# Origin of expression "Ye Gods!" (American WW2 generation interjection) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 11, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-expression-ye-gods-american-ww2-generation-interjection/506015 "2009-08-11T01:40:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-expression-ye-gods-american-ww2-generation-interjection/506015/21 "2009-08-12T02:07:58Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Maybe the OED just liked Shakespeare. 🙂 Oh, yeah. The OED folks were just dotty about Shakespeare and a few other writers who for them represented the “true” English language. I’ve read Winchester and others about the making of the OED, but I think the book that really captures how just plain nuts the process was is [Treasure-house of the language : the living OED by Charlotte Brewer](http://www.amazon.com/Treasure-House-Language-Dr-Charlotte-Brewer/dp/0300124295/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250042373&sr=8-1). It’s a bit dry and long, but she not only talks about the weirdly impossible task that the small original group faced and mostly succeeded at, but also on how the editors of the second and third editions were dumbstruck by the huge number of mistakes, omissions, special favorites, and generally insane etymologies of the first edition. They’ve been trying for 50 years to turn the OED into something real and spending all their time running just to keep up. After reading that book I’m never surprised at anything found in the OED. There may be a recipe for Shakespeare’s favorite sherbet in there somewhere. I missed your line about that quote, though, which is why I reposted on it. Apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-expression-ye-gods-american-ww2-generation-interjection/506015/22 "2009-08-12T02:56:16Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Mind your phraseology, young lady! I haven’t seen Iowa people get so excited since the night Frank Gotch and Strangler Lewis lay on the mat for three and a half hours without moving a muscle. Ooh, that was exciting! Now you stay away from my oldest girl, or you’ll hear from me 'til who laid the rails! ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-expression-ye-gods-american-ww2-generation-interjection/506015/23 "2009-08-12T03:15:52Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I’m missing something. Why does the OED consider this a precursor of “ye gods”? Surely “the Gods” was itself a common enough pairing with no connection to the mock heroic. That is not what the OED says. Under definition **1** there are multiple uses of the definition of a deity. The fifth usage, ( **e.** ), demonstrates phrases. The two phrases offered as exemplars, (before moving on to citations), are _ye gods (and little fishes)!_ and _a feast, sight, etc. (fit) for the gods_. “Ye gods” is simply one of the possible ways in which “god” is employed in different phrases when referring to a/the deity. When placed into the quote box, vB blurs the distinctions by italicizing the entire text so that the distinction, clear in the OED, is muddled when posted, here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-expression-ye-gods-american-ww2-generation-interjection/506015.md?page=1)