Goodness knows?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="goodness">goodness</span> <span word="knows">knows</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="Interest">Interest</span> <span word="rates">rates</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="low">low</span>, <span word="material">material</span> <span word="costs">costs</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="goodness">goodness</span> <span word="knows">knows</span> <span word="construction">construction</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="work">work</span>.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="everybody">everybody</span> <span word="knows">knows</span>.</p><p><span word="Goodness">Goodness</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="substitute">substitute</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="God">God</span>. “<span word="Goodness">Goodness</span> <span word="knows">knows</span>” <span word="means">means</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="as">as</span> “<span word="God">God</span> <span word="knows">knows</span>”. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="largely">largely</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="exclamation">exclamation</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="express">express</span> <span word="surprise">surprise</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="simply">simply</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="emphasis">emphasis</span>.</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="paraphrase">paraphrase</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span>:</p><p><span word="Interest">Interest</span> <span word="rates">rates</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="low">low</span>, <span word="material">material</span> <span word="costs">costs</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="construction">construction</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="work">work</span> – <span word="everybody">everybody</span> <span word="knows">knows</span> <span word="that">that</span>!</p><p><span word="Depending">Depending</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="context">context</span> “<span word="goodness">goodness</span> <span word="knows">knows</span>” <span word="can">can</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="opposite">opposite</span> – <span word="nobody">nobody</span> <span word="knows">knows</span>. <span word="Many">Many</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="boys">boys</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="girls">girls</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="hate">hate</span> <span word="sports">sports</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="refuse">refuse</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="muck">muck</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sports">sports</span> <span word="field">field</span>. <span word="Goodness">Goodness</span> <span word="knows">knows</span> <span word="why">why</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="do">do</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, “<span word="goodness">goodness</span>” <span word="as">as</span> <span word="replacement">replacement</span> <span word="for">for</span> “<span word="God">God</span>” <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="forms">forms</span> <span word="too">too</span>. <span word="Another">Another</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="commonplace">commonplace</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="is">is</span> “<span word="for">for</span> <span word="goodness">goodness</span>’ <span word="sake">sake</span>”. <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="as">as</span> “<span word="for">for</span> <span word="God">God</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="sake">sake</span>” <span word="or">or</span> “<span word="for">for</span> <span word="Christ">Christ</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="sake">sake</span>”. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="average">average</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="who">who</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="born">born</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="bred">bred</span> <span word="religious">religious</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="as">as</span> “<span word="for">for</span> <span word="heaven">heaven</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="sake">sake</span>”.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="reason">reason</span> <span word="why">why</span> “<span word="goodness">goodness</span>” <span word="replaces">replaces</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="word">word</span> “<span word="God">God</span>” <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span>, <span word="due">due</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="respect">respect</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="latter">latter</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="religious">religious</span>, <span word="you">you</span>, <span word="too">too</span>, <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hear">hear</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="word">word</span> “<span word="God">God</span>” <span word="uttered">uttered</span> <span word="pointlessly">pointlessly</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lips">lips</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="non">non</span>-<span word="believers">believers</span>.</p>
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