# My JW nurse doesn't like it when I say Geez **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 3, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209 "2014-04-03T00:35:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![butterfiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b3f665/32.png) [@butterfiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butterfiles)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/41 "2014-04-04T01:37:11Z")
> [@BrianJ](#): > > Do you get why some Muslims are offended by non Muslims making drawings of Mohammad? > > (Seriously, why? I have no clue :D) I think some of them are genuinely offended because it’s a double whammy - bad to draw a picture, especially of a prophet, and even worse, ridicule a prophet and on top of that _our_ prophet. Plus, mob mentality. Boredom, unemployment, testosterone… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/42 "2014-04-04T04:15:18Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > \Also, I’m guessing if ‘geez’ bothers her “oh my gosh” probably does as well. Cheeses, I can’t keep track of all the things I’m not supposed to say! > [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Tell her to go fuck herself, or Jesus if she prefers. That oughta solve the problem. 🙂 > [@butterfiles](#): > > \ > Plus, mob mentality. Boredom, unemployment, testosterone… A most volatile cocktail. I run into this problem with my mom sometimes - she’s gotten more religious as she’s gotten older (she was raised Mennonite), and she doesn’t like us swearing in front of her or talking about a lot of things or watching a lot of stuff on tv. I do make some effort to be sensitive to her wishes, even in my own house - she only visits a couple of weeks a year, and I can watch my mouth for that long. Maybe you could find a compromise if you discussed it with your nurse, **butterflies**. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/43 "2014-04-04T10:59:51Z")
> [@butterfiles](#): > > You’ve got a point there Inna Minnit with Jesus in Islam. I guess I’ve never understood what is so negative about using phrases like that. I just don’t get how it’s “bad.” That said, I get that it offends people and I feel vaguely guilty about it. I’m Catholic and still don’t understand why Protestants think of “oh my God” or “Jesus” as “taking the Lord’s name in vain” (I know it and accept it, but I don’t comprehend it); to me, 99% of the time, those would count as prayer, plus the injunction is about being truthful and about how if you’re truthful, if you’re “a person of your word”, there won’t be any need to swear on the holy book of your choice, whereas if you’re untruthful no amount of swearing will make your lies true. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/44 "2014-04-04T11:26:46Z")
I had **NO** idea that “geez” could be offensive. I wonder how many people I’ve pissed off? ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/45 "2014-04-04T15:47:25Z")
> [@butterfiles](#): > > Ok, I have round the clock home care because of medical issues. One of my full-time nurses whom I have known for years (she’s a good nurse & my age with similar interests) became a Jehovah’s Witness a couple of years ago. On top of that she’s a very by the book type, loves rules, everything is black & white, so she makes a perfect Witness. > > For me, I’m a muslim with an open-minded approach in my childhood, by inclination lean towards theism/deism/agnosticism with muslim spiritual practice. So I’m not so by the rules because I don’t think it’s important. > > Anyway, I’ve noticed lately she seems to be disturbed when in the course of a day I drop a “geez” “oh my God” “Jesus!” or whatever. It’s an old habit. I’m from New York & have a lot of Catholic relatives. > > So I guess to her I’m taking the lord’s name in vain, but I think it’s kind of a compliment really & not at all in vain. In any case, it’s my verbal exclamation of choice. She hasn’t confronted me but she’s doing the nonconfrontational witness-y thing and saying things like, “hmm, you say that a lot.” > > I guess I could try to cut it out although I’m bound to slip up. I don’t want to offend her (I also don’t want her quitting). On the other hand, it is my house and significant periods of time that we’re together. Any opinions? This is lame, no? Butterfiles, my dad was a building contractor, who swore like a sailor. He hired some pretty salty helpers, too. He was doing a job for a Mormon Bishop, and once, the Bishop’s wife confronted him and said, “Your men have been using profanity and taking the Lord’s name in vain as they work on the house. Could you ask them to soften their language when they’re on this job?” I was there, as a young man, helping as a laborer. I remember his response. Cracked me up. “What? My men are using bad language? Goddamn, I’m sorry. I’ll have to straighten their asses out. (To the men), Hey, assholes, knock it off with the bad language, or I’ll kick your asses!. (To the Bishop’s wife) Sorry, Ma’am, it won’t happen again.” He did such good work, the Bishop’s family used his construction company for years thereafter. They got used to the swearing. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/46 "2014-04-04T17:10:20Z")
Remind her that she’s your employee. And tell her that you’ll play by her rules when you’re her employee. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/47 "2014-04-04T17:22:23Z")
A nice person hints nicely that something you are doing bothers them. I think your course is clear, no matter the topic or the relative positions of each person. Yes, it is difficult to change habits but I have managed to not say “mother fucker” in front of my mom for over 50 years, so it isn’t impossible. If you don’t want to change, don’t change. She can suck it up or you can suck it up when she quits. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/48 "2014-04-04T17:55:09Z")
