Definitions

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Etymologies

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Examples

  • • Perhaps not the best week for bloviators on Fox News to call for the abolition of the US's national weather service just because it's government-funded, but what are we to make of Republican God-botherer and would-be presidential candidate Michele Bachmann's suggestion that the east coast's hurricane was God's way of sending a message to America?

    Stephen Bates's diary 2011

  • But even on liberal blogs, we're shouted at to shut up, we're radical leftist shrills who are presumptuous, or dreamers with unrealistic notions - like perhaps am antigay jillionaire God-botherer wouldn't get pride of place.

    Friends don't let friends preach hate 2008

  • The term ‘fundamentalist Christian’ or ‘fundie’ does seem to be derogatory, though, as do ‘God-botherer’ and ‘Bible thumper’.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Arab Christian Group Sues Over Anti-Leafleting Rule at Arab International Festival on Dearborn (Michigan) City Property: 2009

  • You don't have to be a God-botherer to value life.

    Dipping a toe into the abortion question 2008

  • McCain/Huckabee looks cynical in the extreeeeeeme, and its downright scary that another loopy-tune God-botherer might get that close to the Big Chair.

    Mitt Quits « Whatever 2008

  • And the government would have kept the reason for termination secret, in case any prejudiced interest group or God-botherer complained.

    Archive 2005-05-22 Laban 2005

  • As an ex seminarian and professional junior God-botherer in those days it could have been anywhere

    auntie joanna writes Joanna Bogle 2007

  • And the government would have kept the reason for termination secret, in case any prejudiced interest group or God-botherer complained.

    Tomorrow's 'Independent' Today Laban 2005

  • And the government would have kept the reason for termination secret, in case any prejudiced interest group or God-botherer complained.

    May 22, 2005 Laban 2005

  • Beyoncé is the biggest God-botherer this side of Cliff Richard.

    unknown title 2009

Comments

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  • Strictly speaking, a God-botherer is someone who prays, i.e. who bothers God with his or her requests. It is often, but wrongly, extended to include any person with a religious belief.

    August 26, 2010

  • On the contrary; I would have thought a god-botherer was normally one who bothers other people, e.g. me, with their unwanted beliefs.

    August 26, 2010

  • I believe that it's someone who prays very frequently--an *excessively* pious person (or someone who's ostentatious about their prayer), rather than simply someone who prays. At least, that's what its original meaning was. (19th century?)

    August 26, 2010

  • In my experience the meaning is now as given by qroqqa. I've also heard it used as a gerund, e.g. "he's a decent bloke but his god-bothering really gets on my tits".

    August 26, 2010

  • I've always liked this term by the way. Obviously its success is down to its assonance.

    August 26, 2010

  • "One who bothers God" seems a simpler and more natural definition than "one who bothers by means of God". Also, the second definition has excellent synonyms in the form of fanatic or fundamentalist, while the first seems a very clever way to say in one word what we do not have the English capacity for otherwise.

    August 27, 2010

  • But can God be bothered?

    August 27, 2010

  • I had been certain there was a pattern to yarb's previous comments--that the last word of each comment was intelligently chosen with a particular design in mind. But now, having seen the last word of his third comment--and knowing that it was not preceded by a comment ending with the word "hot"--I find that I'm left looking for a different teleological argument upon which to base my assumptions.

    August 27, 2010

  • Trust you to see the ass in assonance and the tits in... tits.

    August 28, 2010

  • prays i.e. one who speaks with God, not necessarily bothering with requests but one who expresses gratitude for life and what one can learn in hard times

    August 28, 2010

  • botherer and brotherer are remarkably close! Are they sister terms? (it is both/and - non-dualistic)

    August 28, 2010

  • I'm with qroqqa. Around these parts (Australia) a person who is pious and nothing else is more likely to be called a holy Joe. A God-botherer is a pushy (read annoying) evangelist.

    August 28, 2010

  • Augustine of Hippo (today, 8-28, is his feast day) said:

    “Before you had the experience, you used to think you could speak of God. Once you have the experience of God, you can never say what you have experienced.”

    August 28, 2010

  • Hippos also bother me.

    August 28, 2010

  • I'm surprised, Bilby. You love to horse around. I always thought your middle name could be Philippos.

    August 28, 2010

  • It is indeed Phillip. Ha!

    August 28, 2010

  • I used to live near the headquarters for the Assemblies of God. They are always careful with their abbreviations.

    August 29, 2010

  • Will someone say something dyslexically cogent and laughable about Dog-bothered, please?

    September 1, 2010