"HELLO, EXCUSE ME, DUH, WHATEVER”

She was yelling very loud “Hello, Hello, Hello”. When I turned to look, I saw this woman pointing to the supermarket bag boy, who was gathering up all the carts in the parking lot, and by the way was at least 50 feet away from this woman. I thought to myself, what does she expect him to do, take her a cart? She was standing in front of the door of the supermarket, there were carts inside, I just looked at her and she at me from a distance, then she walked out to the parking lot and got herself a cart with a little embarrassed look on her face. I thought to myself “Duh... Whatever.” The bag boy never heard her, he was talking on his cell phone.

I really think that Miami is the “HELLO” capital of the world. That's all you hear, people say “Hello” for everything else except for it's true meaning. “Hello” I need to ask you a question! “Hello” you're in my way! “Hello” that was a stupid answer! “Hello” I need service! “Hello” don't you see me standing here! “Hello” I'm next! It goes on and on. You never hear it used for just what it means “Hello”. Maybe we could make it our state word.

But then we would have to have four state words, because the number two word in Miami is “Excuse Me”, number three is “DUH”, and number four is “Whatever”. These are very contagious words. I've even heard my mother say them on occasion and she's 78 years old and etiquette was a very important part of her life, a southern woman growing up in Miami in the forties and fifties.

“Excuse Me” I need service. “Excuse Me” I need to interrupt you and ask you a question, and now!!!! “Excuse Me” I'm in line, in front of you, and “Hello” are you stupid or something? “Duh”!!!!!! “Whatever”!!!! “Excuse Me” I said “Hello” did you not hear me? “Excuse Me” I need your attention now, no matter what you are doing!!!!! “Hello” don't you hear me. And it goes on and on and on.

If you live in Miami, you hear these words all day long, it's like a plague. I worked in a restaurant and for two years I was called “Excuse Me”, even after trying to tell people my name, they still called me “Excuse Me”. It's so rude!!!!!!!!! Really it is. I think one of the news stations in Miami should start a segment during their broadcast called “That's Just So Rude”.

Let's get to the real meaning of the words. “Hello” in the dictionary says, noun: and expression of greeting. It also says, in 1588 was first recorded “holla, hollo, a shout to attract attention. Holla, stop, cease. Popularity as a greeting coincides with use of the telephone, where it won out over Alexander Graham Bells suggestion, "ahoy". Central telephone exchange operators were known as hello-girls. Word used as greeting: a word used to greet somebody you meet, to answer a telephone call, or to begin a radio or television program: Hello, pleased to meet you. Hello, and welcome to the show. After we had all said our hello, we settled down to eat. A word used to attract attention. Hello, Is anyone there? At word to express surprise, Hello! What's that doing here? The sarcastic or sometimes angry definition or slang is He's like hello? Who do you think you are? I'm living my own life now, hello? Please mind your own business.

The problem is that I think we use it too much. Do we have to use it all the time. Can't we use other words to express ourselves. We could say when we need our server at a restaurant, “When you get a chance, please, I would like to speak with you?” We wouldn't have to put the hello or excuse me in front, would we????? Or, could I get by please, instead of excuse me, could we?????

Could we just completely eliminate the word “duh”.The dictionary says its and ironic response to being told something obvious or well known, or a humorous expression of stupidity used in humorous acknowledgment of your own stupidity. So it's another way of saying someone is stupid, or that you yourself is stupid, DUH!

And last but not least, WHATEVER! As an adjective it says: one or some or every or all without specification. For example: “ Give me whatever peaches you don't want”. A grammatical word used to refer to everything of a particular type, without limitation. As a pronoun: Feel free to say whatever you like. As an adjective: He lost whatever interest he may have had in it. Pronoun: emphatic "what": an emphatic form of "what" used to express an emotion such as surprise or perplexity. Whatever is the matter now? Adverb: of any kind: used for emphasis. I can see no reason whatever why you shouldn't go. Adverb expressing mild disagreement: used to indicate that the speaker disagrees with what has just been said, but is not prepared to argue ( informal )
OK, if that's what you think, whatever.

Oh so now I get it, we use it mostly when we disagree with what we hear but don't want to argue about it. Now I understand!!!!!!!!! WHATEVER!!!!!!!!

I'm out of here!!!!
Mimi Jay