Answers to the Name of God

Bane: Oh, God!
Smith: "Smith" will suffice.

— The Matrix Reloaded

A character exclaims, "Oh, God!" Or "Jesus Christ!" or some other variation. Another character reacts as if they have been addressed. Can be used by heroes or villains, and is usually an indicator of great power, great insanity, or both; otherwise, it's Played for Laughs, especially if the person's name actually is "God."

Originally named after the dialogue exchange quoted above, when Smith starts copying himself over Bane.

If a Card-Carrying Villain, he will wryly comment that he's quite the opposite. For that, see Devil Complex.

Compare A God Am I and Blasphemous Boast. Sister Trope to Blasphemous Praise, which doesn't require a response. See also Oh, My Gods!, if alternate deities are invoked.

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Examples:

Anime & Manga

• Yhwach of Bleach, who claimed for himself the name of YHWH after learning that, as a baby, people had begun to call him by the name of the god they worshipped.
• Light Yagami of Death Note does this from time to time (particularly when talking to Mikami, who actually is addressing him). It does indicate both power and insanity, but mostly insanity.
  Mikami: God!
  Light: Yes?
  • In another variant, God is the name he most commonly uses to address himself.
• In Fist of the North Star, the ruthless savior Kenshiro invades the Land of God, a fortress where mad soldiers plan to rule over the post-apocalyptic world. While a Drill Sergeant Nasty forces a rookie to kill his own brother, this exchange ensues:
  Serge: In the country of God, only superior beings will have the title of Golan! If you wish to be chosen, kill your opponents! You must survive to build the chosen's country! God chose us to lead this war!
  Kenshiro: I don't remember choosing you.
  Serge: Wha- What?! Who said that?!
  Kenshiro: The God of Death!!
  Mooks: What do you think you're doing, bastard?!
  Kenshiro: (backhanding them) I told you that I'm the God of Death!
• The very premise of Jesus is that its hitman protagonist goes by that name because it happens to be the last word of everyone he kills.
• The dorm leader of Maria†Holic, a short menacing cat eared lady whose name is in fact God.
• In the Oneshot Shaman King: Flowers - Hana's Epoch, Hana is complaining that his life is boring and miserable and asks to God if he hates him. Cue Hao saying "Did you call?". Justified, as he is the current Shaman King who is one with the Great Spirit, so he literally is God.
• In Fairy Tail, the name of the strongest Wizard Saint in Ishgal is "God Serena", and he has a very arrogant A God Am I mentality to drive it home.

Comic Books

• One Archie Comic begins with a variation. Archie proclaims "nobody's perfect" and Reggie, ever the raging narcissist, replies "I really wish you wouldn't call me 'Nobody.'"
• A variant occurs in the Marvel Comics miniseries Captain Marvel: when Mar-Vell confronts the leader of a religion based on him, she says, "Oh my God!" and he responds, "I hope you don't mean that literally."
• Done in a The Punisher special, where a serial killer says "I like that. Being called 'God'."
• There's an older Batman comic containing an exchange between Commissioner Gordon and The Joker, after the Joker suddenly walks into the commissioner's office:
  Commissioner Gordon: Oh my God!
  Joker: (spins to look behind him) Where?! ...Oh, I see. You were addressing me.
  • In an even earlier issue (Laughing Fish, which was the basis for the below episode of the Animated Series), Joker bursts into a patent office, and the clerk remarks "Good Lord!" After asking where the Lord was and looking around. He then says "Oh, were you addressing me? A term of endearment perhaps. Admit it, you've always secretly admired me."
• In volume 1, chapter 3 of Tom Strong, Tom Strong releases the artificial intelligence Quetzalacoatl 9 from his Aztech creators.
  Moctecuzoma: Oh God. Oh, great God...
  Quetzalacoatl 9: Exactly.
• Batman, Under the Hood:
  Batman: Oh God...
  Red Hood/Jason Todd: No. Wanna guess again?
• Empire:
  Lucullan: Oh dear God.
  Golgoth: You may call me Golgoth.
• In the XXXenophile short Now Museum, a statue of four ancient goddesses comes alive and they teach a female night guard that men aren't everything. During her Immodest Orgasm she yells out "Oh My God!"... The goddesses reply "Yes?"
• Paparazzi features this exchange — and consider that Wonderboy is stupid enough for this to actually be a mistake on his part.
  Woman: Oh, sweet Jesus!
  Wonderboy: It's Wonderboy, actually. Close, though!
• From Top 10: The police get called to a crime scene, which turns out to be the murder of Baldur.
  Synesthesia: Oh, Jesus...
  King Peacock: Actually, Baldur's more of a Teutonic antecedent of Jesus, but you're in the right ballpark.
• Nick Fury does this in an issue of The Winter Soldier, when interrogating an old "associate".
  Russian politician: Oh God, oh God, oh God...
  Fury: Close enough.
• A variation appears in Midnight Nation — Lazarus, who had been told by Jesus to wait until He returned (said just before Jesus went to the Last Supper and his subsequent execution), is still waiting two thousand years later. Anytime someone exclaims "Jesus!", in response to something happening, Lazarus looks around and asks "Where?", hoping Jesus has finally returned.
• Part of Rat-Man's routine when dealing with Hollywood Jehovah's Witnesses:
  Jehovah's Witness: Good morning. Do you know God?
  Rat-Man: Yes, that's me. What do you want?
• The Ultimates: In the middle of the fight, Hulk is attacked by a thunderbolt. Nick Fury asks "What in God's name...?". Yes. It was Thor.
• Early on in Spawn, we have this exchange:
  Spawn: This street... I lived here when I was a kid... That church is where I was married... My god, what is this place?
  Malbolgia: How kind of you to call me God.

