Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 16 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 18 years, 1 month ago by
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‘Have a good one!’ This phrase, usually recited at the end of a casual business transaction (e.g., at the check-out line) or when co-workers are parting for lunch, the evening or the weekend, has really begun to grate on my nerves. ‘Have a good’ WHAT? I never noticed people using this phrase until about 15 years ago – before then, a parting was usually placed in context (e.g, ‘Have a good weekend,’ ‘Have a good evening’ and so on). How did this become the ‘default phrase’ for parting company, and why does it annoy me (besides the fact that I’m just an uptight white guy of a certain age)?
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Name : Augustine23622, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 41, City : Columbia, State : SC, Country : United States, Occupation : Uptight white guy, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I agree with you that the phrase is annoying and corny. I’m not sure your rant has anything to do with diversity, however.
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Name : Rick29877, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, City : Springfield, State : OH, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,This open ended pleasantry is a welcoming gesture in a world with no manners and full of rudeness. I prefer to hear this than nothing at all, a snear or a put down. I like to to visualize the statement to correspond to our interaction so that ‘Have a good one’ can refer to a good day, evening, weekend, dinner date, or whatever I want it to mean. I do not know why it grates on your nerves, but you should accept it for its face value and as an end to a positive interaction. So, have a good one.
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Name : Bill23259, Gender : M, Age : 43, City : Burlington, State : VT, Country : United States,If you were gay then someone would probably be wishing you to have a good butthole licking session down the road! D.C.
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Name : DC31826, City : Omaha, State : NE, Country : United States,When people say that to me, I assume they mean ‘Have a good day (night, evening, afternoon, whatever).’
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Name : Jessica, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 23, City : Huntsville, State : TX, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I think you answered your own question as to why it annoys you. Would you prefer it if people said nothing at all when parting. I do not know how, why or when people started saying this nor have I ever given it a second thought. I am generally pleased when I am told to have a good one, whether it be day, night or whatever. It is just a nice way of acknowledging the end of a conversation, especialy in the retail business.
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Name : michelle, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 25, City : Kansas City, State : MO, Country : United States, Occupation : sales, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I can’t tell you how many times I have said see you tomorrow on Friday at work. I’ve told people ‘Merry Christmas’ in January a few times, too. Maybe it’s because I’m blonde. I started saying saying ‘Have a nice day’ because it seemed generic enough. But then I used that to end a phone conversation to someone on their way to funeral on a rainy day. What I’m saying is, it may be absentmindedness in more people than just me. Sometimes I call it stupidity, or having a ‘blonde moment’. I like ‘have a good one’, it’s pretty safe. I’s so hard these days to keep from offending everyone.
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Name : Amanda H., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Wiccan, Age : 23, City : baltimore, State : MD, Country : United States, Occupation : Mom, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I usually respond to this with a George Carlin line: I have a good one, I just need a longer one!
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Name : Richard-Taylor, City : San Jose, State : CA, Country : United States,Whenever I use the term ‘Have a good one’ I always refer it to have a good day. Sure, I could use that actual term, but it’s just a way of simplifying things. I don’t think it will be a trend that will last very long. Have a good one.
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Name : Jason31255, Gender : M, Age : 21, City : Los Angeles, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,What I find especially amusing is when someone I don’t know that doesn’t truly care about me asks how I am doing. I usually just have the automated response of ‘Good!’ But sometimes I will explain the truth of how I am doing such as the following: ‘My alarm clock didn’t go off this morning and I am running late for work, and sometime in the process I spilled coffee all over my crotch, and you smell bad.’ of course that doesn’t fly that well all the time, so the automated response is usually the one to use.
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Name : Michael, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : American, Religion : Christian, Age : 21, City : Spokane, State : WA, Country : United States, Occupation : Military, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Whether it’s the ‘default phrase’ probably depends on where you are… I don’t hear it very much here in North Florida. I tend to use it when saying ‘goodbye’ to multiple people — that way I don’t have to say ‘have a good evening’ to the guy I’m going to see again tomorrow, ‘have a good afternoon’ to someone I’m going to see later tonight, ‘have a good long weekend’ to the girl who’s taking tomorrow off and won’t be back ’til Monday, ‘have a good vacation’ to the guy who’s taking next week off, etc. One-on-one, I still tend to use ‘night’, ‘weekend’, etc. However, there are times when I don’t know when the next time I’m going to see someone is, and I start to say, ‘have a good…’ then realize that I don’t know what to say, and finish ‘one’. Also, when chatting with people on the ‘net, I may not know what time zone they’re in, and not want to tell them ‘have a good evening’, when it might be 7am there. As for why it annoys you… never met you, so I couldn’t say.
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Name : Shannon-C28077, Gender : M, Age : 33, City : Tallahassee, State : FL, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,After having worked in retail for some time, one quickly learns that people become angry for very little reason. People will literally latch on to anything to start a conversation with the clerk. If you say, ‘Have a good weekend,’ some people find it an excellent opener to tell you that their boss is making them work, or they plan to mow the lawn or some such. ‘Have a good one’ works simply because it is non-specific, and doesn’t invite conversation, something the person behind you in line surely appreciates.
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Name : Elizabeth25316, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, City : San Francisco, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I have to agree with you. I worked in customer service and retail for years and poor customer service really gets on my nerves. Aside from the generic phrase you mention, I also cringe when clerks respond to my ‘Thank you’ (as they hand me my change or as the transaction is completed–I always say thank you) with ‘no problem.’ Hello? The proper response to the customer should be, ‘No, thank YOU for your business.’ Otherwise, when I thank someone, I’d rather hear, ‘You’re welcome’ instead of ‘No problem.’ I think the culture is just geting more and more casual, and maybe the reason for what I am seeing is that these types of employees are getting younger and younger, and they talk this way to their peers.
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Name : Elizabeth-M25308, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 38, City : Atlanta, State : GA, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,I don’t know why it became the ‘default’ good bye phrase, but it did. It probably anoys you because you’re ‘an uptight white guy.’ I’m an old, fat, not terribly uptight white guy anymore. Part of that is because when you focus on what’s important and are sincerely searching, I believe you find that it’s easier to ‘let go’ and be honest about what’s happening. It’s also important to be sincere. I don’t say ‘have a nice day’ if I don’t mean it. Many times I say ‘make it a nice day’ because i believe it’s up to us as to what happens … so ‘make’ it happen.
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Name : tc24669, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 56, City : Everywhere, State : NA, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class,I say ‘Have a good one’ all the time. It’s better than saying nothing, it’s generally non-specific and non-offensive, and doesn’t leave an opening for someone to tell you why they won’t be able to have a good day, or weekend, or week, whatever. I can’t tell you haow many times i’ve told someone to have a good weekend as I’m leaving and they keep the conversation going by telling me the plethora of things they have to do, or the list of funerals they have for the week ahead. I’d rather leave it ambiguous and obviously the end of conversation. Yeah – you may be too uptight if this bothers you. Me – I’m very laid back, and maybe that’s part of it too.
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Name : Jen B., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : unclassified, Age : 31, City : Cincinnati, State : OH, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class,
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