Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 10:20:33 EDT

From: Julia Cochran COCPROFS[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UGA.CC.UGA.EDU

Subject: Re: Bless You



On Wed, 22 Oct 1997 21:56:16 -0400 Jody said:

I assume that all of this discussion about politeness and the decline

thereof in the linguistic sense can also be seen in those that use the

so-called "polite" terms, as we have come to consider them, when they

mean absolutely nothing by the endearments. Why ask an acquaintance (or

even stranger) "How are you doing?" if you don't care to hear the actual

answer to the question. Is it supposed to be some sort of hypothetical

question? I would prefer being ignored to being asked a question as such

and refused a chance to answer that very question. My suggestion, don't

even TRY to be polite if you couldn't care less.



"How are you doing?" is not a true question. It is the equivalent of a canine

tail-wag. If someone wags at me, I wag back, even if the wag is in the guise

of a question. Among this tail-challenged human species, sometimes a verbal

format is the best we can muster.