God's green earth
6
7.4
- noun
:
tierra de Dios
- "Listen," Crampton said, his voice almost angry, "There are men all over God's green earth buried without the least goodbye who died lonesome and terrible deaths."
- ever walked God's green earth
Examples
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I do not pretend to know why things happen, but I will tell you what I do know: God is in charge, and the United States of America is still "the greatest country on God's green earth."
Blog text (18) -
"How on God's green earth could men that burly move so fast?" she said.
Fiction book (1998) -
Who in fucking God's green earth wants to live after a nuclear war?
Blog text (31) -
There is no way on God's green earth that such a "conflict of interest" should be allowed to exist.
Blog text (31) -
Someone, though, who had his limitations like anyone else on God's green earth.
Fiction book (1998) -
There is no way on God's green earth that the ACLU would do that.
Blog text (31) -
He is the most beautiful person on God's green earth and I cannot imagine life without him.
Blog text (21) -
He says she is the most wonderful creature who has ever walked God's green earth.
Fiction book (1996) -
On God's green earth, there are countless wonders to explore.
-
Every creature on God's green earth has its own unique role in nature.
Synonyms
363
1.0
The world where people live, not Heaven or Hell
269
2.0
Human life and everyday things, not the spiritual world
12
7.4
Land or earth often used in poetry and science
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: 'God's' marks possession, 'green' describes lush/natural, and 'earth' denotes the planet or world, so together they straightforwardly point to the natural world or the planet. Though often used emphatically or poetically, a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can derive this meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase God's green earth may come from the picture of a green, living world that God made, full of fields and trees. That's why people use it to mean 'the whole natural world' or 'everywhere' when they want to show how big, beautiful, or special a place is.