God knew

English

Phrase

God knew

1. simple past of God knows. An instance of sequence of tenses in free indirect speech, representing where the subject said or thought "God knows".
   • 1994, Ron Zaczek, Farewell, Darkness: A Veteran's Triumph Over Combat Trauma, page 264:

     God knew I wouldn't tell them. They'd have thought I was fucking crazy.

   • 2020, Joyce Carol Oates, Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars.:

     The money Whitey’d left her, most of it was gone [...] Yes, certainly, a good portion of the money should be invested, kids’ college tuition, God knew how much that would add up to [...]

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see God,‎ knew.