All glory unto the almighty Gosh. Praise be his name.
The origin of the word “gosh” is, of course, a folksy euphemism for God. Because English-speaking religious folks didn’t want to take the name of God in vain, they invented plenty of non-sweary ways to say God. “Gosh” can be traced back to the 1700s, and it’s still more popular than other euphemisms that came along later, like “golly” (c 1840s) or “gee/jeez” (c 1890s).
Believe it or not, the word “losh” was once used by the Scottish as a euphemism for “Lord,” but that’s just too silly, so no one says it anymore.
(Just the same, here it is being used in Wilson's Historical, Traditionary, and Imaginative Tales of the Borders, and of Scotland Vol. II, 1848):
I live in Utah among the Mormons, so I actually hear the word “gosh” a lot. (Mormons don’t swear.) If Gosh were an actual deity, his strongest congregation is probably here, in Utah. I have no idea what Gosh is the god of—probably something wholesome and impotent, like caffeine-free Coke or 1% milk. The whole point of Gosh is to be just barely not-God, so anything that’s nearly-the-thing-but-not-quite-the-thing is probably ruled by Gosh.
Gosh is like Toasti-os instead of Cheerios. He’s like non-alcoholic wine. He isn’t even “I can’t belive it’s not butter!” he’s the Great Value Brand’s “Wow! I totally thought this was butter!” He’s Prongles and Kat Kot bars. He’s whatever this Mickey-Mouse-ish monstrosity is, and he’s definitely anyone wandering around Target wearing a red shirt and khakis—so close to what you need, but just… not it.
So tonight, don’t forget to send your prayers up to Gosh.
Because sometimes, not-God is all you need.
Praise be,
🙏Becca Lee, the Haunted Librarian🙏