Fan Works

• This trope is a running joke in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fandom. The Princesses Celestia and Luna are ancient, possibly immortal beings who directly control the sun and the moon and regularly and visibly wield enormous magical power, so the general fan assumption is that the standard swear among residents of Equestria is something along the lines of "Oh my Celestia" or "for Luna's sake!" ^note There are a few canonical instances of ponies swearing by Celestia, but it's far less common than in fanfic. However, these beings of unfathomable power canonically are not above randomly visiting ponies for weddings, parties, festivals, and the like, which leads directly to this trope. Another term for those that wish to subvert the term with the sisters use something like "What in the name of Faust" or "Sweet mother of Faust!"
  • My Little Avengers: The following exchange occurs when Big Mac reveals to his sister that he's Thor by transforming into him:
    Applejack: Holy Celestia!
    Big Mac/Thor: Not quite.
  • Under the Northern Lights: When Luna is confronting Lord Eminence, the intimidated functionary swears by the Mare in the Moon, to which Luna replies by telling him not to take her name in vain when he's talking to her.
    "Mare in the Moon..." he mumbled.
    "Please don't take my name in vain when I am standing right here, Lord Eminence," said Luna.
• Fun With Flying, an X-Men: Evolution fanfic, has Pietro Maximoff doing this. Repeatedly.
• Occurs in Funny that Way when Loki is telling Darcy about the surveillance equipment Shield had set up in her apartment. When she starts freaking out and says "Oh my god!" he replies with a "Yes?"
• Sight: when Ichigo is too lazy to name his inner Hollow and tells him to name himself, Hollow!Ichigo mockingly tells Ichigo to call him "Kami."
• The Pieces Lie Where They Fell: Non-religious variant in the sequel Picking Up the Pieces — in chapter 5, Xvital has just entered the kitchen of their hotel penthouse suite and sees a mare working on a cake. From the smell, she deduces what kind it is, and asks "Mango cake?" The chef, who is still frosting the cake and knows exactly what she means, jokingly but truthfully responds with "That's my cousin's name, actually."
• Child of the Storm:
  • When the Physical God (and someone who was and is worshipped as one) Thor Odinson reveals that he used to be James Potter, the response from McGonagall is a stunned, "Good God." Thor grins and says, "you called?"
  • Later, while discussing the Green Lantern Ring, Fury has a "Hell, no" reaction when Clint mischievously suggests giving it to Hal Jordan.
    Fury: God knows what he'd do with it.
    Thor: I don't know. That's why I was asking you.
  • In the sequel, Ghosts of the Past, Harry at one point reads the mind of a divine being who's present to try and calm him down after his Trauma Conga Line and the Dark Phoenix Incident. Said being actually Jesus, lets Harry read his mind, and Harry... reacts hilariously.
    Jesus fucking Christ!
• In the Star Trek: Voyager Slash Fic Why Janeway Doesn't Have Sex, or the Seven Solution, Captain Janeway gives a Big "OMG!" in response to simulation and Seven of Nine responds, "I have not yet reached that level of perfection."
• With This Ring: Paul sometimes does some Literalist Snarking when people make shocked exclamations (which happens a lot around him). For example, when Mala of Themyscira is astounded to see Alan, fit and healthy, walking into the Themysciran embassy with Paul:
  Mala: Hello. If you're looking for the language class, it will be starting at—goddess!
  Paul: <pats chest> Not unless they've really relaxed the requirements.

