why in God's name
used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning question.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Why in God's name are you awake so early?”
“The project was already finished, so why in God's name did you start it all over again?”
“Given the clear warnings about the storm, one must wonder why in God's name the captain decided to set sail across the dangerous channel.”
- 01
big name
A widely-known reputation, especially one that is favorable.
- 02
bow down before the porcelain god
Synonym of worship the porcelain god (“to vomit into a toilet bowl”).
- 03
call someone every name in the book
To call someone many abusive names.
- 04
call someone everything but a child of God
To call someone many abusive names.
- 05
God forbid
indicating that the occurrence of something is very undesirable
- 06
God forfend
Don't let it be.
- 07
God is in the detail
Expresses the idea that whatever one does should be done thoroughly; i.e. details are important.
- 08
god that failed
A notable let-down or flop; a concept, product, or person that has failed to live up to very high expectations.
Last updated August 10, 2026