Jesus Chr-

Me: "I wish you wouldn't say that darling."

Phoebe: "What? I only said Jesus Chr-"

Me: "I know what you said, my love, and you don't need to repeat it. But some people might not like it if they hear you saying it."

Phoebe: "But what's wrong with saying Jesus Chr-"

Me: "You don't need to say it again."

Phoebe: "But you say it!"

Me: "Well, it's different for grown-ups. Grown-ups do all sorts of things they oughtn't to. But little girls shouldn't say things that might upset people."

Phoebe: "I still don't know what's wrong with saying it. It's not like swearing."

Me: "No, but some religious people think it's worse than swearing. You'd never hear Pappous saying something like that, would you?"

Phoebe: "No..."

Me: "But if you must say it, at least get it right. It's 'Jesus Christ Almighty'."

Phoebe: "Not Jesus Christ O'Mighty?"*

Me: "No, darling."

Phoebe: "Oh..."

* Though even as we speak, Dan Brown may well be penning his latest 'novel', Jesus of Limerick, in which the Vatican attempts to suppress the truth about the Redeemer's Irish roots...