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As in most languages, God figures in a lot of expressions and exclamations, and English is no exception. However, care must be taken with this word so as to not offend anyone. In this usage, both God and Man are used to emphasize your impression of something — usually right when you're experiencing it. Here, it has a nuance of I JUST HAVE TO SAY (HOW (MUCH))... For instance, in the snippet below, as soon as the cake hits the speaker's taste buds, he realizes HOW delicious it is and can't hold his tongue.
As in most languages, God figures in a lot of expressions and exclamations, and English is no exception. However, care must be taken with this word so as to not offend anyone. In this usage, both God and Man are used to emphasize your impression of something — usually right when you're experiencing it. Here, it has a nuance of I JUST HAVE TO SAY (HOW (MUCH))... For instance, in the snippet below, as soon as the cake hits the speaker's taste buds, he realizes HOW delicious it is and can't hold his tongue.
However, this can also refer to something negative. When followed by a verb form, such as irritates in the following example, it expresses HOW MUCH you feel it; to what extent it affects you. Say your sister has a habit of talking in a whiny voice whenever she asks your dad for something. You hear her do this and can't hold your tongue... you say God, she irritates me when she talks like that! to express HOW irritating it is to you. By the same token, you could say things like God, I'd kill for a beer right now! -or- Man, I hated that movie!
However, this can also refer to something negative. When followed by a verb form, such as irritates in the following example, it expresses HOW MUCH you feel it; to what extent it affects you. Say your sister has a habit of talking in a whiny voice whenever she asks your dad for something. You hear her do this and can't hold your tongue... you say God, she irritates me when she talks like that! to express HOW irritating it is to you. By the same token, you could say things like God, I'd kill for a beer right now! -or- Man, I hated that movie!
Here, intonation is everything. God/Man is pronounced at a high pitch, depending on your level of excitement, and the next word follows immediately at your lowest pitch, and the rest of the statement stays on that low pitch... no matter how long it is! For example, God/Man, she irritates me when she talks like that! Note that there's no pause between God and she.
Also note that Man as an exclamation has nothing to do with the gender of the person you're speaking to. It can be used with women and children because you're not using it to address them directly.
This type of statement usually evaluates someone or something in some way. In this example, it basically means I can't believe how good this cake is!Note that this same evaluative emphasis can be expressed with sure: This cake sure is good, which has a different intonation — more of a singsong quality, but has the same nuance of I JUST HAVE TO SAY...
God, this cake is good. Did you make it or is it from the store?
God/Man is also commonly used when hearing oneself speak and expressing disbelief at one's own words — in a good way or bad way. For instance, in 002 Bird Watching, I said something to the effect that I found the fact that Roman was a birdwatcher somehow "adorable," and then, in the next breath, realized how condescending that sounded. One could also hear a recording of oneself and say God/Man, I sound good/bad...
When he told me he was a birdwatcher, I'll admit that I kind of chuckled to myself. Not in a mean way... more of in a "how adorable!" kind of way. God, that sounds condescending! Well you know what I mean.
How do you say this in your language?
How do you say this in your language?
It may help others if you translate the snippets into your own native language. Tell us below. And please don't forget to vote if you enjoyed this page.
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