"Alright" (British saying) Similar to the previous British-ism, "alright" is a way of saying hello and asking how someone is doing packed into a single word. Although there are some folks who prefer saying the whole phrase, as in, "Are you alright?" In Canada, I'm used to saying and hearing the phrase "How's it going?" knowing that the person is just saying "hello". So it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise to hear, "Are you alright?" But something about the phrase crosses the realm of rhetorical greeting and lands in the realm of sincere, sympathetic question. I guess it's because I'm used to people asking "Are you feeling alright?" when someone looks depressed or upset. I say all this because the first few times I was asked, "Are you alright?" I had to take a look in the mirror to see if I'd gone pale. It didn't help that I had just moved to London and was feeling a bit
Hi - nice to see we not only have the same good taste in blog titles but also in music:)
ReplyDeleteLouise at (the other) justaddmaplesyrup.com