership Down excuse me ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/5 "2006-06-03T00:56:18Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > But as an atheist who believes with a high degree of certainty that this ‘God’ person is nothing more than a figment of human imagination I feel a sense of guilt whenever I feel the urge. Why do you feel guilty? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/6 "2006-06-03T01:07:00Z")
Bob ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/7 "2006-06-03T01:13:20Z")
“By Grabthar’s hammer!” “By the Sons of Warvan!” “A Elbereth Gilthoniel” ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/8 "2006-06-03T01:16:14Z")
“Bob dammit!” Yeah, I like that! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/9 "2006-06-03T01:18:54Z")
I second **Tomm…**'s “O Varda Starkindler” suggestion! “By Aulë’s mithralloy guts” works for me, too. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/10 "2006-06-03T01:19:19Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > “What in god’s name” > > “oh god” > > “for god’s sake” There seem like a lot of obvious options if you don’t mind swearing. But if you want ones that you can say in front of your grandma, there’s always: “What on earth” “oh my” “for pete’s sake” I’m assuming you still want the meaning of the expressions to be understood . . . otherwise, you can pretty much say whatever you want. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/11 "2006-06-03T02:00:50Z")
What about Og? ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/12 "2006-06-03T02:03:22Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > “What in god’s name” > > “oh god” > > “for god’s sake” > > So what are my alternatives, if any? I find that fuck works well for these situations. What the fuck? oh fuck, for fuck’s sake. The list goes on. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/13 "2006-06-03T02:08:38Z")
Holy Hannah! Great Honk! Dangit! Oh my golly! Holy moley! Goodness gracious me! Now guess which ones I actually use, and which I got from my kid’s Uncle Scrooge comic book. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/14 "2006-06-03T02:36:40Z")
I used to know a guy that said _“I swear to Rudy”_ all the time. Then there’s Bill Murrey’s _“Mother Puss Bucket!”_ Mine are more reseved problems like _“I am blessed”_ or _“I am thankful”_ were I mean I have a lot to be appreciated but not to imply I have some hidden power to be thankful to, as it were. I sometimes feel someone might feel better if I said _“I’ll say a prayer for you”_ but I can’t in good concience. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/15 "2006-06-03T03:05:37Z")
I’ll never get why this makes people feel guilty. I dont believe in Santa Clause, but I wouldn’t have any trouble using his name in an expression. I say “swear to god” “oh god” “pray to god” and all kinds of crap like that. I dont think it implies I believe anything in particular. And I dont think its hypocritical to say “thank god!” when something good just happened, even if I dont believe in god. When a person says that, is he really praising his holy lord? Or is he just repeating an expression? I think it’s the latter. Oh, and I always say “bless you” when someone sneezes. Because it’s polite, and not because I am excersising his demons or something. What should we say when someone sneezes? “FUCK YOU!”? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/16 "2006-06-03T03:09:07Z")
Keep that pepper away from me! ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/17 "2006-06-03T03:34:43Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > What should we say when someone sneezes? “FUCK YOU!”? You’re so good looking. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/18 "2006-06-03T03:40:54Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > What should we say when someone sneezes? “FUCK YOU!”? “Geizundheit!” or, “Tissue?” ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/19 "2006-06-03T04:19:59Z")
I hate the way “Gezunheit” sounds. And I never have a tissue to offer. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199/20 "2006-06-03T04:30:52Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > I hate the way “Gezunheit” sounds. And I never have a tissue to offer. Then how’bout “prosit?” Germans use it as a toast to health, but Scandinavians use it for sneezes. At least the ones I know do. Apparently it descends from the Latin, so it makes you sound clever too. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-requre-a-non-dope-alternative-to-the-use-of-god-as-an-expletive-or-expression/359199.md?page=2)