Film

• Brief example in the biopic Jobs.
• The aforementioned The Matrix example is the former Trope Namer.
  • Trinity also replies to Neo's surprised exclamations of "God!" and "Jesus!".
• Superman II, when the President has just been forced to Kneel Before Zod, and is horrified.
  President: Oh, God!
  Zod: Zod.
• L.A. Confidential:
  Bud White: Jesus Fucking Christ!
  Patchett: No, Mr White, Pierce Morehouse Patchett.
• In Chicago, while discussing hiring a con-artist lawyer:
  Roxie Hart: Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
  Mama: You're talkin' to the wrong people, honey.
• In Ghost Rider (2007), the love interest shouts out "Jesus!" when discovering a body. The demonic villain is suddenly revealed in the room as he says, "Not even close..." Specifically, he's Satan's son, making him the exact opposite of Jesus.
• In The Big Lebowski, minor character Jesus Quintana makes an overblown threat^{The threat} You pull any of your crazy shit with us, you flash a piece out on the lanes, I'll take it away from you, and stick it up your ass and pull the fucking trigger 'til it goes "click." to the Dude's friend Walter.
  Dude: Jesus!
  Jesus: You said it, man. Nobody fucks with the Jesus.
• Bruce Almighty:
  Grace: Oh my God.
  Bruce: You can call me Bruce.
  • At this point in the movie, Bruce actually has been given God's powers, making this a play on the trope.
• Oh God! You Devil:
  Bobby Shelton: Who are you?
  *The devil sticks up his thumb, and a flame comes out of it, like a cigarette lighter. He lights a cigar with the flame, then extinguishes the flame by blowing on his thumb. Bobby Shelton's reaction is a mixture of shock and disgust.*
  Bobby Shelton: My God!
  Devil: (wry smile) Guess again.
  • An inversion in the same film.
    Bobby: You look like the Devil.
    God: I haven't been well lately.
  • An earlier entry in this series (Oh God! Book II), had God (George Burns) mess with the heads of several psychologists by toying with whether it was day or night. When he finally seemed to have stopped and departed, one sighed, "Thank God!" and his voice responded, "You're welcome."
• Hellraiser series:
  • Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth:
    J.P. Monroe: Jesus Christ!
    Pinhead: Not quite.
  • Hellraiser: Bloodline features Pinhead responding to an "Oh my God"-type moment with "Do I look like someone who cares what God thinks?"
• Death Machine: The villain, Jack Dante, is hamming it up, and the annoyed good guy rolls his eyes and remarks "Christ." Dante responses with "Not quite... but close."
• In History Of The World, Part I, the server at the Last Supper (played by Mel Brooks) shouts, "Okay, okay! Jesus!" and Jesus himself replies, "Yes?"
• Classic variation from Mae West, in the movie Night After Night:
  "Goodness, what beautiful diamonds."
  "Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie."
• A Nightmare on Elm Street
  • The original film plays with the concept in this early exchange:
    Tina: Please, God!
    Freddy: *brandishing the glove* This...is God.
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) has this in the trailer:
    Jesse Braun: Oh, God!
    Freddy Krueger: No. Just me.
• Inverted in 1776, where the obnoxious and disliked John Adams discovers that Thomas Jefferson, after a week of writer's block, hasn't finished the Declaration of Independence.
  Adams: Good GOD! A whole week! The entire earth was created in a week!
  Jefferson: Someday, you must tell me how you did it.
• Played straight in the first Wishmaster movie, when, after the Jerkass Genie has arranged something horrible to happen, the (unwitting at the time) wisher says "Oh my god!", with the JG replying "Not yet, mortal. Soon".
• When Fireball shows up in The Running Man, Amber exclaims "Jesus Christ!". Ben responds, "Guess again."
• In Death Becomes Her, when Lisle displays the rejuvenating properties of the potion on Ernest's hand, he exclaims, "My god!" Lisle smiles and says, "Thank you."
• The Prophecy:
  Katherine: Oh God...
  Lucifer: God? God is love. I don't love you.
• Done in The Ruling Class, where the 14th Earl of Gurney (Peter O'Toole) believes he's Jesus.
• 30 Days of Night
  Victim: Please... God.
  Leader vampire: God? (looks around) No God.
• From Arachnophobia:
  Ross: (After destroying the nest with his Improbable Aiming Skills) Thank God.
  Delbert: Don't mention it.
• Played with in Big Momma's House, when one of the undercover cops has just moved into a neighborhood as part of the operation and is greeted by his female neighbors. When asked if he has a wife, he replies that she's "gone". They sadly ask if she's with Jesus. He corrects them by saying that the guy prefers the Spanish pronunciation.
• After he had to destroy his vampirized daughter Mina, Prof. Van Helsing in Dracula (1979) holds his hands to his face and proclaims, "Oh, the devil." Dracula, who has entered the room without him noticing, answers "I'm not as bad as that."
• In Amazing Grace, the abolitionists are surprised when Lord Charles Fox walks in unexpectedly to join their side, leading to the wry exchange:
  Wilberforce: Dear God!
  Fox: Well, almost.
• The Latin American dub of Airplane! had to change the "Surely/Don't call me Shirley" puns to "My God/I'm not God" since the original couldn't be translated directly to Spanish while keeping the pun.
• Drive Angry. When someone exclaims, "Jesus!" the Accountant informs him that he's a carpenter and "despite what you've heard, prefers short hair."
