Talk:for goodness' sake

RFV discussion: May–August 2017

This entry has survived Wiktionary's verification process (permalink).

Please do not re-nominate for verification without comprehensive reasons for doing so.

---

for goodness' sake

"Used to express surprise or amazement. For goodness' sake, I spelled that word correctly. I never knew I could do that." Equinox ◑ 19:50, 14 May 2017 (UTC)

I found this very hard to cite, because most of what I found uses for goodness' sakes instead. I propose that we simply redefine this as an alternate form of that. Kiwima (talk) 21:20, 14 May 2017 (UTC)

I switched to looking a news rather than books, and found more cites. This is now cited. Kiwima (talk) 23:25, 14 May 2017 (UTC)

Sorry but can't agree. I've moved two of your cites to the primary (frustration) sense. Something like "how could you not find her? she's got blue hair for goodness' sake!" isn't showing surprise (the speaker knows the person has blue hair; it isn't news to them); it is showing frustration at the incompetence of the person who failed to find such an obvious target. Equinox ◑ 20:02, 15 May 2017 (UTC)

The 2016 one about the birthday cards is more ambiguous perhaps, so I have not moved it; but from reading the article, again, I think the person is expressing bemused irritation at such a silly coincidence, and not actual surprise. Equinox ◑ 20:04, 15 May 2017 (UTC)

Frankly, even some of the "used for emphasis" citations could be the "exasperation" sense, but I guess the "wedlock" and "young women" ones are emphasis. - -sche (discuss) 19:02, 16 May 2017 (UTC)

OK, I have added some more quotes that are clearly not exasperation. I consider this cited. Kiwima (talk)

RFV-passed Kiwima (talk) 20:58, 10 August 2017 (UTC)