Oh my god?

The latter, oh my gosh, is a euphemism, used because the more conservative christians among us have this thing about using the 'lord's name in vain' (ie invoking a higher power for minor surprises).

These days someone saying 'oh my gosh' is like a three year old saying 'I gotta go number ones'.

It was mostly invoked by cartoons and television so as not to upset American moral watchdogs.

Like most euphemisms it lacks the power of the original.

In some cases it doesn't fit at all - for example: If you were making passionate love and yelling 'oh my gosh, oh my gosh' over and over again you might well find yourself laughed, if not kicked, out of the bed.

If you are with very conservative types just avoid using it. Instead, when you are shocked by something, just yell 'F*CK!' :wink:

My dad always used to swear by saying "Judas priest", which I suppose is probably also a euphemism instead of "Jesus Christ" (same thing as above--violating a commandment by "taking the lord's name in vain"). Similarly, saying "jeez" when p"ssed off.

Jeez, jeepers and GEE WHIZ are both euphemisms for Jesus Christ. Golly is also used for God

While I'm thinking of it I'm pretty sure SHUCKS is a meld of sh*t and f*ck - but that's just my theory.

Not sure about that. The only context I've heard "shucks" in (and not much at all since thirty or forty years ago) is when one is being sort of bashfully modest about something, which is not the sort of context one would be likely to say "sh*t", I don't think.

(How do you pronounce an asterisk anyway?)

Interesting example about making love, thanks anyway