working in retail is a good fit for me for the most part. I like to see the variety of people in the world. But enough with the overuse of the word cheers. If you say it once, whatever. If you say it twice, it’s annoying. If you say it three times or more in the same transaction I want to give you a good hard slap in the face. FUCK OFF WITH THE CHEERS ALREADY!!!
This article appears in Sep 18-24, 2008.
I know! And what is with people saying HELLO all the bloody time? Man it ruins my whole day!Cheers!
Where did people pick up this “cheers” thing anyway? It’s pretty much a London and Australia thing, but you get certain types of people who use it all the time here despite clearly not being from either place. It always strikes me a self-conscious douche attempt to sound worldly or something. It’s, for so many reasons, not a big deal at all but I kinda wonder why they do it?
Hey Jammie, it’s a term of friendship or politeness like thank you. It started from across the pond but immigrated here for whatever reason. Oh never mind, we are mostly indigenous aren’t we. It’s like the Scots saying aye as apposed to yes.It’s a no biggie in my book. The more polite the better.
I know what it is is Burning Man. It has just never been widely used in North America – I don’t think our ancestors brought it over with them. Younger people seem to have adopted in the last 10 years or so and that’s why I said it comes off as sort of an affectation. Agreed, no biggie, but one can wonder why someone feels the need to affect this jaunty little Cockney colloquialism. Just as much as one can wonder why some others feel the need to affect ebonics or Southern expression or whatever. Don’t you get a kick out of it when some fat white non-Buddhist put his hands together, bows, and says “namaste” to you, for example? You just wonder “why the pretense?”, that’s all…
I picked up the “cheers” thing down in Australia. It essentially means thank you. It’s actually far less annoying than their other version of thank you, which is “ta”. Random. Contrary to what some might think, I don’t say cheers to sound like a wordly douche bag (even though I am) I mostly say it because it easier than thank you and seems a little less formal. But please feel free to complain more about people with good manners, if it passes the time.
Jammie I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but ALOT of our language didn’t start in North America, but was adopted over time. It’s called “culture”, and if you like really big words “anthropology”.
I hear that Jammie, but I’m wondering if it’s a Cockney colloquialism. I have no idea really where it came from. On the other hand as far as Buddhists or non Buddhists go, never had the opportunity or misfortune to interact with either bunch.I’ll defer to the expert, whomever that is.
Just to be clear guys, I’m not taking this as seriously as you seem to think I am, or as the OP appears to be. I’m a bemused observer, an armchair anthropologist if you will. (“if you will” – how’s that for self-conscious language?) I’m also well aware that language evolves, or we’d all be speaking Old German or Sanskrit or something. But some “new” words roll rather awkwardly off the tongues of self-conscious young men (it never seems to be women), and it is funny to watch.Also, I like Buddhists. Buddhism is an admirable philosophy. But, you know, you get these grownup kids who are pretending to Buddhism on this week because Wicca wasn’t quite doing it for them last week, and they want to try to fit in with another group and establish an identity because they think they need a group’s approval…and they’re self-consciously saying “namaste” without really knowing what it means because the really just sort of picked it up from “Lost” and thought it sounded all spiritual and shit…
When I started working and saw people use it in emails I didn’t understand. I’ve never heard people use it in day to day convo aside from the bar.
er…”pretending to TRY Buddhism on this week”…
Christ, I hope I don’t see a potential thread hi jack. That would be shitty cause I’m not really a thread hijacker. Unless the fun is way to big to pass up:p
You didn’t know what “cheers” meant, or “namaste”? I have seen namaste in emails as well, usually from social worky types… I’ve generally only heard cheers” used commonly amongst waiters…though its use is spreading.And how would you like to hjack the thread? Shall we discuss whether Buddhism is a religion or a philosophy, burn Wiccans at the stake, or discuss the merits of learning Sanskrit in order to read the Rig Veda in its original form?
Jeez Louise lighten up. Was trying to make a funny, thats all.
I was trying to make a funny too. You lighten up. 😛