I love spotting trends. Whether in food, fashion or language, trends often have murky origins. But they spread more rapidly than germs in a daycare.
This summer I’ve detected two trends in speech, a sentence and a buzzword that have proliferated in conversations.
My summer has included many long drives with public radio as my companion. During these drives, I noticed an amusing speech pattern. On numerous programs when someone was being interviewed, the initial response was, “That’s a great question.” One day I counted that response six times in one program.
I must be either extremely enlightened after hearing the answers to all those great questions or merely overexposed to a new language fad.
The second trend is a buzzword that pops up in restaurants, drive-through windows and cafes. The order is given, and the server replies, “Perfect”. I can report that I’ve placed a goodly number of perfect orders this summer. Somehow, I can’t believe I’m a genius for picking out a decaf cappuccino from Starbucks’ array of drinks. That cup of coffee may be right for me, but it is not perfection incarnate.
Bear in mind that I am a champion of all those underpaid, overworked cafe and restaurant employees. I also would probably be spouting inanities if I had to be interacting with a steady stream of the American populace. I will not be pointing out the idiocy of praising my drink or menu order.
Yesterday, I was grocery shopping and the young cashier dutifully asked, “Have you found everything you were looking for?” I smiled and said, “Yes”, to which he replied, “Perfect”.
It’s spreading.
But.But…that sounds so rude. We seem to be stuck with trite or true.
Mary, what interesting observations. “That’s a great question,” I believe, is what an interviewee says when the question/subject is a difficult/challenging one. He/she has to stop for a bit and think of an intelligent response. And yes, I hear “Perfect,” a lot. Even at the doctor’s office.
xxxevie
Definitely a good word at a doctor’s office.
I find the comment “Enjoy” to be an annoying response to just about everything.
I have also noticed those “trends.” As far as “perfect” goes I would often times tell
my oldest son ” That is not perfect” and he would reply, “Some people are more perfect than others.”
Oh for the good old days when people would say: Now that is really a dumb question; Were you not
listening to my previous statement; Would you care to revise your question so it makes sense.