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meaningless greetings 6

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HgTX

HgTX

Civil/Environmental
Aug 3, 2004
3,722
It's not an obstacle to getting my work done, but since most of my human interaction happens at work I guess it's work-related.

First there was the empty "How are you?" to which the only appropriate answer is "Fine". And its cousin, "What's up?" to which the only appropriate answer is "Nothin' much."

Okay, I got those.

Then there was "What's going on?" which seemed, in contrast to "What's up?", to be a real question rather than a formulaic greeting, but no, it wasn't. It was just a variant on "What's up?".

Okay, fine, I learned that.

The latest, though, is where someone in passing asks a specific question about some social aspect of my life--and then seems dismayed when I waste their time answering it with a full sentence or two.

Dammit, if you mean hello, just say hello. I don't want to have to go through life assuming that every non-technical question aimed in my direction is insincere. I'm cranky enough as it is.

Hg

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In the hospital last week, the man next to me was obviously in lots of pain (gangrene in the leg).
One nurse came in cheerful and asked "So, how are you this morning?"
He responded "I'm above ground! What the h*ll do ya think!".
I couldn't help to laugh.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated Jul 13, 2008)
 
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ivymike,

I wonder if it hertz anyone's feelings.
 
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A once popular greeting I haven't heard for a long time is "How's it hangin'"

Another I haven't heard since emigrating is "How's your belly off for spots?"

[cheers]
 
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For a while I'd picked up from my high school biology teacher a response to "what's up" of "Sup is a syllable. Quite interesting, because depending on whether you link it to the modern Hebrew "sof" for "end" or "suf" for "reed", you get either the Red Sea (in Hebrew called the Reed Sea) or the Dead Sea for where the parting of the waters is to have happened...". Throw in references to Babylonian and Sumerian, and it's sure to make anyone glaze over.

And I used to answer "frequency" for "What's new".

I don't do anything like that at my current job because the rednecks would shun me.

Hg

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jmw, while the aroma was a good reason for minimizing breathing I always though it had more to with phobia of a certain orientation, if you catch my drift.

Belly off for spots, I haven't heard that for ever, in fact I think my Dad was about the only person I know who ever used it.

I may try it in the office here, who thinks it'll go down well in Santa Barbara?

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
 
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Whoa KENAT,

Santa Barbara? You may not like the response you get (especially if your winking when you do it).

SB County may even fine you for ruining the environment.
 
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I don't know monkeydog, their standards must have slipped, they let me across the border every week;-).

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
 
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ok, on the belly topic, I gather that it means "how are you," but what would be a more literal (or at least verbose) translation? Would it be along the lines of "have you had enough to eat recently?"

 
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ivy, I have no idea of it's origens or literal meaning. I did a google and nothing that looked definitive came up.

Could be dating back to wanting to verify someone didn't have the 'plague' and looking for tell tale skin discoloration etc but that's just one idea.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
 
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I was thinking "how's your belly off" if asked by itself could be answered with "well off," and "for spots" could be in reference to a small portion of food or tea... so being well-off for spots would mean that you've had enough to eat and drink.

 
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I've noticed a mildly annoying trend in my office of greeting people in the third person. For instance one day, instead of "How are you?" a co-worker asked me "So how is Mark today?" Unable to come up with a smart a$$ answer in time, I responded brilliantly with "Uh, good." I should call Bob Dole for some pointers.
 
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He'd probably just come back from a therapy session or something - beware.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
 
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there's a boss a couple levels above me who comes through every morning and greets everyone that way... can hear him coming from several cubicles off... "so, how's george today? good, that's good, so how's frank today? good, that's good, so how's nick today? good,..."
 
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I've had people greet me like that. Standard reply is, "MadMango is having a crappy day already. I wouldn't talk to him if I were you."

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?
 
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The fact is that people are animals. Even animals have greeting rituals. Some seem meaningless, some seem offensive to animals of other stripes (ask any dog owner).

I believe human animals still have a subconscious need to identify friend or foe when passing in the halls. Any friendly gesture is preferable to sidewise eye contact and skulking past like a coyote that hopes you didn't see him.
 
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Ivymike--see, that's part of the point system I'm talking about, where one asks questions in order to reveal that one has bothered to know something about the person rather than to get any kind of answer or even just to indicate friend not foe. I hate games.

Hg

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Could be wrong about this, but I think there is a cultural factor here. In other words, my impression is that in North America the answer, "I am doing terrible, how are you?" is not an acceptable response. At least not in a "feel good" corporate team environment. Even if you are not doing well, one is encouraged to hide it.

However, in Europe (particularly France and Eastern Europe), my impression is that it is fine to say, "Not well, I am having a horrible day".

This is just based on a couple experiences, would be good to know what everyone else thinks.
 
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ctopher, you get a star for the iMockery link. Great stuff!

I especially like their take on the new Virginia billboard campaign which cannot, even in the most obtuse form, be referenced here.

I'm going to go wipe my eyes and stuff a towel in my mouth now...

"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"
 
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Thanks. Yes, the Virginia billboard campaign is different alright. (If it's the same one about the children?) sick!

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated Jul 13, 2008)
 
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