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Thursday, April 29, 2004 · posted at 8:44 PM

A good one is hard to find. Karen recently revealed to me her distaste for the phrase "Have a good one!" "One what?!" she's dying to shout.

"Have a good one!" is a phrase often heard while leaving the office, exiting the grocer checkstand, or running away from annoying roommates. Although its origins are unclear, that's not going to stop me from speculating and making gross assumptions.

Why do people say “Have a good one?” Have a good morning…a good afternoon... good evening...night. These are phrases we are accustomed to, each with its own distinction denoting time of day. I think the “one” evolved from a lack of knowing the time of day. Imagine a haggard coworker sitting under fluorescent lighting all day in a little cube and no window who may have no concept of what time it is simply because there has been no readjustment from the sun in the body's circadian rhythm. Else imagine the disgruntled Ralph’s employee bagging groceries like eggs, breads, deli meats, pot roasts, corn who has seen so many other people’s meals, yet may have no recollection of what meal time it actually is. And lastly, the annoying roommate who has probably been sitting and drooling in front of the tv all day and would have no knowledge of what time it is because thanks to the Soap channel, Days of Our Lives and Passions is on at all times of day and not only during the midday slot (this is a pure hypothetical because I love my roommate and would more likely be the annoying one). In any case, “Have a good one” is a good catch-all phrase, because due to the nondescript nature of the phrase, you will always be correct.

So why do people say “Have a good one!” and other small talk-y phrases in general? I'm not a huge fan of chit chat (a "Ban Small Talk" button is in the works). I also find humor in expressions like “Have a safe trip!” and “Feel better” because it’s not like someone will actually be able to be avert disaster on the road or become healthy because of my words. So I always try to adapt these sayings to “I hope you have a safe trip” and “I hope you feel better soon” but as anyone who’s reading these words, pointing at the screen and screaming, “Hypocrite! Hypocrite!” will tell you, I don’t always succeed and do sometimes fall back to the less proper version. But that’s another subject...

I think it’s just automatic to say "Have a good" anything, to fill empty air with words. Ever sat in a quiet office or car and the silence was so deafening that you felt obligued to tell your officemate or friend intimate details about your digestive systems distaste for gluten products or the strange rash that appeared out of no where? These are more extreme examples of things said to break silence, but saying simply “bye” can seem inadequate at times. Think of how many times you say, "Bye" and then feel pressure to add on the "I had a nice time" or "I'll call you." And while you may not feel such pressure from the person servicing your groceries, no one likes chirping crickets. These small talk phrases often have a transitionary purpose and allow even the socially inept to gracefully(somewhat) end a conversation.

So. Have a good one!



	Thursday, April 29, 2004 · posted at 8:44 PM A good one is hard to find. Karen recently revealed to me her distaste for the phrase "Have a good one!" "One what?!" she's dying to shout. "Have a good one!" is a phrase often heard while leaving the office, exiting the grocer checkstand, or running away from annoying roommates. Although its origins are unclear, that's not going to stop me from speculating and making gross assumptions. Why do people say “Have a good one?” Have a good morning…a good afternoon... good evening...night. These are phrases we are accustomed to, each with its own distinction denoting time of day. I think the “one” evolved from a lack of knowing the time of day. Imagine a haggard coworker sitting under fluorescent lighting all day in a little cube and no window who may have no concept of what time it is simply because there has been no readjustment from the sun in the body's circadian rhythm. Else imagine the disgruntled Ralph’s employee bagging groceries like eggs, breads, deli meats, pot roasts, corn who has seen so many other people’s meals, yet may have no recollection of what meal time it actually is. And lastly, the annoying roommate who has probably been sitting and drooling in front of the tv all day and would have no knowledge of what time it is because thanks to the Soap channel, Days of Our Lives and Passions is on at all times of day and not only during the midday slot (this is a pure hypothetical because I love my roommate and would more likely be the annoying one). In any case, “Have a good one” is a good catch-all phrase, because due to the nondescript nature of the phrase, you will always be correct. So why do people say “Have a good one!” and other small talk-y phrases in general? I'm not a huge fan of chit chat (a "Ban Small Talk" button is in the works). I also find humor in expressions like “Have a safe trip!” and “Feel better” because it’s not like someone will actually be able to be avert disaster on the road or become healthy because of my words. So I always try to adapt these sayings to “I hope you have a safe trip” and “I hope you feel better soon” but as anyone who’s reading these words, pointing at the screen and screaming, “Hypocrite! Hypocrite!” will tell you, I don’t always succeed and do sometimes fall back to the less proper version. But that’s another subject... I think it’s just automatic to say "Have a good" anything, to fill empty air with words. Ever sat in a quiet office or car and the silence was so deafening that you felt obligued to tell your officemate or friend intimate details about your digestive systems distaste for gluten products or the strange rash that appeared out of no where? These are more extreme examples of things said to break silence, but saying simply “bye” can seem inadequate at times. Think of how many times you say, "Bye" and then feel pressure to add on the "I had a nice time" or "I'll call you." And while you may not feel such pressure from the person servicing your groceries, no one likes chirping crickets. These small talk phrases often have a transitionary purpose and allow even the socially inept to gracefully(somewhat) end a conversation. So. Have a good one!	Recent Posts "I have nothing to say of my working life, only th... Ban altruism. On my way out of the office today, ... On animals, men, and evolution. “and nowhere in t... I’ll stop the world and melt for you. I went home ... Workers Against Milking Mothers (WAMM) I’m all for... Clash of the titans. Batman versus Spiderman… who... The wave stops here. On Thursday I got to see the... Ramblings inspired by Rolling Stone magazine #944.... Welcome to five years ago. Categorization is grea... Public spaces as a dumping ground. I vehemently o... Morning news babie goose ryan bluemouse daves son dawntaught desiree diorama emily escadawg galveric high entropy invisible cube jepgato kyellow lilly mhuang mogbert nudream starfish + coffee verbivore Archives March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 January 2007 March 2007 April 2007 November 2008

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