(May 16, 2013 at 5:51 am)purplepurpose Wrote: Why in most unpleasant and most pleasant situations people say omg? Even if they don't believe in God.

When I stub my toe I say FUCK. It does not mean that I expect to receive a fuck.

Its just words man just words.

Tbh, I don't think I'l heard anyone say OMG in real life... I just hear people saying oh my god. Or maybe I just don't pay enough attention to people, because people suck.

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(May 16, 2013 at 11:02 am)ChadWooters Wrote: It all started with the tv show "Friends". They were saying 'oh my god' all the time. Then kids started saying it. Then it was shorted for texting. Now they just say OMG. Soon it will join the ranks of "groovy" and "far out". The sooner the better.

The only bit of that phrase that came from Friends was saying it like OH.... MY.... GOD...

"Oh my god" has been being used for far longer.

Clearly a person saying "OMG" secretly believes there is a real "G", but is full of deceit and self-deception and this comes out during stress.

Just like when I accidentally hit my hand with a hammer and say "Jesus Fucking Christ in a sidecar!", I am actually thinking Jesus is fucking Christ in that sidecar. Not much space, true, but when you're a god, you get to do things like that.

(May 16, 2013 at 11:02 am)ChadWooters Wrote: It all started with the tv show "Friends". They were saying 'oh my god' all the time. Then kids started saying it. Then it was shorted for texting. Now they just say OMG. Soon it will join the ranks of "groovy" and "far out". The sooner the better.

People have been saying "Oh My God!" since waaay longer than that. I mean, there is a letter to Winston Churchill that actually says "OMG" and "Oh my god!" is used in a lot of old books. Off the top of my head, I remember it being used a lot in Dracula, and that was published in 1897.

(May 16, 2013 at 5:51 am)purplepurpose Wrote: Why in most unpleasant and most pleasant situations people say omg? Even if they don't believe in God.

Because it's so much quicker and easier to say than "Holy fucking ass-crackers, Batman!"

(May 16, 2013 at 2:59 pm)Faith No More Wrote:

(May 16, 2013 at 5:51 am)purplepurpose Wrote: Why in most unpleasant and most pleasant situations people say omg? Even if they don't believe in God.

But not quite as quick as 'oh shit'

Because it's so much quicker and easier to say than "Holy fucking ass-crackers, Batman!"

(May 16, 2013 at 5:51 am)purplepurpose Wrote: Why in most unpleasant and most pleasant situations people say omg? Even if they don't believe in God.

Oh mahh gawwd *hand-flip*

* Violet doesn't feel like actually illustrating the thought and projection behind 'oh my god' at this time, and you probably wouldn't understand it anyway, so it's just as well

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(May 16, 2013 at 6:01 am)Fidel_Castronaut Wrote: but saying 'oh my god' has generally just become a colloquialism due to its use for several decades (if not longer). I don't think the concept of a 'god' has any real meaning in its use.

Everything nonformal or nonliterary is a colloquialism. It's never not been a colloquial phrase. Can you imagine a formal "Oh my God"?

You're largely correct, 'oh my god' is rarely used as a proper cry to a heavenly body. But then, why is a lady's labored usage of this phrase not religiously inspired?

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(May 16, 2013 at 10:03 am)paulpablo Wrote: I used to say Gordon Bennett, even though I don't know who he is, maybe I should google it if I can be bothered.

You can't be bothered with all that much, can you, Paulie?

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(May 16, 2013 at 11:02 am)ChadWooters Wrote: It all started with the tv show "Friends". They were saying 'oh my god' all the time. Then kids started saying it. Then it was shorted for texting. Now they just say OMG. Soon it will join the ranks of "groovy" and "far out". The sooner the better.

Groovy and far out have niche uses now, do you really want to see what we'll come up with when OMG drops to a more nuanced usage (plz not yolo swag...)?

In a not-so-popular MMO, they had a little bit of revisionism for "OMG" by defining it as Oh My Gosh. I laffed.

I think they say it because deep down they know God exists But I'm not joking when I say that some Atheists do invoke God in life-threatening situations, or in times of desperation, I guess they have nothing to lose in moments like that and their sincerity is very high at that point.

What about "holy crap"? Is anyone really suggesting that some sort of divine excrement is pertinent to the situation?