#pet-peeves

Rao is not the Kryptonian translation of the word “God”.  If you want to take it as a literal translation, it actually “means” sun, or rather, it’s the name of Krypton’s sun. It is also the name of one of Krypton’s gods - Kryptonians have many gods (a polytheism).  Rao is just their equivalent of Zeus or Odin or Jupiter or Dagda... their main God. Or like Roman’s mythology’s “Sol” who is the Sun-God, where we derive anything “solar” from.

So, Rao is a name. Like Jesus. So, where “Oh, Jesus!” be correct, “Oh, Rao!” would suffice as well. On that note, the exclamation “Holy Rao!” would be legitimate.

Or if you want a more every day language example: If you talk about a person in their function or concept, you talk about “my girlfriend” but once you talk about them by name you wouldn’t add “my” (unless you are talking to someone who happens to have a presumably different girlfriend by the same name... or you are Lena in the comics). 

But to top it off: 

Kara keeps saying “Oh my God” in the show. 

...a lot, and many a time when she doesn’t have to pretend to be average human-Kara.

...just a few examples. I swear, there was once a supercut of Kara saying “oh my God” in the first couple of seasons on yt, but I can’t find it anymore... And, yes, she did once or twice exclaim “Rao!” in it / in the show.

And I believe, there is a general reason that may go beyond Kara trying to fit in and therefore using a common English phrase...

Kara spent the first 12 years (half of her life), her informative years on Krypton, where their religion and science played a major role in their society and culture. 

Like Kara still hardly ever curses on Earth, even though she had spent over a decade here and got influenced by the American language and attitude to some degrees, something tells me, it is against her nature to use Rao’s name in vain (too much).

The thing is, we don’t really need to “kryptonize” anything or everything. 

“Oh my God”, “Golly”, “Rao!”, “Holy pancakes!”, “Shit..ake mushroom!”,  ... there is a long list of viable options that neither break canon nor have Kara go OOC. 

Sooo... I am not asking anyone to go back into their already written stories or wips and change this to humor me.

But I hope this may make you reconsider the usage of the phrase moving forward. Or stick with it. Your choice. I’m not your mom.