• Inverted in the 1993 The Making of "...And God Spoke", a mockumentary about the filming of a big-budget Bible epic. The actor playing Jesus is so wrapped up in being his character, that when he's studying the script and a stagehand tries to get his attention, the actor doesn't respond. The stagehand exclaims "Jesus!"; the actor turns and says "Yes?"

Literature

• A variation occurs in Good Omens when the Hell's Angels realize the foursome that just walked into their bar are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. One of them exclaims, "Jesus Christ!" while another, who had paid some attention to Revelation, says, "He's probably looking for somewhere to park his bike."
• In The Bear and The Dragon people keep reacting to President Jack Ryan's presence unannounced with "Jesus!" He eventually responds, towards the end of the book, with "That's not my name!"
• Variation: in The Master and Margarita, a Soviet bureaucrat shouts, "The devils take me," having been thoroughly exasperated by Behemoth and Korovyev. Being more or less devils, they enthusiastically agreed and promptly "took" him, leaving behind his empty animated suit. (One English translation has him saying "Damn me", with the same result).
  • Similarly, in The Sword and the Stone the curse "Castor and Pollux blow me to Bermuda!" is more effective than planned.
• In the short story Young Goodman Brown, one character exclaims "The Devil!" (somewhat akin to "What the hell?") when startled by a character who later actually turns out to be the Devil.
• Discworld:
  • Small Gods:
    • Brutha, the protagonist, carries his god (currently in the form of a tortoise) around with him:
      Brutha: Oh, my god...
      Om: What now?
    • Inverted when Brutha sees an eagle and remembers Om, who ended up in his vicinity due to an eagle's failure to turn said god into lunch. The people who are traveling with him at the time mistake this for a general exclamation.
      Brutha: Oh! My God!
      Others: What? What is it?
      Brutha: Er, has anyone seen my tortoise?
  • Inverted in Hogfather, where the God of Hangovers actually considers himself the oh god of hangovers, because people always invoke him with "oh god...".
• A running gag in-story in the Undead series by Mary Janice Davidson. Vampires cannot bear to hear Christ's name or any prayer, as it causes them physical pain. Betsy's tendency to take the Lord's name in vain is therefore unfortunate given her relationship with the vampire Sinclair. So every time she exclaims, "Jesus Christ!" Sinclair winces and says, "I've asked you not to call me that."
• In Poul Anderson's A Midsummer Tempest, when Jennifer exclaims, "Dear God," Will says another Person holds that post.
• In Curse of the Azure Bonds. Paraphrased:
  Alias: Oh Gods...
  Moander: Just one. Only me.
• Non-religious variant in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:
  Severus Snape: Do you remember me telling you we were practising non-verbal spells, Potter?
  Harry Potter: Yes.
  Snape: Yes, Sir.
  Harry: There's no need to call me 'sir,' Professor.
• Many of the swears and oaths used in Codex Alera revolve around "furies," elemental beings that give people control over the elements. When Amara sees the full power of Garados and Thana, a massive mountain and his "wife," the cold winds from the Sea of Ice, she expresses her shock in the standard Aleran swear of "great furies." Placidus Aria simply responds with "two of them."
• In Tales of Kolmar, a character once exclaims, "Goddess, Rella!" and Rella lightly responds, "Not yet, but I'm working on it." She isn't; she just has a very irreverent sense of humor.
• In The Dresden Files, Harry gets through explaining about necromancy to Butters, and then:
  Butters: Jesus Christ!
  Dresden: I don't think they had anything to do with that one.
  • Dresden does immediately clarify that it's a joke, after Butters gets flustered.
    • At another point, he mutters, "Jesus Christ. Son of a bitch," and Michael hastily adds, "He didn't mean it, Lord."
• In Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, in one book a Sithi randomly shows up in a human war camp. Most humans have never seen a Sithi and they're believed to be nearly extinct, leading one human to exclaim "Blessed Elysia, Mother of our Ransomer!" ^note  The dominant human religion in this setting, Aedonism, is essentially Catholicism with the names changed; this expression is equivalent to "Mary Mother of God!" The Sithi replies that no, actually her name is Aditu. Note that Sithi are very alien to humans (and vice-versa), but also that Aditu has a playfully mocking sense of humor, so it's unclear if she honestly believed she was the one being addressed, or was just making a joke.
• Played with in The Great Divorce, when a ghost in heaven exclaims "God!" to his Spirit Advisor, who replies, "God what?" The ghost is confused until his guide explains that in heaven's grammar God is a noun. The ghost is embarrassed and explains that he only meant something like "By gum."
• In The Stormlight Archive, the Stormfather is a powerful spren conflated with the Almighty. People on Roshar swear by him, which leads to an incident where he shows Dalinar a vision so surprising that Dalinar curses, and the Stormfather answers.
• The Shadow of Kyoshi: Variant. Yangchen was the Avatar, the one tasked with bringing balance to the world, and was so successful at her job that two cycles later, people are still swearing by her name. Including to her reincarnation Kyoshi, who is nothing like Yangchen.
  Mook: The Avatar protect me, Yangchen protect me!
  Kyoshi: Yangchen isn't here right now. I am.

