Julie Bozza answers “This book is beautifully written, but some...”

Angie Boyter asked this question about Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1):

This book is beautifully written, but some of it is cryptic to the point of driving me distracted! Many of the characters swear, " 'I god". What does the " 'I " stand for? It can't be "By god", because that would be a "Y". I cannot decipher it.

Julie Bozza I read it as either a "My God" or a "By God", with the first letter elided. I think it's spelled with an "I" instead of a "Y" to indicate the sound ma…moreI read it as either a "My God" or a "By God", with the first letter elided. I think it's spelled with an "I" instead of a "Y" to indicate the sound made. When I was trying it out myself, starting with an "I" sound kind of lifted me into an astonished expression, with an indrawn breath, which seems to suit the purpose...
OK, obviously I've been thinking about this far too much! :-) (less)

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