Swearing has a [perfectly good function](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-we-swear/): it alleviates pain. If you stub your toe and swear, you’ll feel better. As your nurse she needs to stop being silly and irrational, and start caring about what actually matters, namely that you get pain relief from doing something perfectly harmless. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/49 "2014-04-04T18:23:12Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > You’re a Muslim. If you want to blaspheme, come up with phrases like “by the prophet” and such. By Grabthar’s Hammer, by the Sons of Warvan, you shall be Avenged! Or just use fictional profanity, Farscape and Battlestar Galactica are good examples Or, to really drop a strong curse, try HaB SoS’il Qch! Which is Klingon for "Your mother has a SMOOTH forehead! One of the nastiest curses in the Klingon lexicon ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/50 "2014-04-04T19:15:03Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > Or just use fictional profanity, Farscape and Battlestar Galactica are good examples I use “frell” all the time! ---
**Author:** ![butterfiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b3f665/32.png) [@butterfiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butterfiles)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/51 "2014-04-05T02:02:43Z")
> [@SirGalahad](#): > > Butterfiles, my dad was a building contractor, who swore like a sailor. He hired some pretty salty helpers, too. He was doing a job for a Mormon Bishop, and once, the Bishop’s wife confronted him and said, “Your men have been using profanity and taking the Lord’s name in vain as they work on the house. Could you ask them to soften their language when they’re on this job?” > > I was there, as a young man, helping as a laborer. I remember his response. Cracked me up. > > “What? My men are using bad language? Goddamn, I’m sorry. I’ll have to straighten their asses out. (To the men), Hey, assholes, knock it off with the bad language, or I’ll kick your asses!. (To the Bishop’s wife) Sorry, Ma’am, it won’t happen again.” > > He did such good work, the Bishop’s family used his construction company for years thereafter. They got used to the swearing. Nice story! made me laugh 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![butterfiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b3f665/32.png) [@butterfiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butterfiles)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/52 "2014-04-05T02:05:39Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I’m Catholic and still don’t understand why Protestants think of “oh my God” or “Jesus” as “taking the Lord’s name in vain” (I know it and accept it, but I don’t comprehend it); to me, 99% of the time, those would count as prayer, plus the injunction is about being truthful and about how if you’re truthful, if you’re “a person of your word”, there won’t be any need to swear on the holy book of your choice, whereas if you’re untruthful no amount of swearing will make your lies true. I would like to explore this further. What are some examples of taking the lord’s name in vain? From different religions, cultures, etc. I admit, I get it, but I don’t get it…because I’ve often thought it’s one of the most genuine prayers I’ve ever seen, simple, spontaneous, and heartfelt. ---
**Author:** ![butterfiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b3f665/32.png) [@butterfiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butterfiles)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/53 "2014-04-05T02:12:04Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > A nice person hints nicely that something you are doing bothers them. I think your course is clear, no matter the topic or the relative positions of each person. Yes, it is difficult to change habits but I have managed to not say “mother fucker” in front of my mom for over 50 years, so it isn’t impossible. > > If you don’t want to change, don’t change. She can suck it up or you can suck it up when she quits. I’m leaning towards trying to change a bit because I do like her and it’s not going to knock me out to compromise a little more. That said, I’m not going to stress it, and when I do slip, and I will, if she says something I’m just going to respond “yeah, I do say that a lot, but trying not to overdo it, old habits die hard, sorry if I’ve offended you” blah blah blah 🙂 She does good things for me 🙂 There are limits though & since I don’t know how sensitive she could get, I’m guessing a lot…so I’ll find a happy medium. It is my home and extended periods of time. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/54 "2014-04-05T02:51:59Z")
Every mention of a name of the Creator is a prayer. Every abbreviation of the Creator’s name is a nod of respect to the rules of that religion that does not permit use of the full name. These rules are well known to every parent. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/55 "2014-04-05T02:52:07Z")
> [@butterfiles](#): > > I would like to explore this further. What are some examples of taking the lord’s name in vain? From different religions, cultures, etc. I admit, I get it, but I don’t get it…because I’ve often thought it’s one of the most genuine prayers I’ve ever seen, simple, spontaneous, and heartfelt. Well, Spanish Catholic, but this might be something best explored in a different thread. There are two different things here: blasphemy and taking the Lord’s name in vain. Blasphemy is cursing the Lord or using religious concepts as curse words. The Spanish (and I have more problems writing it than saying it) _hostia_ or the Quebecois _tabernacle_. _Jesús_ when somebody sneezes or _¡Ay Dios!