Date:  Fri, 31 Oct 1997 14:56:40 -0500
From:  Jim Crotty <Monkmag[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: "Bless you" (was "Good morning")

In a message dated 10/23/97 6:56:35 AM, you wrote:

<<You folks are hard! Even if the phrases (or tail wags, if you wish) are
meaningless, they connect me to the people I meet in a (to me)
satisfying way. I always say "good morning," I always say "bless you"
when someone sneezes, and I always hold doors for people, especially the
elderly (I'm a woman in my 30s, by the way). People who don't do these
or similar things seem alien to me, and if for some reason I'm in a bad
mood and don't do one of them, it makes me feel horrible! I realize
that this is probably a learned behavior indicative of Southern society
(not necessarily gentility), but I enjoy, even need, these meaningless
pleasantries!

A friendly old Southern redneck coon dog who wags her tail most of the
time,
Jessie Emerson>>

There is no finer American than a polite and friendly Southern man or woman
loose on the streets of New York City. I can't think of a finer
cultural/linguistic combo platter. So, please continue with your meaningless
pleasantries.

Jim Crotty
How To Talk American
monkmag[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]aol/com