Thank you, God - capitalization question

@porso,

porso wrote:

When writing "Thank you, God" is the "you" capitalized as it is a reference to God???

It shoud be

David

Not everybody agrees that the "You" should be capitalised. It is a matter of choice.

0 Replies

@OmSigDAVID,

I disagree, since thank you is rather like grazie, gracias, and many other words that were not biblical language, assuming you are speaking of the abrahamic god.

This question is about at least two subjects - the reverential use of the word god (some never spell it out, from reverence) and some see no need to personally follow that. Plus, g being capitalized, or not, can be a matter of belief.

Next question to me is about capitalization itself. I use it less and less, not only about religions but countries and languages. If I were writing an article for a well distributed magazine, I might capitalize as is the practice with some of our best judges of that, but otherwise, I see no need to ramp up letters for words that don't start sentences, though I do it sometimes.

2 Replies

@ossobuco,

And the ad is,

The Difference is Jesus

Does anyone click on these?

Reminds me of,

After watching sales falling off for three straight months at Kentucky Fried Chicken, the Colonel calls up the Pope and asks for a favor.
The Pope says, "What can I do?"
The Colonel says, "I need you to change the daily prayer from, 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily chicken'. If you do it, I'll donate 10 Million Dollars to the Vatican." The Pope replies, "I am sorry. That is the Lord's prayer and I can not change the words." So the Colonel hangs up.

After another month of dismal sales, the Colonel panics, and calls again. "Listen your Excellency. I really need your help. I'll donate $50 million dollars if you change the words of the daily prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily chicken.'"
And the Pope responds, "It is very tempting, Colonel Sanders. The church could do a lot of good with that much money. It would help us to support many charities. But, again, I must decline. It is the Lord's prayer, and I can't change the words." So the Colonel gives up again.

After two more months of terrible sales. The Colonel gets desperate. "This is my final offer, your Excellency. If you change the words of the daily prayer from, 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily chicken' I will donate $100 million to the Vatican." The Pope replies, "Let me get back to you."

So the next day, the Pope calls together all of his bishops and he says, "I have some good news and I have some bad news. The good news is that KFC is going to donate $100 million to the Vatican." The bishops rejoice at the news.
Then one asks about the bad news. The Pope replies, "The bad news is that we lost the Wonder Bread account."

1 Reply

That's like the one where the Mafia capos are having their annual meeting and one bets the others that he can get the Pope to have sex with a woman that he will supply. They all refuse to believe that he can do it, so he goes to to the Pope and offers him 1 million dollars - No, says the Pope, I'm-a da Pope, I'm-a celibate, are you crazy or what, Mama mia! How can you think of such a thing, etc. He goes back & offers 10 million, same answer. (How many repeated offers and how much you make the sum increase are your options, same answer though) Anyhow, at the final sum let's say 100 billion or whatever, the Pope says, (you have to imagine a heavy Italian accent, so it's a-clearly not-a da present-a Papa) "OK I'll a-do it! But I have-a da four condizione! One-a! she's a-gotta be blind, so she can't-a see who I am! Two-a! She's a-gotta be deaf, so she can't a-hear who I am! Three-a! She's a-gotta be a dumb, so she can't-a tell nobody who I am, if she found out somehow!" "OK", says the capo, "but what's the fourth condition?" (Highlight next line to see punchline)
"It's this," says the Pope. "She's gotta have-a da great big bazoomas!"

0 Replies

@ossobuco,

ossobuco wrote:

I disagree, since thank you is rather like grazie, gracias,
and many other words that were not biblical language,
assuming you are speaking of the abrahamic god.

I believe that reasoning is flawed, in that the practices of alien languages
shoud not correctly influence the logic of English grammar.
(I shoud acknowledge that this actually has been the case [in error] qua
the rule against splitting infinitive verbs, because in Latin,
the infinitive is one word; that is flawed justification. I refuse to comply with that rule.)

ossobuco wrote:

This question is about at least two subjects -
the reverential use of the word god (some never spell it out, from reverence)
and some see no need to personally follow that.