Live-Action TV

• Frasier: A inversion in "Back Talk", when Frasier is dealing with severe back pain. Everyone is trying to give him advice.
  Frasier: That sort of exercise only helps people who lack self awareness. I for one am... (back pain hits) God almighty!
  Niles: Well, no wonder you're stressed, you've got a whole Universe to run!
• One joke on Never Mind the Buzzcocks has this to say about a dinosaur being named after Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.
  "The dinosaur was quoted as saying, 'Jesus — haven't you got anything more current?'"
  "Another dinosaur then said, 'Who's Jesus?'"
  "And then Jesus said, 'There were no dinosaurs!'"
• Charmed does this a lot, especially in the early seasons.
  • After freeing a seemingly innocent group of children from a seemingly evil ice cream truck...
    Prue: Oh my god.
    Little boy: (complete with Red Glowing Eyes of Doom and deep voice) Actually, quite the opposite.
  • Later, in the season 5 finale Oh My Goddess, where the sisters get turned into the Greek gods and have to battle titans:
    Paige: So much for the titans.
    Phoebe: Thank God.
    Piper: You're welcome.
  • Season 4's "Charmed and Dangerous", where the sisters are ambushed by the Source of All Evil himself:
    Paige: Oh my God!
    Source: Not quite.
• In Yes, Prime Minister, young civil servant Bernard has been instructed to confiscate all the keys to the door between the Cabinet Office and Number 10, to keep his senior, Sir Humphrey, out. Sir Humphrey had a spare unofficial key however and appears, apoplectic with rage, before a terrified Bernard.
  Bernard: Oh my God!
  Sir Humphrey: No Bernard, it's just your boss.
  • From a Yes, Minister episode:
    Hacker: How did Humphrey know where I was?
    Bernard: God moves in a mysterious way.
    Hacker: Let me make one thing clear. Sir Humphrey is not God. Okay?
    Bernard: Will you tell him or shall I?
  • In the episode "Doing the Honours", while discussing the Order of St Michael and St George. The Order has three grades: Companion (CMG), Knight Commander (KCMG) and Knight Grand Cross (GCMG). Bernard explains what the abbreviations mean in the Civil Service:
    Bernard: ...Of course, in the Service, CMG stands for "Call Me God". And KCMG stands for "Kindly Call Me God".
    Hacker: What does GCMG stand for?
    Woolley: "God Calls Me God".
• This was also done in an episode of Spin City, where guest star Christopher Lloyd's character thought he was God.
  "Thank God!"
  "You're welcome!"
  • In another episode, James is showing off his chocolate Nativity diorama:
    James: Look! Chocolate Jesus!
    Carter: Please! At work just call me Carter!
• In the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Fear Itself", Xander came dressed as James Bond for Halloween, just in case they get turned into their costumes like they were in "Halloween". Willow dressed up as Joan of Arc, because of their similarities, like the time she was almost burned at the stake for being a witch, or her close relationship with God. Her boyfriend, Oz, reveals his costume as a simple name tag sticker: "Hello. My name is God".
  Xander: Why didn't I think of that? I coulda been God!
  Oz: Blasphemer.
  • Later, after having to listen to annoying "spooky" sound effects in a haunted house, the noises finally stop:
    Buffy: Thank the Lord!
    Oz: (holding power lead) You're welcome.
• In an early episode of Joan of Arcadia, Joan, who is still reluctant about her new mission and frustrated with the lack of clarity, has this exchange.
  Joan: God!
  God: Yes?
  Joan: No, I... I was taking your name in vain. To be technical. Sorry.
• In the Blackadder Goes Forth episode "Private Plane", Lord Flashheart, a popular British aviator enters Blackadder's dugout. Lt. George and Private Baldrick are aghast:
  George: MY GOD!
  Flashheart: Yes, I suppose I am.
  • And from the second series:
    Baby-eating Bishop of Bath and Wells:' Drugged, by God!
    Blackadder: No, by Baldrick actually, but the effect is much the same.
• Supernatural likes this trope:
  • Episode 2.16:
    Molly: Oh, thank God!
    Dean: Call me Dean.
  • Episode 4.15:
    Dean: (after seeing Alastair disappear in a bright flash of light) What the Hell?
    Castiel: Guess again.
  • In the Season 4 finale, Ruby has tricked Sam into opening Lucifer's cage, thereby setting the Devil loose on the world.
    Ruby: Now guess who's coming to dinner ...
    Sam: Oh my God ...
    Ruby: Guess again.
  • When Castiel appears out of thin air to talk to the Ghostfacers.
    Ed: JESUS CHRIST!
    Castiel: (slightly confused) No...I'm Castiel.
  • In "Stranger in a Strange Land", Dean has been possessed by the Archangel Michael.
    Jo: You're not... You're no Dean Winchester. You're... Oh, God!
    Michael: People keep calling me that.
• M*A*S*H occasionally played with a twist of this set-up with Father Mulcahey;
  Mulcahey: Good news, Colonel, that was the last of the wounded.
  Potter: Thank God.
  Mulcahey: I did, sir.
• In the episode "Devil's Due" of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a woman who may be the devil transports Picard off the Enterprise, toys with him for a while, transports him back to the bridge in his bathrobe, and causes him to paraphrase Mae West (above):
  Crewman: Captain! Thank goodness you're all right!
  Picard: Goodness had nothing to do with it.
• In the Bones episode, "The Witch in the Wardrobe", Hodgins gives Angela a neck massage, which she enjoys a little too much.
  Angela: Oh God, oh thank you God!
  Hodgins: "God" is a little formal. "Hodgins" will do.
• In Episode 524 of The Muppet Show, the Newsman reads a news story about a black-and-yellow striped mackerel getting elected king. At first he thinks it's a prank (especially since he had also read a story about a spy ring attempting to sneak ridiculous stories into the news), but then one of the guards in the theater escorts the new king into the news room:
  The Newsman: [amazed] Holy mackerel!
  King: No, "Your Highness" will do.
• The Red Dwarf episode "Lemons" features this:
  Lister Really? Jesus!
  Man Sat Behind Him Yes?
  • Partially justified in that the man's name is actually Jesus. Not the famous one, but the crew manage to convince him that he is for a while.
• In the Being Human (UK) episode "Being Human 1955", when the pawn shop owner says "Jesus Christ" in response to Hal returning to his shop after freaking him out, Hal shows his fangs and says "Not quite."
• A variant upon the introduction of Sherlock's brother in Season 2 of Elementary:
  Sherlock: My God.
  Brother: Mycroft.
• In an episode of Murphy's Law where Murphy reveals he's an undercover cop to a suspect he's been working:
  Richard Mooney: Oh my God.
  Tom Murphy: Well, Tommy will do for now.
• The Flash (2014): "Not God. Grodd."
• Wynonna Earp has this exchange from the first season finale:
  Bobo Del Rey: (annoyed) Jesus Christ...
  Juan Carlo: Right initials, wrong guy.
• When Sherlock first appears to John and Mary in "The Empty Hearse" episode in season 3 of Sherlock:
  Mary Morstan: Oh, my god.
  Sherlock: Not quite.
• Doctor Who. In "The Pyramid at the End of the World", the TARDIS materializes inside a laboratory in Lock Down and the Doctor steps out, intent on saving the world as usual.
  Lab technician: Oh my god!
  The Doctor: No, I'm the Doctor, but it's an easy mistake to make.
• Lost in Space: Doctor Smith wakes up in the smoky lair of a sinister-looking stranger.
  Doctor Smith: Good heavens!
  Stranger: Guess again!
• Lucifer: Played With. Lucifer, having a contentious relationship with God, doesn't like expressions that include his name. He really doesn't like it when the women he's sleeping with cry out "Oh God!"
  Lucifer: Why did you have to bring him into this!?!?
  • He also doesn't like it when people say "Thank God."
    Lucifer: Ugh, the things dad gets credit for.
• In the final episode of Quantum Leap, while (in keeping with all the other ambiguities in the episode) it makes sense in context, Sam sees his own face in a tavern mirror and gasps, "God!" The bartender glances at him and asks, "What?"

