[AmE] is it rude to say "cheer up"?

[karina1]

Hello.
I kind of heard that we shouldn't say "cheer up" to others, or strangers.
I didn't exactly remember what I heard, but I think they recommend saying "Keep your chin up", instead of "cheer up".

Did I hear it totally wrong? or does "cheer up" have a kind of bad connotation - something like it's nothing to fuss over, so just move on and cheer up?
plus, I heard that from some american guys.

Thank you.

p.s: to boot, do you pronounce "situation" like "situ-way-shen"? or "situ-ei-shen"?
or, infatuation : "infatu-ei-shen"? or "infatu-way-shen"?

[Barb_D]

The words "cheer up" themselves aren't offensive but the idea of a stranger telling me how to feel is.

Someone telling me to keep my chin up is someone encouraging me. Someone telling me to "cheer up" is telling me I have no right to feel sad. That's how I would interpret it. (Granted, I am a bit sensitive to this. I really get annoyed when people tell me how I should feel.)

I say si-chew-ay-shun and in-fa-chew-ay-shun.

[e2e4]

I've got you. You must have meant /ˌsɪt.juˈeɪ.ʃən/, /ɪnˌfæt.juˈeɪ.ʃən/ haven't you?

[Barb_D]

Even when I was taking linguistics classes, I was never any good at using those symbols.

[e2e4]

Anyway, your way's beautiful.

[karina1]

Thanks.

Then, is it okay for a stranger to say "keep your chin up"?

[Barb_D]

Again, I'm a bit hypersensitive about this, so it would depend a great deal on the situation.

If I fell down, a stranger can help me up and I'd be grateful.

If I was running for a bus, and missed it, and appeared upset, and a stranger said "Cheer up -- another bus will be here in 12 minutes." I'd be glad for the information and reassurance.

If someone witnessed my husband being totally rude to me in public and then thought it was somehow appropriate to encourage me to keep my chin up, I'd be outraged that he inserted himself into what should have been a private situation.

[BobK]

Again, I'm a bit hypersensitive about this, so it would depend a great deal on the situation.
...

It's even worse when (as some people in the UK do) the cheerer-upper adds '... - it might never happen.'

b

[Tdol]

Thanks.

Then, is it okay for a stranger to say "keep your chin up"?

I can't see any difference between saying this and saying cheer up in terms of politeness- giving advice like this to strangers is intrusive in most situations.

[holton]

-I am not a teacher-

"Cheer up", as with almost everything, can be rude if said, meant or received as an unkind, flipant, insensitive or out of context comment. It depends on the EQ of those involved!