The Insidious Nature of "Whatever"
Wow. I just wrapped up a highly uncomfortable conversation with someone close to me, and the terminal word on the other person's part was whatever. The sinking, nauseated feeling I have in my gut right now provides ample resolution to convince me that I want to strike this word from my vocabulary, effective immediately. Do not pass "Go," do not collect 200 dollars: word "whatever," report directly to the jail where the grammar police hold words that cause innocent people pain and suffering! Are we agreed that this word, when it is used in the manner in which most recent-generation Americans tend to use it, is starkly passive-aggressive? To respond to a person, place, or thing with "Whatever" (with or without a blasé inflection) denotes a simple lack of concern and/or respect; nothing more, nothing less. And I am not comfortable participating in this kind of nonsense any longer. To be sure, in several of my initial blog posts here at MTA I have used this word. Frankly, I'm tempted to go back and hack all instances of it. Nah--no need. Now is all there is, and whatever happens...er...will happen. Have a nice day.