Is OMG or Oh My God considered swearing (or cursing)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don't mind f*ck, sh*t, damn, etc. at all.

OK, here's a question (not just the for the PP, but lots of others as well).

Why on earth do you write f*ck and sh*t? Why not just write it out? Is it some sort of unreasoning prejudice against vowels?

It just makes no sense to me. You know what you're saying, everyone else knows what you're saying, your meaning is crystal clear. Do you really think it makes you more pure, or polite, or whatever? Is it a fear that the spyware on your company's computer will pick up on the word and nail you? Our computer overlords will not approve? What is it?

It's particularly hilarious when this fig leaf is used by someone who professes to not mind cursing at all.

lol

[Anonymous]

I personally don't say it because I don't feel comfortable using God's name like that. I don't consider it cursing, but something about it makes me uncomfortable coming from my own mouth. I don't view it the same when others say it. I don't like it when others say "Oh My God" because it can come off ditzy. I don't like it when my kids say "Oh my gosh" either. They actually say, "What the?" (leave off the ending). I'm OK with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don't mind f*ck, sh*t, damn, etc. at all.

OK, here's a question (not just the for the PP, but lots of others as well).

Why on earth do you write f*ck and sh*t? Why not just write it out? Is it some sort of unreasoning prejudice against vowels?

It just makes no sense to me. You know what you're saying, everyone else knows what you're saying, your meaning is crystal clear. Do you really think it makes you more pure, or polite, or whatever? Is it a fear that the spyware on your company's computer will pick up on the word and nail you? Our computer overlords will not approve? What is it?

It's particularly hilarious when this fig leaf is used by someone who professes to not mind cursing at all.

I'm the PP you quoted. For me it's because I naturally do not spell out curse words on the computer. A vestige most likely of law firm life and cases in which the IT department flagged me multiple times then realized I was working on rape and incest cases. Not prudish at all, just habit. If I have a prejudice, it's highly pro-vowel. Think Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, all of those beautiful, far from prudish vowels!

[Anonymous]

I never think of Oh My God or Jesus Christ as a swearing, its a statement of surprise, shock and sometime horror. If you insert a "fucking" before the last word, this it become swearing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Barnacles! Love it.

I agree, as a completely non-religeous person, that it can be offensive unless you really know your audience. And, as a non-religeous person, even I cringe a little at it.

I find nothing wrong with "Oh my gosh" or OMG (because the "G" could be gosh).

From Spongebob, yes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never think of Oh My God or Jesus Christ as a swearing, its a statement of surprise, shock and sometime horror. If you insert a "fucking" before the last word, this it become swearing.

But why would you use the name of a diety to express surprise, shock or horror. Do you sometimes also say Muhammad or Vishnu when surprised too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never think of Oh My God or Jesus Christ as a swearing, its a statement of surprise, shock and sometime horror. If you insert a "fucking" before the last word, this it become swearing.

But why would you use the name of a diety to express surprise, shock or horror. Do you sometimes also say Muhammad or Vishnu when surprised too?

Jesus Christ certainly. But for listeners to hear 'Oh My God' and be affronted because they think it's taking THEIR God's name in vain, well that's just their own religious ignorance and intolerance. I can exactly be talking about Vishnu. What gives you the right to apply my words as only talking about your God when I specifically said oh MY God?

[Anonymous]

Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not religious, but I try to reserve my utterances of "oh my god" and "god fucking damn it!" for when I'm at home, where no one else is religious.

Around others, I say "oh my gosh" and "darn it." My husband makes fun of me for it.

Jesus H. Christ is one of the ones I grew up hearing and routinely use.

Anyone know what the "H" stands for?

Two theories from the Straight Dope:

It recalls the H in the IHS logo emblazoned on much Christian paraphernalia. IHS dates from the earliest years of Christianity, being an abbreviation of "Jesus" in classical Greek characters. The Greek pronunciation is "Iesous," with the E sound being represented by the character eta, which looks like an H. When the symbol passed to Christian Romans, for whom an H was an H, the unaccountable character eventually became accepted as Jesus's middle initial.

Another theory is that the H derives from the taunting Latin inscription INRH that was supposedly tacked on the cross by Roman soldiers: Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Hebrei (Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Hebrews). Trouble is, the inscription is usually given as INRI: Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum (J.C., King of the Jews).

This is not correct. My understanding is that it stands for Herbert, after his mother's uncle, Herbert.

[Anonymous]

We used to say it religiously (haha!) until my brother started dating (and then married) an evangelical christian. Now we've corrected ourselves so as not to offend her or her family. It took awhile!

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure it's cursing. But it's very disrespectful. Our children have been taught not to say it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I try to say OMgosh around people I know would be offended, but otherwise whatever comes out is what it is.

this is what i try to do.

[Anonymous]

I had no clue that people were so sensitive.

[Anonymous]

It is impolite

[Anonymous]

We are atheist and agnostic, and we don't allow our kids to say oh my God. They can say oh my gosh, or oh my goodness, but not oh my God. That is bad, along with stupid, retarded, idiot, etc. I don't want my kids to say negative phrases or things that could offend others. We are from Baptist and Catholic families.