Oral Tradition/Jokes

• There's an old joke where a man gets hit by a car while committing a bank robbery. He wakes up in a fiery pit.
  Thief: Good heavens!
  Devil: Not quite...
• An old Harvard anecdote tells of a Theology professor nearly getting run down by a truck driver.
  Driver: Jesus Christ!
  Prof: (calmly) No, just his servant.
• A joke that is told about many statesmen:
  Wife of statesman: Oh, my god!
  Statesman: [his first name] will suffice while we're among us.
• One story about Charles de Gaulle states that his wife walked in on him while in his bath, and promptly exclaimed "Oh my God!" To which Charles replied "You may call me Charles, dear, I've learned to remain humble."
• The head psychiatrist of an asylum is reading the weekly progress reports. On seeing one of the inmates had suddenly declared himself to be Napoleon, because God had said so. The psychiatrist exclaims, "I said no such thing!"
  • In some versions of the joke, the inmate proclaims this out loud, and another inmate is the one who says "I said no such thing!"
  • A Spanish version has two inmates arguing, each of them claiming to be the King of Spain "because God told me so"; a third inmate cuts in: "I've never talked to you guys in my life."
• A Russian joke about a New Russian has a similar sentiment:
  A New Russian's daughter comes to introduce her new boyfriend to her father. The father takes the boyfriend to his study for a private chat.
  New Russian: So, do you own your apartment already?
  Boyfriend: Umm... no... but I believe God will help me!
  New Russian: OK, a job? Do you have a job?
  Boyfriend: Ummm... no... again... but I believe God will help me!
  New Russian: Hmm. Interesting. So how do you expect to support my daughter and your children, should you decide to have any?
  Boyfriend: Ahh... I don't really know yet... but... I believe God will help me with that, as well!
  After a little more of this exchange, the boyfriend leaves to go to the bathroom. The New Russian summons his daughter, who asks him:
  Daughter: So, Daddy, what do you think of him?
  New Russian: Well, he's a bit of a loser, but he's honest and I really like what he calls me.
• There's a joke that takes the trope name literally, where a robber breaks into someone's house and there's a parrot that keeps repeating "Jesus is watching you!" The robber decides to ignore the parrot and continue with his job, until it transpires that "Jesus" is the name of the family's Rottweiler (or similar aggressive breed of dog).
  • For bonus points, in some versions of the joke the parrot introduces itself as Moses. (Cue the robber asking "what kind of person names their parrot 'Moses'?".)
• A Silicon Valley joke (also used for surgeons, fighter pilots, etc.):
  What's the difference between God and Larry Ellison?
  God doesn't think he's Larry Ellison.
• And of course the smartass response if anyone takes the Lord's name in vain.
  "Yes, my son?"
• A joke about an shockingly good-looking girlfriend:
  Guy: Everybody says my girlfriend looks like Virgin Mary. (shows a photo)
  Friend: Sweet mother of God!!!
• So goes the legend, Stalin was once asked at Yalta how he knew that he would become ruler of the Soviet Union. Stalin says that God came to him in a vision and told him so (let's forget he was a staunch atheist for the purpose of the joke). Franklin Roosevelt turns to Stalin, and says, "Now wait a minute Joe, I never said any such thing!"
  • A similar joke can be used regarding the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 with Georges Clemenceau substituted for Stalin (and France substituted for the Soviet Union) and Woodrow Wilson substituted for FDR.
• "I ran into a woman who mistook me for Jesus. She said 'Oh, my God, where do you think you're going?'"
• "Jesus" being a not-uncommon name for men in Spanish-speaking countries leads to this kind of humor.
  Girl: I go to church now and I'm in love... with Jesus.
  [Vine cuts to her boyfriend tackling the neighbor] ''JESUS, LEAVE JUANITA ALONE!''

Radio

• From I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again:
  Jo Kendall: Oh my God!
  Director-General: Very close! I am, in fact... the Director-General of The BBC! (Hallelujah Chorus)
• Crops up in the Big Finish Doctor Who audio drama "The Harvest," when new companion Hex blunders into the TARDIS and meets the Doctor for the first time.

Hex: Oh my god. Oh my god!

The Doctor: No, I'm the Doctor. But hello just the same.

Stand-Up Comedy

• Inverted in an Eddie Izzard skit:
  God: Jesus Christ, what on Earth is that!?
  Jesus: Don't take my name in vain, Dad!
  God: Jeezie Chreezie, what on Earth is that!?
  Jesus: Don't call me Jeezie Chreezie!
• Inverted in the Bill Cosby concert film Bill Cosby: Himself.
  Bill Cosby: It was because of my father that, from the ages of seven to fifteen, I thought that my name was Jesus Christ, and my brother, Russell, thought that his name was Dammit. "Dammit, will you stop all that noise?" And, "Jesus Christ, sit down!" One day, I'm out playing in the rain, and my father yelled, "Dammit will you get back in here!" I said, "Dad, I'm Jesus Christ!"
  • Hilariously inverted in his Noah's Ark routine. When God reveals himself and explains his plan, a skeptical Noah responds, "Who is this really?"
• Played with by Robin Williams in his Broadway special:
  Mary: Joe, I'm pregnant.
  Joseph: (stunned) Holy mother of God...
  Mary: You're right!
  Joseph: Oh, Jesus Christ, Mary!
  Mary: That's a great name, Joe! It's so much better than Shmuel!
• Jim Gaffigan has a similar routine to Williams, when he discusses how awkward it must have been for Mary to tell Joseph she was pregnant and he wasn't the father.
  Mary: Joseph? Do you remember how we've never made love?
  Joseph: (eagerly) Yes?
  Mary: Well, last night an angel visited me, and now I'm pregnant.
  Joseph: Jesus Christ!
  Mary: (relieved) Oh, you already know about it?

Tabletop Games

• Given their usual level of power over the game world (and responsibility for keeping it running), Game Masters responding in this way to appropriate utterances at 'their' table with varying degrees of seriousness isn't exactly unheard of.
• Grim Hollow: Malikir, the Arch Daemon of Pride naturally prefers to be referred to as "God." Unfortunately, she is genuinely the most powerful of the Arch Daemons, and with all the actual gods dead and/or missing, and the Arch Seraphs struggling to keep up, she arguably has a claim on the title, if only by lack of competition.

Theater

• In the Dark Comedy play The Ruling Class, The 14th Earl of Gurney, Jack (played marvelously in the film version by Peter O'Toole) is convinced that he is Jesus Christ, the Messiah. When one character exclaims "Jesus Christ" he calmly answers, "Yes?"
  • He also originated the quote "How did you realize you were God?" "Well, I was praying one day and then realized I was talking to myself."
• Related: In the 2010 stage revival of Yes, Prime Minister, After Jim Hacker says, "Oh God!" The lights go out due to the thunderstorm & Humphrey appears in the doorway, illuminated from behind.
• A variation: In the Larry Shue play The Nerd, a character once swears "Jesus!" loudly, but Rick Steadman (the eponymous nerd) thinks the character is addressing him. Rick comments that the name would make him sound like he came from the Bible, or at least be a baseball player: "Jesus Steadman!" He then responds to the name for the rest of the show.
• In The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged), John the Baptist asks the audience to give him "an amen for the way of the Lord." When the audience responds sufficiently loudly, he says, "Thank you, Jesus!" Jesus thereupon enters, comes right up to him and says, "You're very welcome." John gasps.