Plus, g being capitalized, or not, can be a matter of belief.

That is a non sequitur: because it is a proper noun.
If u don 't believe in Shangri-la nor in Sherlock Holmes,
do u write of them without capitalization ?

If u do not believe in Zeus, nor in James Bond,
u shoud practice normal capitalization rules,
unless u have a good logical reason for not doing it.

ossobuco wrote:

Next question to me is about capitalization itself.
I use it less and less, not only about religions but countries and languages.
If I were writing an article for a well distributed magazine,
I might capitalize as is the practice with some of our best judges
of that, but otherwise, I see no need to ramp up letters for words
that don't start sentences, though I do it sometimes.

If u refuse to capitalize for proper nouns,
then Y bother for the beginnings of sentences?

1 Reply

@JTT,

Even I didn't see that punch line coming..

0 Replies

@OmSigDAVID,

You are talking to me about english grammar?

2 Replies

@ossobuco,

OmSig, offering his insights on the English language, now that really is hilarious!

0 Replies

The word "god" isn't necessarily capitalized either. It depends on whether "god" refers to a specific deity, or just a general designator of a run of the mill celestial being,

You wouldn't capitalize "teacher" in "Thank you, teacher". I think "Thank you, Mom" is correct, but so is "Thank you, cousin" (since one generally has many cousins).

I have never had the reason nor the opportunity to thank a deity. But I have said "thank you man".

1 Reply

@ossobuco,

ossobuco wrote:

You are talking to me about english grammar?

Yes

0 Replies

@ebrown p,

ebrown p wrote:

The word "god" isn't necessarily capitalized either.
It depends on whether "god" refers to a specific deity,
or just a general designator of a run of the mill celestial being,

As I said above, it depends on whether u r using the word as a proper noun or not.
When referring to the gods of Greek mythology "gods" is not a proper noun.

ebrown p wrote:

You wouldn't capitalize "teacher" in "Thank you, teacher".

U woud if u were referring to him personally, as his name, as a proper noun,
as distinct from his category.

Whether u call him "Swifty" or "Teacher"
it is correct to capitalize its initial, if used as a proper noun.

ebrown p wrote:

I think "Thank you, Mom" is correct, but so is "Thank you, cousin" (since one generally has many cousins).

The whole point is whether u use it as a proper noun, or not.

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

Quote:

The whole point is whether u use it as a proper noun, or not.

No, the whole point is that what we call "language" both constructs and reflects social reality which is constantly shifting and being re-negotiated.

1 Reply

@fresco,

David wrote:

The whole point is whether u use it as a proper noun, or not.

fresco wrote:

No, the whole point is that what we call "language" both constructs and reflects social reality which
is constantly shifting and being re-negotiated.

That betokens very sloppy thinking. It is permeated with uncertainty, unreliability
and indication that he who expresses himself that way
has no respect for logic, but finds mistakes to be tolerable.
During the years that I was hiring for my law firm, before I retired,
I made it a point to hire better people than that, who were abundantly available.

David

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

Has it occured to you that "law" might be a profession which has a vested interest in bending language to a mythical notion of a "fixed social reality".

1 Reply

@fresco,

fresco wrote:

Has it occured to you that "law" might be a profession which has
a vested interest in bending language to a mythical notion of a "fixed social reality".

A competent lawyer will see to it that his client is not cheated by deceptive language that liberally mutates.

Its a question of playing it straight.

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

Quote:

Its a question of playing it straight

That might let lawyers sleep at night, but unfortunately, that is not the cynical view of how they often operate. Wink

1 Reply

@fresco,

fresco wrote:

Quote:
Its a question of playing it straight

That might let lawyers sleep at night, but unfortunately,
that is not the cynical view of how they often operate.

We r surrounded by bell-curved distributions,
but I don 't remember that I ever cheated anyone.

Thank you, God - capitalization question

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