Saturday 25 June 2011

I do not 'Enjoy!'

Why is it that I want to scream every time a waiter puts down my food and says ‘Enjoy!’.
There is nothing outwardly wrong with it, but I find my insides curdle whenever someone says it to me. I think it is the assumption that they are claiming authorship of the experience I am about to have. No! It’s my experience, nothing to do with you!
There are certain words and phrases that we seem to instinctively hate, for one reason or another.
I also hate the word ‘devastated’.
“My hamster died and I was completely devastated.”
“I found out that he was going out with someone else – I was devastated”.
It is such an over-used word that seems to be used out of proportion to the actual meaning. Hiroshima was devastated. The origin is de-vestare to lay waste.
Another one is ‘Hello!’ (pronounce: hell-oh-oh with the intonation going up on the first oh) in the sense of ‘You think I like you? Well ‘hell-oh-oh! Wake up and smell the coffee. You are completely deluded'.
Again it is the assumption that I hate, that I am in some way insane, and not getting the point that I find so insulting.
Hey Ho – getting older makes you crankier!
Any words or phrases that you hate?

2 comments:

  1. I totally resonate with the "Enjoy" statement at restaurants. Don't tell me what to do! If asked, "how is everything" when the waiter returns, I usually say "Terrible and I'm never coming here again". It is amazing how many of the waiters just say, "Great!" and walk away. Not listening!!

    The other one is the phrase - "It's very unique" - it can't be "very unique", "awfully unique", "terribly unique" or any other kind of "unique". It is just "unique".

    Here in America, I often here incorrect grammar and the one that turns my stomach is "I would have went to the store" or some variation!

    And, "I would of said that" instead of "would have" or "would've". So many people look at me in astonishment that I could be so stupid to suggest that the "'ve" is actually short for "have"!

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  2. Thanks for this. Another one for me is "Have a good one!" Shouted as you are off somewhere.

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