The Ballestero Blog

Hey Christian, How Much Do You Cuss?

One night after I finished preaching, my father talked to me in private. I had used the expression, “Bless God” while preaching and Dad explained to me that I was not actually blessing God at the time. The way I was using the phrase sounded more like I was taking His Name in vain. I stopped using that expression that night.

It is so easy to pick up phrases and expressions we hear and incorporate them in our own vocabulary. I did.

As a young Christian, I heard my Pastor (Dad) and other ministers caution us about using Euphemisms, Pseudo-profanities, and Minced Oaths in our conversations.

Wikipedia says, “Euphemisms for God and Jesus, such as gosh and gee, are used by Christians to avoid taking the name of God in a vain oath, which many believe would violate one of the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20)”

Actually, most of us use words without thinking of the meaning or origin. Euphemisms are words that we use to keep from actually saying the ‘forbidden’ words. Some say words or phrases like:

Begorrah – instead of By God

Bejabbers – instead of By Jesus

Blinking heck – instead of Bloody Hell

By George – instead of By God

By Golly – instead of By God

By Gum – instead of By God

By Jove – instead of By God

Criminy, Crikey, Cripes – instead of Christ

Dang, Darn instead of Damn

Dad gum – instead of God damn

Dagnabbit – instead of God damn it

Dagnammit – instead of God damn it

Dangnabbit – instead of God damn it

Dangnation – instead of Damnation

Darnation – instead of Damnation

Doggone – instead of God damn

Drat – instead of God rot it

Egad – instead of God

For crying out loud – instead of For Christ’s sake

For Pete’s sake – instead of For St. Peter’s sake

For the love of Mike – instead of For St. Michael’s sake

Freaking, Frickin, Fudging, Feck, Fig, instead of the “F-word”

Gadzooks – instead of God’s hooks

Gat Dangit – instead of God damn it

Gee, Geez, Geeze, Jeez – instead of Jesus

Gee whizz – instead of Jesus

Gee willikers – instead of Jesus

Godfrey Daniel – instead of God damn

Good grief – instead of Good God

Goodness gracious – instead of Good God

Gosh, Golly, Gad, Goodness – instead of God

Gosh darned – instead of God damned

Heck – instead of Hell

Jeepers Creepers – instead of Jesus Christ

Jeezy Creezy –> Jesus Christ

Jehosaphat – instead of Jesus

Jiminy Christmas – instead of Jesus Christ

Jiminy Cricket – instead of Jesus Christ

Judas Priest – instead of Jesus Christ

Land sakes – instead of For the Lord’s sake

My goodness – instead of My God

My gosh – instead of My God

Sam Hill – instead of Hell

Shoot – instead of sh*t

Shucks – instead of sh*t

Suffering succotash – instead of Suffering Saviour

Tarnation – instead of Damnation

What in Sam Hill? – instead of What in damn Hell?

Wish to goodness – instead of Wish to God

My hope is that we all monitor our words and remove improper ones from our vocabulary. By-words are dangerous. Let us be careful in a careless world.

Psa. 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.