Good Night
Ever since becoming a Christian I have wondered the origin for the usage by Christians of "Good night!" as an expression of exclamation, unbelief or amazement rather than farewell. In similar...
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I can't find an origin either, but the meaning seems to be, more or less, "That's all I want to hear, I'm saying good-night to the subject", an equivalent to get outa here/I'm outa here/that's...
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It sounds a little fuddy-duddy maiden-auntish to me, something of an attempt to avoid the taking of God's name in vain. Night just happens to be a convenient word to tack on the end of a phrase...
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In the rural and southeast United States there must have been scores and scores of "fuddy-duddy maiden-auntish ...something of an attempt to avoid the taking of God's..." [or some other] name in vain....
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Minced oaths is one term for them; they were much-used by the Puritans of Shakespeare's time, and characters like Falstaff and Sir Toby Belch often speak scornfully of those who will not swear a 'good...
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> "Good grief, "Get outa here," "Oh, my" or a myriad list of more profane expressions.More profane expressions?! Are those 3 profane?!I realize that the first has vague roots in the Crucifixion; I...
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Just a guess. The offence in 'Oh my' might come from the belief that it's a contraction of 'Oh my God' or 'Oh my Lord'. 'Getoutahere'? Considered too peremptory-sounding? Who knows.
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