# The Word of "G-d"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-of-g-d/147005>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 6, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-of-g-d/147005 "2003-01-06T20:28:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-of-g-d/147005/1 "2003-01-06T20:28:42Z")

</div>

No, this isn’t a religious debate. Just wondering why some posters use “G-d” instead of “God.”

I’ve noticed one or two of the dopers who use the former are Jewish. Is it a reverence for the name of God, as it wasn’t to be spoken? (sorry if that’s way off base; I’m Christian and haven’t studied enough about Judaism to know the traditions and such.) Or is it someone deciding not to show any reverence whatsoever and using the not-name out of spite?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-of-g-d/147005/2 "2003-01-06T20:38:10Z")

</div>

This has been discussed several times, but I’m not able to find anything on search.

Basically, yes, it is a reverence for the Name of God, usually used by traditional (orthodox) Jews.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-of-g-d/147005/3 "2003-01-06T20:38:51Z")

</div>

I think it’s from moving a “G” and a “d” together from either side of your nose until that little wienie bar just kinda floats in space between them.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-of-g-d/147005/4 "2003-01-06T20:40:39Z")

</div>

I agree with both of the OP’s suggestions–in some cases it’s reverence, in other cases it’s lack thereof.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-of-g-d/147005/5 "2003-01-06T20:51:55Z")

</div>

The last time this came up, as [G-d?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=139333), I found several of the earlier posts on the subject and listed them in my posts of 10-13-2002 12:42 PM and 10-13-2002 12:58 PM.

(The trick to finding these threads is to search on “adonai” since the three characters “g-d” are too short to be used as SDMB search arguments.)

Aside from **lieu** ’s attempt at humor, I have never seen it used to except to show respect. (And I would not consider **lieu** ’s post to be deliberately disrespectful.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-of-g-d/147005/6 "2003-01-06T23:46:59Z")

</div>

Thanks **tom**.

I am a G-d fearing man.