Like the Soldiers Say

[snurri]

HELPFUL NOTE: If you insist upon greeting me with "Keeping out of trouble?" every time you see me, be warned that this is a question of such banality that I cannot be bothered to muster a civil response.

The same goes for "How's it hanging?"

Comments

[sacwentie.livejournal.com]

I always just say, un-cleverly, and in a hateful voice, "I have no idea how to answer that question, so I won't" when people ask me stupid questions such as these. Which is not working out well financially, because I have to pay my roommate and extra dollar in rent every time I'm rude.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I think the only answer to, "Keeping out of trouble?" is, "No."

[msbelle.livejournal.com]

How would you feel about people calling you "bro"?

[ex-benpayne119.livejournal.com]

Here in Australia we have a particularly annoying lighthearted greeting: "Whadda ya know?"

Mostly said by middle-aged to old men in an ocker twang.

I'm not sure what the appropriate response is; some equally banal cliche no doubt, but I can never manage a response, my brain temporarily frozen in distaste at the ludicrous shallow vacuousness of workplace conversation.

[wheatland-press.livejournal.com]

Workin' hard or hardly workin'?

[mastadge.livejournal.com]

This post reminds me of my family. One of my parents is fine, but the other one and that whole branch of the family are good, wholesome, utterly uncynical people. Unfortunately, conversation with them is frequently vapid and trite. Conversation about entertainment rarely goes further than, "Oh, yeah, that one was good." Political discussion is stultifying. Most questions are perfectly rote and have been asked countless times before. I still haven't figured out how to graciously contribute to such meaningless talk, especially when it continues for hours on end. None of which you probably wanted to hear, but there it is. I'm a chip off the old block. The apple didn't fall far from the tree.

[shaolingrrl.livejournal.com]

What bugs me is when I answer a vapid question with an equally vapid but atypical response and the questioner takes umbrage.

For example, when someone asks, "How are you today?" and I respond, "Doing okay."

Often I will get, "Just okay?" in response.

What the f!$k am I supposed to say?

[maureenmcq.livejournal.com]

How do you react to 'Cold enough for you?'

[http://users.livejournal.com/_swallow/]

What do you feel about "How's tricks?"