Feeling Ashamed

[Rose799]

"Oh well." It is pretty dismissive isn't it?  I don't like it when people say it to me either.

I think you nailed it, Holly!    Gotta go, the house won't clean itself...

[holliberri]

Rose...I used to be SO upset when my parents would say it to me. 

[Scoop]

Yeah, I can't think of a 'nice' spin to put on "oh well".

To me "Oh well" is the shorthand version you use when you don't want to say:

Oh well, you've made your bed, now lie in it.

Oh well, I hope that works out for you.

Oh well, what else did you expect?

Oh well, let's agree to disagree.


Because if the "something after" was something nice, you would say it:

Oh well, at least THAT'S OVER.

Oh well, I'm glad we agree.

[themuffin]

I think I agree with Scoop.  "Oh well" all by itself sound pretty dismissive. Sorta like "whatever".  Nothing gets under my skin like "whatever".  Both expressions pretty much say to me, "I don't care."

However, there is always an exception to every rule. But I think Scoop hit it on the head when she said if it was not negative something would follow.  My son broke my favorite coffee mug and he was upset because he thought I would be upset.  I simply replied, "Oh well, it was just a cup. Don't worry about it."

[Sheen]

For whatever to be fully effective you have to draw it out muffin.,   WHAAAT EVVVER  lol

[holliberri]

Add a few of these in there:

[overwhelmed123]

LOL!  Yeah, oh well = I don't really care what you think...

[pam1]

Hey, I say oh well all the time and it doesn't mean that!  It's more like "what can you do" with a shrugged shoulder.  You silly people

AND, I am not religious or spiritual at all but I grew up Catholic went to Catholic schools etc and I am very irritated with people when they don't say Bless You after you sneeze.  No, I don't care that i don't really believe in that stuff but I think it's a nice way to acknowledge someone LOL.  DH thinks I'm nuts but it really bothers me.

[themuffin]

For whatever to be fully effective you have to draw it out muffin.,   WHAAAT EVVVER  lol

LOL, I just replied that I love your sense of humor in another post and came here and read this. 

[luise.volta]

"Whatever" means "I don't care...and...I'm not even listening!"

[LaurieS]

Yes.. there is "oh well", "whatever" and the ultimate drop dead term is "yes dear"... I think these are all commonly viewed as being negative when belted out as full sentences.

But God Bless?  I find that to be an all encompassing term, hardly cheapened in any manner.  I guess I'm a little surprised that this would even be questioned and I too am agnostic yet realize that the term/phrase is used as a positive.

[luise.volta]

A little more clear is "Oh, sure!" Not in agreement! 

[Rose799]

Here's a new one for ya'll...  How would you respond to someone, for ex., dh perhaps, who, when he knows you're unhappy or upset, says, "Don't get your panties in a wad."   Of course, said example always ends with, "Yes, dear."   

[luise.volta]

What I really don't like is the preface..."Now, promise me you won't get mad, OK...but...?"

[holliberri]

Rose! That statment had better end with "Yes, Dear!" LOLOLOLOL.

I actually don't mind the "don't get mad." I really do need to be reminded of that. I get mad easily. Someone saying that to me puts me on guard and lets me turn off the emotions and turn on the logic. I work through the emotion before I say something I might regret.