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As a Colombian who lived in the States, I noticed a couple of expressions used by many people that still after many years don't make sense at all to me. Let me explain:
Example 1: A person falls from a 4 story building, hitting the pavement hard (obviously). The first person that walks near the site approaches the fallen one asking: "Are you alright?". There is no way for a person to be alright after falling from such a height; so why ask that question ?
Example 2: There's a shooting or an accident or some kind of mishappening, and one person gets injured really bad (this is only an example). The person in question has lost one leg, an arm, his/her guts are all over the place. The next guy is always telling them: "I'ts gonna be alright. You're gonna be ok". That doesn't make sense at all now does it ?
Example 3: A guy gets to work carrying a handkerchief held in front of his nose, coughing and sneezing like hell. The next guy asks him: What's the matter? He says: "I have a bad cold". Well as far as i know, there isn't such thing as a "good" cold so why the "bad" ?
It might probably be ignorance, but the three examples don't make any sense to me; so would you enlighten me?
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Well first of all, your examples are a bit extreme. If someone falls from a building and dies, no one is going to ask them if they're okay. If someone falls, I ask if they're alright, and if they're not, proceed to help them. That's generally how it works. If someone's in pain, but chances are help can be provided, you say/do anything you can to comfort them and calm them down. Telling someone in distress that they're going to be okay gives them a sense of security, which makes it easier to aid them. It's damn near impossible to treat someone when they're in a frenzy. Lastly, while there's no such thing as a "good" cold, a "bad" cold just describes a level of severity. A cold and a bad cold are very different things. And, obviously, a bad cold is worse than just a cold.
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ElChupacabras wrote:As a Colombian who lived in the States, I noticed a couple of expressions used by many people that still after many years don't make sense at all to me. Let me explain:
Example 1: A person falls from a 4 story building, hitting the pavement hard (obviously). The first person that walks near the site approaches the fallen one asking: "Are you alright?". There is no way for a person to be alright after falling from such a height; so why ask that question ?
Example 2: There's a shooting or an accident or some kind of mishappening, and one person gets injured really bad (this is only an example). The person in question has lost one leg, an arm, his/her guts are all over the place. The next guy is always telling them: "I'ts gonna be alright. You're gonna be ok". That doesn't make sense at all now does it ?
Example 3: A guy gets to work carrying a handkerchief held in front of his nose, coughing and sneezing like hell. The next guy asks him: What's the matter? He says: "I have a bad cold". Well as far as i know, there isn't such thing as a "good" cold so why the "bad" ?
It might probably be ignorance, but the three examples don't make any sense to me; so would you enlighten me?
I agreee with Slippery, examples 1 and 2 are a bit extreme. Where the hell did you live when you were in the states? Example 1, no one would really ask "are you alright?" to a person that fell four stories. Example 2 is rare. How many times did you see someone lose an arm, leg or guts? In those cases, people may say, "you're gonna be ok" as a way to settle them down. The shock of the situation is bad enough so calming words can sooth an injured person. Not much, but maybe enough to prevent them from hyperventilating or shutting down. Simple compassion. Example 3, there is a big difference between a cold and a "bad" cold. A "normal" or "good" cold may just be a slight runny nose or simple cough. A bad cold will have severe congestion, barking cough, fever, headache. The term "bad" cold may be a misnomer, but it's understood what is meant.
When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser. Socrates
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Because people are idiots. Want proof? Justin Bieber and people saying "Like" three times in a sentence.
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lafayettemister wrote:
I agreee with Slippery, examples 1 and 2 are a bit extreme. Where the hell did you live when you were in the states? Example 1, no one would really ask "are you alright?" to a person that fell four stories.
I know I kind of exaggerated a little bit, but in general in most cases the question, which by the way is quite common, is a little... I just don't know how to put it. Dumb maybe? (no offense intended here)
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elitfromnorth wrote:Because people are idiots. Want proof? Justin Bieber and people saying "Like" three times in a sentence. like, what is like, your like, problem, anyways? (see what i did there?) 
 Bitches in the Basement on Amazon by our own Dancing Doll
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ElChupacabras wrote:As a Colombian who lived in the States, I noticed a couple of expressions used by many people that still after many years don't make sense at all to me. Let me explain:
Example 1: A person falls from a 4 story building, hitting the pavement hard (obviously). The first person that walks near the site approaches the fallen one asking: "Are you alright?". There is no way for a person to be alright after falling from such a height; so why ask that question ?
