New Favourite Word

One of the nice perks about my new job is the language. Although I'm in the Boston office and work with some Americans, alot of my daily contact includes coworkers and other professionals from the UK. I've been slowly adjusting to understanding the Irish and Scotish accents as I interact with them on a regular basis. Six months ago I could tell the difference between the accent, but now it's all become a muddle. My brain is overloaded with the accent and I think I'm even thinking in a strange hybridization of the accents.



Regardless, I've discovered my new favorite word - Cheers! I've co-opted the word and use it all the time. Maybe even too much. This week I was trying to scale back the usage and found I couldn't. It's just such a great word. It covers three great subjects: thanks, take care, and toasting. I've added it to my vocab so be forewarned.



The most useful for me is the farewell greeting. I always felt like "take care" was used more if someone wasn't doing well - a bit of a downer. Along the lines of "take care of yourself during these difficult times." We just never jibed together. And "good bye" was just so abrupt. But "cheers". I mean it's so obviously cheerful. You get to end the conversation on an up note. It just leaves you with warm fuzzies. It's fun saying and receiving.



And using "thanks" in the back of my head was so pedestrian. I was trained from a young age to say "yes" and "thank you" instead of the slurred "yeah" and "thanks". Granted, I still use them as they are easier to say, but I still feel a little guilt of not saying the proper thing. "Thanks" can be abrupt and used sarcastically, in a negative way. You know, like "thaaanks, I didn't know I lived in Boston, thanks for reminding me." And "thank you" is so formal. So prim and proper. But "cheers", again it wins out. It's a good in between and I haven't got a clue how to say it sarcastically - it's immune. It's just a nice, short, polite way of appreciating whatever it is you are appreciating.



Finally, the toasting. I have one toast I took a week to memorize and repeat on a monthly basis to keep it in the head. That's a lot of work to have a toast ready for that key moment drinking. What would work better is a shorter toast, that is easy to remember. If only there was a one world salutation you could say while clinking glasses....



So here's to you Cheers. Cheers Cheers for being in my life. Cheers!