"Bless your heart!" Should I still feel offended? (transplants, school)

[leonard]

Originally Posted by chelseagrrl

Except that some of us say cute and mean it in a positive way. Sometimes pretty or whatever doesn't hit the mark, but cute does. I think "nice" is more often used in the way you mean. (At least with the people I know!)

Well maybe. But cute is less than pretty and really fits children in most cases. I won't say there aren't times it can be used, but from personal observation it is not used to really describe the look, but to avoid really describing it.

On the other hand it may be a bit of a cultural thing, though as a man and having lived all over the US, I see it commonly used as a "nice" way to avoid being truthful, by women. My wife agrees that normally that is the case.

[jabogitlu]

Maybe cultural, but also generational. I think that 'cute' actually does mean 'cute' for people who are, say, maybe under 25?

[RamblinRoseRanch]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

Hm, but English is full of that usage, Rose. (Specifically, I'm talking about utiziling 'one' as a placeholder for another noun.)

Obviously, it means have a good day. Or night. Or life. But if you don't like it, feel free to ignore it.

My point is that it makes me think the speaker doesn't think enough of our communication to recall what time of night/day it is and speak accordingly. Sort of like when someone wishes me a good night and it's lunchtime. I always respond with "Can't I have a good day first?"

[BST]

Originally Posted by RamblinRoseRanch

My pet peeve is 'have a good un' - I wanna ask "Have a good one WHAT?"

Depending on the circumstances, my reply to that is "thank you for noticing." And then it's up to them to figure out what it means.

[hiknapster]

Oh, c'mon. Someone telling me to "Have a good one" is not the end of the world, and it is said all over this country. It's not an East Tennessee thing. Telling me to "F off," now that's an issue.

[BST]

I never take offense at 'you have a good un.' I just like to have a little double entendre fun with the ambiguity of the statement. But it must be used judiciously and sparingly.

[DubbleT]

I use "have a good one" because working indoors all day I frequently don't have a clue as to what time it is, especially if I've been at some project for hours on end. I've embarrassed myself more than once by telling someone "good morning", only to receive an odd look or a chuckle, look at my watch and it's two or three o'clock in the afternoon.

[RamblinRoseRanch]

Originally Posted by BST

Depending on the circumstances, my reply to that is "thank you for noticing." And then it's up to them to figure out what it means.

I love it!

[RamblinRoseRanch]

I never said "Have a good 'un" is regional- just that I don't care for it and to me it shows a lack of concern.

[leonard]

Originally Posted by RamblinRoseRanch

I never said "Have a good 'un" is regional- just that I don't care for it and to me it shows a lack of concern.

Humm,

I tend to say "take care" at the end of many conversations. Am I required to tell them what to take care of, or is it reasonable to assume that using either expression is simply a mild good wish and a friendly way to end a conversation?

Are we required to show a lot of concern in general conversation?