Example 2: There's a shooting or an accident or some kind of mishappening, and one person gets injured really bad (this is only an example). The person in question has lost one leg, an arm, his/her guts are all over the place. The next guy is always telling them: "I'ts gonna be alright. You're gonna be ok". That doesn't make sense at all now does it ?
Example 3: A guy gets to work carrying a handkerchief held in front of his nose, coughing and sneezing like hell. The next guy asks him: What's the matter? He says: "I have a bad cold". Well as far as i know, there isn't such thing as a "good" cold so why the "bad" ?
It might probably be ignorance, but the three examples don't make any sense to me; so would you enlighten me?
Example 1 could have been superman, in which case, the dumb question would be asking the ground if it's ok. You know it's going to say, "no, superman just cracked my face!!!" Superman's just going to fly off Example 2 could be part starfish, in which case everything is fine and in a few days that person will have a twin, or maybe some triplets, quintuplets etc. .. Example 3 . .. well, a good cold is when you're all hoped up on cold medicine and higher than a kite, in which case, it's an awesome cold!! ^_^ hope that cleared it up for you.
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one_winged_angel wrote:
Example 1 could have been superman, in which case, the dumb question would be asking the ground if it's ok. You know it's going to say, "no, superman just cracked my face!!!" Superman's just going to fly off
Example 2 could be part starfish, in which case everything is fine and in a few days that person will have a twin, or maybe some triplets, quintuplets etc. ..
Example 3 . .. well, a good cold is when you're all hoped up on cold medicine and higher than a kite, in which case, it's an awesome cold!!
^_^ hope that cleared it up for you.
damn, sometimes you just amaze me with your brilliance *gives you a cookie*
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sprite wrote:
damn, sometimes you just amaze me with your brilliance *gives you a cookie*
COOKIE!!! yay!!! I soo like cookies, like they're like sooo totally awesome *skips off munching cookie and singing "Baby" *
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Example 1: He might really have wanted the victim not to be alright. He may even have caused the accident intentionally. So in the interest of being thorough, he has to verify that the mission was accomplished. Example 2: He's checking to see if the victim has a broken sense of humor. If the victim looks down at their spilled out guts and says, "Aw, you almost had me there you cheeky devil", then he can tell the first responder some good news to help make his day. Example 3: He's just letting the next guy know that he should expect less work from him because he doesn't have one of those good colds.
Sensei's altimeter is reading 9000'. Suddenly the engine noise level drops a lot. The engine on the door side of the plane is quiet. We hear, "Shit! Fuck me!" from the cockpit, then the pilot yells, "Everybody out! Now!" Airgasms Induce Orgasms
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The 1st Example is like, An plane crashing right on the border of 2 Country's. In which Country did the bury the survivors? 
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The Think Tank must be all out of good questions. 
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Can this be serious? 
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It's kinda common sense.. If it's a bad cold it's more severe than than a regular cold, you ask if they're alright to see if they're able to respond.. the guy who screams out I like pie when you ask is probably worse off than the guy that says yes help me up ..Unless the one guy really likes pie lol.
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Garza wrote:It's kinda common sense.. If it's a bad cold it's more severe than than a regular cold, you ask if they're alright to see if they're able to respond.. the guy who screams out I like pie when you ask is probably worse off than the guy that says yes help me up ..Unless the one guy really likes pie lol.
you say some strange things when in great pain, or under sedation... i like pie isn't that strange... my girl has a whole notebook of funny stuff i've said while out of it at the hospital... 
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sprite wrote:you say some strange things when in great pain, or under sedation... i like pie isn't that strange... my girl has a whole notebook of funny stuff i've said while out of it at the hospital... *makes it my personal mission to track down that notebook*
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one_winged_angel wrote:
*makes it my personal mission to track down that notebook*
*giggles* Kate said if i misbehave, she'll publish it... *blinks* i think she's serious...
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sprite wrote:
*giggles* Kate said if i misbehave, she'll publish it... *blinks* i think she's serious...
Please misbehave. please, please please! um. .. I'll give you a cookie if you do ^_^
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one_winged_angel wrote:
Please misbehave. please, please please! um. .. I'll give you a cookie if you do ^_^
*looks suspicious* what kind of a cookie...?
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I'm thinking I should have thought more about entering a forum called think tank..(maybe subliminally I thought it said Kink Tank) 
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sprite wrote:
*looks suspicious* what kind of a cookie...?
soft, chewy, chocolate chip cookie sandwich with marshmallow fluff in the middle. ^_^
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one_winged_angel wrote:
soft, chewy, chocolate chip cookie sandwich with marshmallow fluff in the middle. ^_^
and raisins...?
