Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 14:56:40 -0500

From: Jim Crotty Monkmag[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM

Subject: Re: "Bless you" (was "Good morning")



In a message dated 10/23/97 6:56:35 AM, you wrote:



You folks are hard! Even if the phrases (or tail wags, if you wish) are

meaningless, they connect me to the people I meet in a (to me)

satisfying way. I always say "good morning," I always say "bless you"

when someone sneezes, and I always hold doors for people, especially the

elderly (I'm a woman in my 30s, by the way). People who don't do these

or similar things seem alien to me, and if for some reason I'm in a bad

mood and don't do one of them, it makes me feel horrible! I realize

that this is probably a learned behavior indicative of Southern society

(not necessarily gentility), but I enjoy, even need, these meaningless

pleasantries!



A friendly old Southern redneck coon dog who wags her tail most of the

time,

Jessie Emerson



There is no finer American than a polite and friendly Southern man or woman

loose on the streets of New York City. I can't think of a finer

cultural/linguistic combo platter. So, please continue with your meaningless

pleasantries.



Jim Crotty

How To Talk American

monkmag[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]aol/com