This begins a series entitled, “You Probably Didn’t Know.” These will be short, concise snippets of things you may have not considered before – and things you may have not known before.
Many Christians ignorantly use by-words (slang words used in the place of the actual words) without understanding what they’re saying. This was brought home to me recently when my daughter commented how she couldn’t let her boys watch Mickey Mouse because Mickey uses LOTS of by words that she didn’t want her boys to hear (and possibly mimic). I told her that we never allowed her to watch it when she was a child. Mickey has always been a potty mouth.
Gee
Origin: 1890–95, Americanism; euphemism for JESUS
Gosh
Origin: 1750–60; euphemistic alternative of GOD
Golly
Darn
Origin: 1775-85; –verb (used with object)- to curse; damn
Doggone
Jeez
Origin: 1920–25, Americanism; euphemistic shortening of Jesus
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it should suffice to get you to think about the words you use.
Christians should have speech that more pure than Mickey Mouse.
*All information is from dictionary.com, but the origins are without controversy. Most terms are equal to using the Lord’s name in vain. Serious infractions against the Creator. Certainly something no Christian should ever do.