_ when you’re surprised, OTOH, fall under “prayer”. _Aaaay Dios_ in bed, a mystical experience, now where did I put my halo? If you don’t intend to blaspheme, it’s not blasphemy: throwing consecrated hosts to the floor and stomping on them is blasphemy, dropping a bit of one and inadvertently stepping on it is not. Taking the Lord’s name in vain is what happens when you swear on the Lord’s name that what you’re saying is true and then lie. So, about every witness in Law and Order. There is an incident in Spanish history called _la jura de [Santa Gadea](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Gadea)_, the swearing-in at St Agatha: after the murder of his elder brother Sancho made Alfonso VI king of Leon, the Castillian Parliament refused to believe the new king’s protestations that he’d had nothing to do with the murder until said king swore on the Lord’s name in the nearest church, which happened to be that one. In a perfect example of “can’t behead the whole of Parliament so I’ll take it out on the messenger”, Alfonso then proceeded to expel the person taking the swearing-in, a [Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cid) who had been his brother’s squire and standardbearer and who probably wasn’t really as blonde as Charlton Heston. If Alfonso did do it, he was taking the Lord’s name in vain. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/56 "2014-04-05T15:23:42Z")
When I’m at work, I generally have a two-tiered system of imprecations. I’ll curse like a sailor under my breath, if I’m reasonably sure there’s nobody within earshot. “For Fuck’s Sake” is one that soothes my soul pretty reliably, although I use a “dammit,” or a “goddammit” if I’m feeling provoked. If I think there’s a possibility of being overheard, I’ll say “Goodness Gracious Me” when startled. If I get annoyed, I’ll mutter “Christmas,” and real exasperation elicits “Christmas Eve RUSH!” ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/57 "2014-04-05T17:37:49Z")
> [@SirGalahad](#): > > Butterfiles, my dad was a building contractor, who swore like a sailor. He hired some pretty salty helpers, too. He was doing a job for a Mormon Bishop, and once, the Bishop’s wife confronted him and said, “Your men have been using profanity and taking the Lord’s name in vain as they work on the house. Could you ask them to soften their language when they’re on this job?” > > I was there, as a young man, helping as a laborer. I remember his response. Cracked me up. > > “What? My men are using bad language? Goddamn, I’m sorry. I’ll have to straighten their asses out. (To the men), Hey, assholes, knock it off with the bad language, or I’ll kick your asses!. (To the Bishop’s wife) Sorry, Ma’am, it won’t happen again.” > > He did such good work, the Bishop’s family used his construction company for years thereafter. They got used to the swearing. \*“Sister, these are just honest working men, who call a spade a spade.” “No they don’t, they call it a fucking shovel!” \* ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/58 "2014-04-05T19:20:46Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Taking the Lord’s name in vain is what happens when you swear on the Lord’s name that what you’re saying is true and then lie. So, about every witness in Law and Order. Therein lies your problem, as that is not the Protestant understanding. They take “vain” to mean “meaningless” (ala Ecclesiasties) and mean that you should not evoke God’s name casually. Very rarely is the person saying “Oh my God” actually praying to God. I’d never in fact heard of the idea that it meant swearing an oath to God but then violating it. For one thing, such oaths are considered wrong, so the violation of such doesn’t happen. I mean, I guess it does mean that your oath was “meaningless,” but I don’t see why the term would be restricted to that usage. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/59 "2014-04-05T19:33:59Z")
> [@butterfiles](#): > > I would like to explore this further. What are some examples of taking the lord’s name in vain? From different religions, cultures, etc. I admit, I get it, but I don’t get it…because I’ve often thought it’s one of the most genuine prayers I’ve ever seen, simple, spontaneous, and heartfelt. I fail to see how it’s a prayer in common usage. You have people saying thing like “Oh my God, look at that!” God isn’t the one being told to look. I think it’s just an exclamation of surprise. It can have joy or distress attached to it, but rarely does the speaker actually seem to be talking to God. At best, the reference to God just seems to be used as an intensifier. I don’t know any Protestant that has a problem with a genuine prayer of “Oh my God!” although, to my modern ears, it seems odd to call for God’s attention but then not actually say anything to him. So, maybe “Oh my God! How could this happen?” is a prayer. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209/60 "2014-04-06T04:41:20Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > When I’m at work, I generally have a two-tiered system of imprecations. I’ll curse like a sailor under my breath, if I’m reasonably sure there’s nobody within earshot. “For Fuck’s Sake” is one that soothes my soul pretty reliably, although I use a “dammit,” or a “goddammit” if I’m feeling provoked. > > If I think there’s a possibility of being overheard, I’ll say “Goodness Gracious Me” when startled. If I get annoyed, I’ll mutter “Christmas,” and real exasperation elicits “Christmas Eve RUSH!” FTR, I totally understand why you do this, but maaaaaaaaan this shit drives me up a goddamn wall! I’ve also heard things like, “GOD bless America!” Again, I KNOW why people do this, I really do. But aaaarrrrgh, it’s 10,000 times more annoying/irritating/aggravating to hear “GOD bless America!” or “Christmas Eve RUSH!” than just saying, “goddamnit!” or, “holy shit!” or even, “fuckin’ a!” Fuckin’ nails on a chalkboard, man. My first job as a garage tech sucked in many, many ways, but at least we could curse a blue streak whenever we got pissed (one of our mechanic’s go-to expletives was, “goddamn motherfucking cocksucking sonofaBITCH!” Miss ya, Denny!). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jw-nurse-doesnt-like-it-when-i-say-geez/685209.md?page=4)