Expressions You Hate!

[serious crayons]

I'm not sure how "narc" came into being.  I believe it refers to the narcotics police.

I believe "narc" the noun refers to undercover professional agents or regular-people informers who tell on drug dealers/users. Thus, it became a verb.

I use this in place of "stool-pigeon-ing".  If someone "narcs" on me, they're tattletaling.  Is there another word that could be used that doesn't sound grade-school-ish or something from a Jimmy Cagney movie? 

The only other one I can think of is "tell," which is usually understandable in context. "Don't tell on me" or "don't tell Mom" both imply getting someone in trouble in addition to simply imparting information.

Yeah, I've had that experience too. The problem is that in English, I regret that... and It's my fault that... are both expressed in the same way: "I'm sorry."  Two very different meanings that people sometimes have trouble navigating.

When someone tells me that a loved one of theirs has died, I say "I'm sorry to hear that." Not that if I said "I'm sorry" it would imply that I had killed the person. But somehow, it just doesn't seem ... complete or sumpn'.

[delalluvia]

I use this in place of "stool-pigeon-ing".  If someone "narcs" on me, they're tattletaling.  Is there another word that could be used that doesn't sound grade-school-ish or something from a Jimmy Cagney movie?

The only other one I can think of is "tell," which is usually understandable in context. "Don't tell on me" or "don't tell Mom" both imply getting someone in trouble in addition to simply imparting information.

I tend to use this expression to warn other people about someone,

"Don't say that too loud because Susie will narc on you [to the bosses]."

"Tell on you" also sounds grade-schoolish as in your examples, like they're going to rat you out to a parent.

[ifyoucantfixit]

    I dont mind at all,, my bad.  I think it is good when people own their mistakes, then move on.
So many people refuse to admit they make them..
   
     Another one that bugs me a lot, my family does it all the time, and I could just cringe..
Calling everyone, men women, elders or whomever.. DUDE!!  That bugs me bad DUDE.....ukk

[serious crayons]

     Another one that bugs me a lot, my family does it all the time, and I could just cringe..
Calling everyone, men women, elders or whomever.. DUDE!!  That bugs me bad DUDE.....ukk

I kind of like "dude." More for use by and about guys, though. And I like it when it's used to hold more meaning than "guy" or whatever. Like when it means, "hey" or "are you kidding?"

For instance, my brother was looking at houses. He looked at one that was a total mess, rooms full of garbage and a huge stuffed cougar in the living room. Afterward, the seller's agent called my brother's agent to ask how he thought the house showed.

My brother's agent just said, "Dude ..."

[Jeff Wrangler]

You know, "Good day" is probably a shortening of "Have a good day." But maybe now it's become too much associated with a terse or even hostile goodbye. Like when someone says, "Good day to you, Sir," puts on his top hat, turns and summarily marches out of the office. So we had to reclaim the "Have a" to make it sound more friendly.

I suspect it may be more archaic than that. After all, good-bye developed from the long and archaic, "God be with you." I wouldn't be surprised if Good day (G'day if you're from Oz  ) went back to something like, "God give you a good day."

[Clyde-B]

Well, goodbye is a corruption of "God be with ye"

[serious crayons]

I suspect it may be more archaic than that. After all, good-bye developed from the long and archaic, "God be with you." I wouldn't be surprised if Good day (G'day if you're from Oz  ) went back to something like, "God give you a good day."

Well, goodbye is a corruption of "God be with ye"

I didn't know that about "goodbye." Interesting!

However, isn't "have a good day" simply the secular version of "God give you a good day"? Same sentiment, just different in terms of where that good day comes from.

[delalluvia]

I didn't know that about "goodbye." Interesting!

However, isn't "have a good day" simply the secular version of "God give you a good day"? Same sentiment, just different in terms of where that good day comes from.

That was my impression as well.  Didn't Shakespeare write things like "God give you good night"?

[Jeff Wrangler]

However, isn't "have a good day" simply the secular version of "God give you a good day"? Same sentiment, just different in terms of where that good day comes from.

Well. ...

Back when people said, "God be with you," if they said, "God give you good day," I don't think there would have been a "secular version." "Good day" would have just been a shortened version of "God give you good day." Nobody was "secular" back then.

[serious crayons]

Well. ...

Back when people said, "God be with you," if they said, "God give you good day," I don't think there would have been a "secular version." "Good day" would have just been a shortened version of "God give you good day." Nobody was "secular" back then.

True. But my point was, "good day" would be a shortened form of the sentiment "I hope your day is enjoyable and free of undue troubles," whether that is by the grace of God or some other force.