Video Games

• In Neverwinter Nights 2:
  Grobnar: And we could look, at last, for the Wendersnaven!
  Sand: Oh, Gods.
  Grobnar: No, they're not gods. They're the Wendersnaven...
  • Although such obliviousness is pretty well par for the course wherever Grobnar is concerned.
• Command & Conquer: Renegade:
  Mobius: (to Sydney) Thank God you're alive!
  Parker: You're welcome.
• Inverted in Far Cry 3 when you follow Willis Huntley into his home:
  Huntley: You have ten seconds to tell me who you are before I remotely detonate the C4 under the table and this whole place explodes like a pop bottle.
  Jason: Jesus!
  Huntley: I doubt it. Five seconds.
• Murder by Numbers (2020): Case 1: When Detective Cross surprises Honor after she sends Bill for a CCTV tape:
  Honor: Jesus!!
  Detective Cross: "Detective Cross" will do just fine, thanks.

Web Animation

• Used often in the Metal Gear Awesome series of Flash shorts:
  Snake: Shut up, for Christ's sake, I know how to climb a ladder, Jesus ow my EAR!!
  Jesus: Sorry, bro. (heals Snake's ear)
  Snake: Thanks, Jesus.
  Jesus: It's coo'.
  • Taken to its logical extreme when Snake, disgusted by Otacon's pantswetting, calls out Jesus' name. Jesus appears, is also disgusted, and calls out God's name. Subsequently, God appears, and is disgusted to the point of regretting ever creating piss.
• One of the shorts in the collaborative The Matrix parody, The Matrix Has You involves a scene where a carpenter accidentally puts a nail in his thumb and shouts: "Jesus CHRIST!" Cue Jesus sighing and asking "Whaddya want?"
• In chargesdotcomdotbr, there's a vertically-challenged interviewer named Tobby who interviews well-known people. While interviewing Romário, Tobby asked how Romário would define himself. Romário arrogantly asked how to define such a wonderful, perfect and talented person and Tobby's response led Romário to congratulate him for making a good definition.
• During the Camp Camp Christmas special, Max yells "Jesus Christ!" upon seeing Preston dressed up for his one-man Nativity play. Take a wild guess as to what costume he was wearing.
• DEATH BATTLE! uses Stock Footage from Ghost Rider (2007) to create this effect in the Ghost Rider vs. Lobo battle at the end of the former's rundown.
  Wiz: So let this be a warning... should you ever hear the rumble of a motorcycle in the distance and a glow of an ethereal flame on the horizon. Count your sins, because the Ghost Rider is coming. And may God have mercy on your soul.
  Ghost Rider: Sorry. All outta mercy.

Webcomics

• Done rather frighteningly in The Fancy Adventures of Jack Cannon.
  Frankie: Oh god, oh god, oh god...
  Gavin: Please stop calling me that.
• In Once Upon a Table…, after having another player take his name in vain, Jesus responds in kind:
  Mark Jones: Jesus Christ!
  Jesus: ...Mark Jones!
  Mark: Jesus Christ!!
  Jesus: MARK JONES!!!
• Slightly more understandable variation in Casey and Andy:
  Jenn: Oh my God!
  Satan: What's your second guess?
• Apathy Adventures: "Eh, Satan, hiii... OK, look, it's not that I don't WANT to talk, it's just that I'm kinda busy right now. And I was really just sorta cursing, and not actually... evoking... you..."
• Alien Loves Predator:
  Abe: Jesus Christ! Do you know who that is? Wait, I think I said that backwards.
• Becoming Blizzard has a scene where the devil suddenly appears to offer Rufus a deal:
  Rufus: Oh my God!
  Lucibear: Wrong deity, dumbass.
• A non-religious variant appears in Exterminatus Now.
  Lothar: I trust him, Schaefer.
  Schaefer: Sir.
  Lothar: "Lothar" will do fine.
  Schaefer: You insolent son of a--
• The Unspeakable Vault (of Doom) uses this on at least two occasions. Once on a book cover and once in a strip.
• Dark Star from L's Empire does this, although he has more of a right to do this, since he's not just a Physical God, but also an author.
  Whacka: Oh God have mercy.
  Dark Star: No... I won't.
• Schlock Mercenary: Admiral Devereaux shouts "Mon Dieu" ("My God") when Petey shows up unexpectedly. He is happy to joke that Devereaux is literally calling him God, to Devereaux's annoyance.

Web Original

• Used in Sailor Nothing, with the variant that the villain responds to the word Hell as opposed to God.
• Cthulhu objects to being called "Jesus Christ."
• In Prop 9: The Musical, the fundamentalists and pro-gay groups are debating, when Jesus appears.
  Everyone: (Surprised) Jesus Christ!
  Jesus: Hey, how's it goin'?
• Dragon Ball Z Abridged has this little bit in the Cooler's Revenge retelling:
  Sauza: (just after Piccolo takes a breather from kicking his ass) You won't be so tough when he gets done with you!
  Cooler: [oneshots Piccolo from offscreen] That's "He" with a capital H, by the way!
  • Also Kami, to Goku, in "Dead Zone Abridged". Since Kami is literally the God of Earth, it's not blasphemous:
    Kami: Listen, Goku. Just go after your son. I'll handle Garlic Jr.
    Goku: Thank God.
    Kami: You're welcome.
  • Spoofed again with Guru on Namek, right after he mocks Kami's name for its pretentiousness.
    Guru: Nail... I will henceforth be known as Super Kami. No, wait! Super Kami Guru.
    Nail: Can I just call you Guru for short?
    Guru: Super Kami Guru allows this.
  • Things get really funny when Kami and King Kai (both of whom have a claim on being "gods") do this to each other:
    Kami: Are you sure this will work?
    King Kai: Are you questioning God?
    Kami: Are you?
  • After Piccolo first absorbs Kami:
    Vegeta: The f*ck's a "Kami?"
    Krillin: Basically God.
    Vegeta: But I'm still here!
  • Also used as a Badass Boast by Piccolo. After fusing with Kami and knocking 17 around, 16 informs him of the fusion.
    17: Seriously, What the hell's a Kami?
    Piccolo: It means God. Now bow.
  • Cell gains this attitude after gaining his perfect form. Best showed when he announced the Cell Games to the world on live television.
    Cell: So...keep that in mind, and I'll see you next Sunday! Also: feel free to pray to your god. But — spoilers! — I won't be listening.
  • Played for laughs in "Plan to Eradicate Christmas"
    Piccolo: (to Gohan) You know I do actually celebrate Christmas.
    Gohan: Really?
    Piccolo: Yeah, when you think about it. I'm basically the Son of God.
    Kami: (in Piccolo's mind) Oh, Jesus Christ.
    Piccolo: (to Kami) KINDA!
    Nail: (also in Piccolo's mind) Wait, does that make me the Holy Spirit?
    Piccolo and Kami: (to Nail) KINDA!
• Spoofed here (for those who don't get the joke, "Jesus" is a common Catholic name in Latin American countries.
• In Sword Art Online Abridged, Kibao says he doesn't need evidence and asks Jesus to back him up. One player with the name Jesus responds "It's pronounced 'Hay-soos', and I don't know you."

