Have a nice day!

[Lenka]

This is what I read it a book about Britain:

Of course, in Britain, as everywhere else, American attitudes are making themselves felt. You may hear in what appears a typically British restaurant or shop, the expression: “Have a nice day!“. But Britain is still a long way from America and, on beány told Blansky to “Have a nice day!“ the British response might well be: “Which one? Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday?“ Or the more sardonic: “It’ll be much nicer the minute I get out of here.“

I do understand the joke; I have a question connected with the British and American English. The text in the book sounds like that the British don't use the phrase "Have a nice day!" at all. Is it an Ammerican expression?

[kkookk2003]

Originally Posted by Lenka

This is what I read it a book about Britain
I do understand the joke; I have a question connected with the British and American English. The text in the book sounds like that the British don't use the phrase "Have a nice day!" at all. Is it an Ammerican expression?

Hi Lenka,

I had asked a similar question some time ago. Heres the reply I got. <http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/28456-silly-question-but-please-reply.html#post121666>

Regards,

Benjamin

[BobK]

Originally Posted by kkookk2003

Hi Lenka,

I had asked a similar question some time ago. Heres the reply I got. <http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/28456-silly-question-but-please-reply.html#post121666>

Regards,

Benjamin

As a footnote to that discussion, I'd add that in the UK there was initially some resistance to the introduction of what was felt to be an Americanism. But from the mid-sixties until today there has been much more European travel, and I think that English people began to feel a need for some way of distinguishing between a general greeting (like French bonjour) and a wish for a pleasant experience during a particular day or outing (bonne journée). So we started saying 'Have a good day'.

But 'Have a nice day' is becoming much more common. A hotel near where I live has it painted on the road on the way out of the hotel car park, and 'Have a nice stay' on the way in. (In current speech, except in unusually careful speakers, they sound the same, as the voiced /d/ of "day" assimilates to the unvoiced /s/ of "nice").

b

[kkookk2003]

Thanks Bob

[Schapp]

Right - that is the same with the typically American use of "cool" which is now very common amongst people in Britain...

[Lenka]

Thank you for your responses!

Originally Posted by Schapp

Right - that is the same with the typically American use of "cool" which is now very common amongst people in Britain...

Hi Schapp! I didn't know that the word "cool" is not that accepted in Britain.

Anyway, I hate all these expressions from other languages (well, probably only (maybe especially) from English) in Czech. Why do the people in our country use words such as "free, cool, in, pls (please)..."? I don't think it can make them look better. I don't like it and the way they speak shows you how simple they really are. We should speak our native language, otherwise it will become a "dead" language. That's my opinion.

[Humble]

Hi,
It seems I’ve read somewhere that Have a good day!- (or just Good day??) is a curt unfriendly way to stop a conversation. Am I wrong?
Tnx

[BobK]

Originally Posted by Lenka

Thank you for your responses!



Hi Schapp! I didn't know that the word "cool" is not that accepted in Britain.

Well, I think it's fairly widely acccepted, but it's actually used by younger people. "I've got this real cool MP3 player" is not something one would expect to hear from the lips of a 60-yr-old.

Originally Posted by Humble

Hi,
It seems I’ve read somewhere that Have a good day!- (or just Good day??) is a curt unfriendly way to stop a conversation. Am I wrong?
Tnx

Good day (no question marks) can be either polite (if slightly old-fashioned) when used as a greeting (that is, at the beginning of a conversation or in place of one - when passing someone in the street, for example), or very dismissive (though with a veneer of politeness): "On that other matter, Sir, I have nothing further to add. You know my views. Good day." The stress is important. In the positive case, it's rising, or falling slightly from a high pitch; but in the negative case it falls sharply from a medium pitch.

b

[Humble]

Tnx, Bob,
Tose questionmarks were mine.

With a veneer of politeness

Very well said. And does it all refer to Good day only, or Have a good day, too?

[Philly]

Originally Posted by Lenka

Why do the people in our country use words such as "free, cool, in, pls (please)..."? I don't think it can make them look better. I don't like it and the way they speak shows you how simple they really are. We should speak our native language, otherwise it will become a "dead" language. That's my opinion.

Hi Lenka
There are probably plenty of Americans who find many of these things annoying, too. I have a special aversion to reading "pls". It seems to me that if someone finds "please" too much trouble to write, then they might as well just leave it out completely. To me personally, using "pls" doesn't seem polite; it just looks lazy and insincere.
.