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sprite wrote:
and raisins...?
Erm. .. *rummaging through bag* I know I've got raisens here somewhere. ..
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In your first two examples, often what occurs is that the surrounding people are not mentally prepared for what they've just witnessed. They are apt to say something familiar to themselves as they greet the stranger whose limbs are shattered. It's meant to calm them as much as the person they are addressing. Sometimes those first responders merely babble incoherently. I've seen a lot of that at various accidents, house fires, etc... Many people shut down mentally and are impaired emotionally, unless they've been given proper emergency training. They actually shouldn't even approach victims as they are apt to do more harm than good. Your last example is a case where I would have accosted the inconsiderate/selfish germ spreader and admonished him to get his dumb ass back in his car and go the fuck home to make use of his insurance plan instead of coming to the office where he can infect me and the rest of our coworkers with the germs his kids brought home from their school to give to him. "Go see your doctor, fucktard, your work isn't so important it can't wait a few days til you're healthy!"
 The best thing you can do for your fellow,
next to rousing his conscience, is - not to give him things
to think about, but to wake things up that are in him...
to make him think things for himself - George MacDonald
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1 & 2..it is called compassion..what are u going to say..hey man you are so gonna bite the bullet(yes that is another phrase)
compassion plus hope = humanity
most colds come in different stages...a sore thorat, the sniffles, the pukes etc...so a bad cold means u have the MOTHER of all of them
just like in your language..i am sure you have phrases that just do not translate or we would scratch our head
lived with an eastern european..talk about language..they say things so THEY rythme..much less make sense...it always makes me laugh
that which makes us different makes us unique & special....
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1ball wrote:Example 1: He might really have wanted the victim not to be alright. He may even have caused the accident intentionally. So in the interest of being thorough, he has to verify that the mission was accomplished.
Example 2: He's checking to see if the victim has a broken sense of humor. If the victim looks down at their spilled out guts and says, "Aw, you almost had me there you cheeky devil", then he can tell the first responder some good news to help make his day.
Example 3: He's just letting the next guy know that he should expect less work from him because he doesn't have one of those good colds.
1ball, was that Bazinga?? hehehehhe, totally cool! Let me offer my answer, so ElChupacabras can choose and pick. As I see this, phrases are usually used, when we don't have time or interest to talk with people (and when they are used often, become habit) asking 'are you all right' someone who falls from 4th floor it is because you are not rational when being a witness of any kind of a tragedy, so habit comes first. Offering comfort and words 'it's gonna be alright' it is all what endured person wants to hear.They dont want to hear report of their missing parts, they are desperate to hear that they are gonna be alright. Nothing is funny about that. Your 3rd example is simple, when you say bad cold, you are asking for sympathy from person you are saying that. It is not just cold, I have really bad one, and you will go, ooo, poor She, dont worry, its gonna be alright, just take your c vitamin! easy right!
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The English language is replete with such expressions. As for your examples: 1. Granted, it sounds dumb, but what else could someone ask an accident victum to determine if they were coherent? 2. That response is standard procedure in all cases of severe injury. The idea is to reassure the patient and delay the onset of shock. 3.If something can be 'overwhelming' can something else be, 'underwhelming'?The same goes for colds. Few folks would think of a case of the sniffles as a 'good' cold. It may not be logical, but it is the way people use (mis-use?) the English language. 
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sprite wrote:
*looks suspicious* what kind of a cookie...?
I got some brownies here that I bought offa guy on the corner. I don't really know what kind they are, but it's okay cause I'm feeling kinda giggly anyways... Want one?
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MrNudiePants wrote:
I got some brownies here that I bought offa guy on the corner. I don't really know what kind they are, but it's okay cause I'm feeling kinda giggly anyways...
Want one?
Oh... Ummm..... Other than that, I got nothing.
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blazestcyr wrote:1 & 2..it is called compassion..what are u going to say..hey man you are so gonna bite the bullet(yes that is another phrase)
compassion plus hope = humanity
most colds come in different stages...a sore thorat, the sniffles, the pukes etc...so a bad cold means u have the MOTHER of all of them
just like in your language..i am sure you have phrases that just do not translate or we would scratch our head
lived with an eastern european..talk about language..they say things so THEY rythme..much less make sense...it always makes me laugh
that which makes us different makes us unique & special.... Really only a few understood my question; you among them, and you're right. I did scratch my head a couple of times.
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