Western Animation

• A variant occurs in the Animaniacs short "Noah's Lark":
  Noah: Ma, is that you? Your voice changed.
  God: I'm not your mother, Noah.
  Noah: Oh, my God.
  God: Precisely.
• A short cartoon shown in the early days of Spike And Mike involved the main character interrupting, among other things, a brain surgery in progress...
  Surgeon: God! Oh God!
  Rick: Oh please, let's not be formal. Call me "Bishop".
• In every South Park episode that features Jesus, some character will exclaim "Jesus!", prompting Jesus to inquire, "Yes?"
• In an episode of Family Guy, where Peter has convinced others that he has healing abilities and is the Messiah.
  Lois: (sees a giant golden idol in Peter's image) Oh my God!
  Peter: Yes?
  Lois: That's not funny.
  • And another:
    God: (after accidentally setting The Clam on fire while trying to light a young woman's cigarette with lightning) Jesus Christ!
    Jesus: What?
    God: Get the Escalade, we're out of here!
  • Yet another:
    Peter: (seeing that their bar hasn't been destroyed by the hurricane) Thank God!
    God: (on horseback) You're welcome!
• Subverted in Futurama.
  Bender: Oh my God. Are you...God?
  God?: Possibly.
• In Batman: The Animated Series, the Joker pulls of a more family-friendly version on a copyright official.
  Mr. Francis: Great Scott!
  Joker: Actually, I'm Irish.
• In Superman: The Animated Series, when Jimmy and Lois see the demon Superman is fighting:
  Jimmy: Holy...
  Lois: Not the word I would use.
  • A variation occurs in another episode where Bruno Mannheim finds himself on Apokolips and asks "Where in God's name are we?" to which Kanto replies, "That depends. Which god are you talking about?"
• Bromwell High has an episode where one of the teachers build a robotic Jesus. Obviously, when said teacher says Jesus in dismay, the robot went "...Yes?".
• A Running Gag in Sheep in the Big City is whenever a character exclaims "Great Scott!", a stereotypical Scotsman by that name appears and says, "YEEESS?!"
• Played with in The Oblongs.
  Pristine: When things look their darkest, and I'm not sure there's a reason to go on, there's always one person I turn to.
  Pickles: Jesus?
  Pristine: Yes, but he pronounces it 'Hey-Zeus.' He's the best facialist in Hill Valley.
• A variation in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic episode "Celestial Advice," in which Celestia, the pony princess and closest equivalent to a god in their universe, responds to Twilight Sparkle using the phrase "Celestia-knows-where."
  Twilight Sparkle: I can't just send [Starlight] off to Celestia-knows-where without thinking it through!
  Princess Celestia: Hmm. I was not aware that I was an expression. An appropriate one, of course, for even I don't know the answer.
• The Owl House does an Oh, My Gods! variation, due to the various characters swearing by the Titan whose corpse makes up the Boiling Isles:
  • In "Clouds on the Horizon", Darius gives an exhasperated "Titan, help us" and King (having recently learned that he's the last of the Titans) quietly comments "I'll... do my best" out of a growing sense of responsibility.
  • In the Grand Finale, Luz exclaims "Oh, Titan" when she realizes that she's talking to the spirit of King's father (who happens to be the very same Titan that makes up the Boiling Isles). He naturally responds with a cheeky "Oh, me!"

Real Life

• Fairly sinister example — Professional Killer Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski once said this:
  I don't believe in God. People have called me God, though — "Oh God, no! Oh God, no!"
• Marie: God, your feet are cold!
  Vince Lombardi: When we're in bed, just call me "Vince".
• Not Always Learning had a teacher use this.
• In the book, The Three Christs of Ypsilanti, a patient said, "Jesus Christ, stop that snoring," when a man was snoring in his dorm. The patient who thought he was Jesus replied, "That wasn't me who was snoring, it was him!"
• While interviewing Eminem, an interviewer claimed that God sent Lil Wayne to earth to show people how to rap. Eminem — who famously made a song declaring himself a "Rap God" — responded to this claim by saying "I don't remember sending anybody."
• When asked by a reporter about who would win a decisive World Cup qualification playoff between Sweden and Portugal, Swedish football star Zlatan Ibrahimović replied, "Only God knows." When the reporter pointed out that it would be "kinda hard to ask God," Ibra replied, "You're talking to Him now".^note Although God — err, Ibrahimović scored two goals, Sweden failed to qualify after losing 1–0 and 3–2. Cristiano Ronaldo scored all four Portugal goals.
• Famed rock critic Robert Christgau ^note (pronounced with a soft I, like in "kit" rather than a hard I, like in "kite") humorously references this trope by abbreviating his name as "X-Gau."

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