I griped about this issue a couple of years ago, but apparently no one was listening! So let me try again.
I don’t know about you, but there are expressions one hears on an almost-daily basis that I find particularly irksome; things people say that robotically pop out of their mouths.
I try to be polite but it’s getting more difficult to stop from blurting “Don’t tell me what kind of day to have!” So, I might as well begin with the catalyst(s) for that snarky reaction: “Have a great day,” and its derivatives “Have a good day,” and “Have a good evening.”
If a relative stranger tells me to “Have a great day,” how am I supposed to respond to that? Do I simply reply “You, too.” But that’s ridiculous.
I know perfectly well that the guy who parked my car is not going to have a great day. We’re in Florida; he’s sweating. He’s running around in the heat parking and fetching cars for impatient people who will no doubt give him a stingy tip.
Being instructed to “have a great day” is burdensome. One must ponder about what extraordinary thing to do to make this day grander than yesterday.
If there must be a mandate, let’s stick with “good.” It’s like striving for a B instead of an A+.
I’m leaving a restaurant at 10:00 pm and the smiling hostess wishes me to “Have a good evening.” Do I look twenty years old and about to go dancing?
I’ve had my “good evening in your restaurant and it’s already past my bedtime. Do I bother to tell it’s no longer evening, and a simple “Good night” would be more appropriate? I really want to, but behind my smile I’m gritting my teeth.
Speaking of restaurants, I’m sure this has happened to you. (If not, tell me where you dine because I want to go there.)
A wait person, usually female, approaches to take your order. You relate your desires, and she responds with an enthusiastic “Great!!!” You can almost see the exclamation points coming out of her mouth.
Was the menu a quiz and I made the correct selection? Is she complimenting me on achieving a good score?
Can you tell me why ordering a Caesar salad and a plate of pasta is a wonderous thing? I find “Great” in this context highly grating.
Hi, how are you?” A common greeting upon entering a shop. Why not stop at “Hi” or even “Welcome” because do you really care how I am?
And do I really care to tell you? “Well, if you must know, my husband left me, my dog has fleas, and my best friend has an incurable illness.”
But the truth is not what’s expected, so you smile, and lie, and simply say “fine.”
And how about politicians who justify their actions by stating ‘because that’s what the American people want!” How do you know what the American people want?
Did you waste my taxpayer dollars on a sweeping survey of every American? Funny, because I don’t remember being asked. Arg!
And to conclude, honorable mention goes to “Follow your dream,” and “Do what you love,” both of which, to my mind, have as much substance as a fortune cookie.
So, let’s raise a glass to a cliché-free 2025. And until we meet again, at least try to have a great day!
