A glossary of commonly used phrases.
"It is what it is."
Translation:
It doesn't work, and don't you dare try to fix it.
"He means well."
Translation:
The chaos, suffering, destruction, or waste he causes is motivated by something other than a pure desire for chaos , suffering, destruction, or waste.
Maybe he (or she) is working under a firmly held misunderstanding of the facts. Maybe he is trying to hide his incompetence. Maybe his (her) thought processes are impaired.
"Your loved one is in the recovery room. You can see her (him) in about half an hour."
Said by a surgeon to the patient's waiting relatives. It means:
See you tomorrow, I'm outta here.
Unless it means: In the time it took me to walk from the operating room to the waiting room, your loved one was extubated, teleported to the recovery room, magically hooked up to monitors, assessed by the nurse, and medicated for pain. Within thirty minutes, the nurse will force someone on my service to write orders and will initiate those orders. Then the nurse will get your loved one cleaned up enough so that you can visit without being horrified.
Take our survey.
Buy something, or at least provide us with your personal information so we can sell you things later or at least sell your name to someone else.
Blankety Blank Hospital [Bank, Insurance Company, School] cares about you.
We hired a copywriter who was too indifferent or stupid to understand that you are aware that "caring" is not a function that is available to an institution.
Maybe we wanted to say that at this institution, you will receive everything you're entitled to without having to fight for it, but we were afraid you might try to hold us to that.
Those others are fine people.
This is used when the speaker becomes aware of your group affiliation, or that of a third party. As in:
There used to be a Jewish family in town and the mother was in the PTA and the kids were in scouts.
There's a Puerto Rican woman at work, her son goes to Good College, and when we have our luncheons she brings in a wonderful rice dish, but I don't know what it's called.
Mr. ApparentlyGay taught at the high school, and my brother-friend-sister had him for two years, and he was a very good teacher and there was never any trouble.
Translation:
I mean those people no harm, but the mention of them makes me so uncomfortable that I have to say something immediately.
Translation:
It doesn't work, and don't you dare try to fix it.
"He means well."
Translation:
The chaos, suffering, destruction, or waste he causes is motivated by something other than a pure desire for chaos , suffering, destruction, or waste.
Maybe he (or she) is working under a firmly held misunderstanding of the facts. Maybe he is trying to hide his incompetence. Maybe his (her) thought processes are impaired.
"Your loved one is in the recovery room. You can see her (him) in about half an hour."
Said by a surgeon to the patient's waiting relatives. It means:
See you tomorrow, I'm outta here.
Unless it means: In the time it took me to walk from the operating room to the waiting room, your loved one was extubated, teleported to the recovery room, magically hooked up to monitors, assessed by the nurse, and medicated for pain. Within thirty minutes, the nurse will force someone on my service to write orders and will initiate those orders. Then the nurse will get your loved one cleaned up enough so that you can visit without being horrified.
Take our survey.
Buy something, or at least provide us with your personal information so we can sell you things later or at least sell your name to someone else.
Blankety Blank Hospital [Bank, Insurance Company, School] cares about you.
We hired a copywriter who was too indifferent or stupid to understand that you are aware that "caring" is not a function that is available to an institution.
Maybe we wanted to say that at this institution, you will receive everything you're entitled to without having to fight for it, but we were afraid you might try to hold us to that.
Those others are fine people.
This is used when the speaker becomes aware of your group affiliation, or that of a third party. As in:
There used to be a Jewish family in town and the mother was in the PTA and the kids were in scouts.
There's a Puerto Rican woman at work, her son goes to Good College, and when we have our luncheons she brings in a wonderful rice dish, but I don't know what it's called.
Mr. ApparentlyGay taught at the high school, and my brother-friend-sister had him for two years, and he was a very good teacher and there was never any trouble.
Translation:
I mean those people no harm, but the mention of them makes me so uncomfortable that I have to say something immediately.