Have A Nice Day
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Have a nice day is a commonly spoken expression used to conclude a conversation (whether brief or extensive), or end a message by hoping the person to whom it is addressed experiences a pleasant day. Since it is often uttered by service employees to customers at the end of a transaction, particularly in
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
and the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, its repetitious and dutiful usage has resulted in the phrase developing, according to some journalists and scholars, especially outside of these two countries, a cultural connotation of impersonality, lack of interest,
passive–aggressive behavior Passive-aggressive behavior is characterized by a pattern of passive hostility and an avoidance of direct communication. Inaction where some action is socially customary is a typical passive-aggressive strategy (showing up late for functions, st ...
, or
sarcasm Sarcasm is the caustic use of words, often in a humorous way, to mock someone or something. Sarcasm may employ ambivalence, although it is not necessarily ironic. Most noticeable in spoken word, sarcasm is mainly distinguished by the inflection ...
. The phrase is generally not used in
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, as some find it artificial or even offensive. Critics of the phrase characterize it as an imperative, obliging the person to have a nice day. Other critics argue that it is a parting platitude that comes across as pretended. While defenders of the phrase agree that "Have a nice day" can be used insincerely, they consider the phrase to be comforting, in that it improves interactions among people. Others favor the phrase because it does not require a response. A variant of the phrase—"have a good day"—is first recorded in ''
Layamon's Brut Layamon's ''Brut'' (ca. 1190 - 1215), also known as ''The Chronicle of Britain'', is a Middle English poem compiled and recast by the English priest Layamon. Layamon's ''Brut'' is 16,096 lines long and narrates the history of Britain. It is the ...
'' (c. 1205) and ''
King Horn ''King Horn'' is a Middle English chivalric romance dating back to the middle of the thirteenth century. It survives in three manuscripts: London, British Library, MS. Harley 2253; Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Laud. Misc 108; and Cambridge, Cambri ...
''. "Have a nice day" itself first appeared in the 1948 film ''
A Letter to Three Wives ''A Letter to Three Wives'' is a 1949 American romantic comedy-drama which tells the story of a woman who mails a letter to three women, telling them she has left town with the husband of one of them, but not saying which one. It stars Jeanne Cr ...
''. In the United States, the phrase was first used on a regular basis in the early to mid 1960s by FAA air traffic controllers and pilots. It was subsequently popularized by truck drivers talking on CB radios. Variations on the phrase include "have a good one" and "have a nice one". In conjunction with the
smiley face A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such a ...
, the phrase became a defining cultural emblem of the 1970s and was a key theme in the 1991 film ''
My Own Private Idaho ''My Own Private Idaho'' is a 1991 American independent adventure drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on Shakespeare's ''Henry IV, Part 1'', '' Henry IV, Part 2'', and ''Henry V''. The story follows two friends, Mike ...
''. By 2000, "have a nice day" and "have a good day" were taken metaphorically, synonymous with the parting phrase "goodbye".


History

The ''
Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...
'' recorded the earliest uses of one of the phrase's variants—"have a good day"—as being "Habbeð alle godne dæie" in ''
Layamon's Brut Layamon's ''Brut'' (ca. 1190 - 1215), also known as ''The Chronicle of Britain'', is a Middle English poem compiled and recast by the English priest Layamon. Layamon's ''Brut'' is 16,096 lines long and narrates the history of Britain. It is the ...
'' (c. 1205) and "Rymenhild, have wel godne day" in ''
King Horn ''King Horn'' is a Middle English chivalric romance dating back to the middle of the thirteenth century. It survives in three manuscripts: London, British Library, MS. Harley 2253; Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Laud. Misc 108; and Cambridge, Cambri ...
'' (1225). According to Roland Dickison of
California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public univers ...
, "have a good day" first appeared in
Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for ''The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He wa ...
's 1387 ''
The Canterbury Tales ''The Canterbury Tales'' ( enm, Tales of Caunterbury) is a collection of twenty-four stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. It is widely regarded as Chaucer's ''Masterpiece, ...
'': "And hoom wente every man the righte way, there was namoore but 'Fare wel, have a good day. Routinely employed by Chaucer in his literary works, "have a good day" disappeared for several centuries before its revival.
William Safire William Lewis Safire (; Safir; December 17, 1929 – September 27, 2009Safire, William (1986). ''Take My Word for It: More on Language.'' Times Books. . p. 185.) was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He w ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote that "have a nice day" first appeared in the 1948 film ''
A Letter to Three Wives ''A Letter to Three Wives'' is a 1949 American romantic comedy-drama which tells the story of a woman who mails a letter to three women, telling them she has left town with the husband of one of them, but not saying which one. It stars Jeanne Cr ...
''. ''The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms'' stated that "have a nice day" first came into being in 1920, and the phrase and its variants became widely used after the 1950s. According to Safire,
Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for ''Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), ''The Third Man'' (1949), and '' Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded the ...
of
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spread the phrase in the New York metropolitan area in 1964 by closing her weather reports with "have a happy day", a variant of "have a nice day". The 1960s saw the phrase "have a good day" become prevalent and supersede "happy day". Numerous hippies, when parting, told each other to "have a nice day" or "have a beautiful day". In 1970, "have a nice city" was a mayoralty slogan in San Francisco. In 1972, during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, family members of POW/MIA members of the American armed forces participated in South Boston's
Saint Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...
march. They carried a black banner that read "POW/MIA Families Never Have a Nice Day". They received scowls and jeers from a hostile crowd. One woman said, "They should be shot for bringing this here." By around 2000, "have a nice day" and "have a good day" were taken metaphorically, morphing into synonyms of the parting phrase "goodbye".


Smiley face and "have a nice day"

Abigail Goldman of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', wrote that the
smiley face A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such a ...
and the expression "have a nice day" "helped to define the '70s". In the early 1970s,
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
n brothers Murray and Bernard Spain designed and sold products including
bumper sticker A bumper sticker is an adhesive label or sticker with a message, intended to be attached to the bumper of an automobile and to be read by the occupants of other vehicles—although they are often stuck onto other objects. Most bumper stickers are ...
s and
coffee mug A mug is a type of cup typically used for drinking hot drinks, such as coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. Mugs usually have handles and hold a larger amount of fluid than other types of cup. Typically, a mug holds approximately of liquid. A mug is ...
s that each contained the yellow
smiley face A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such a ...
, usually attributed to
Harvey Ball Harvey Ross Ball (July 10, 1921 – April 12, 2001) was an American commercial artist. He is recognized as the designer of a popular smiley graphic picture, which became an enduring and notable international icon. He never applied for a tradem ...
. They later changed the phrase to "Have a nice day". The 1991 film ''
My Own Private Idaho ''My Own Private Idaho'' is a 1991 American independent adventure drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on Shakespeare's ''Henry IV, Part 1'', '' Henry IV, Part 2'', and ''Henry V''. The story follows two friends, Mike ...
'' ironically ends with the parting phrase "have a nice day", which for the fourth time invokes the smiley face. Smiley faces represent optimism and appear to ask the characters, who are characterized as "marginal figures", how nice their days are. While traveling to Idaho, the protagonists' motorcycle breaks down, and one of the characters, Mike, gazes at the sun on the horizon and links it with the motto "have a nice day". He says, "I've been on this road before. Looks like a fucked-up face. Like it's saying 'have a nice day' or something." In the 1994 film ''
Forrest Gump ''Forrest Gump'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth. It is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom and stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson and ...
'',
title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
Forrest is jogging down the street when a T-shirt salesman approaches him, asking him to put his face on T-shirts as inspiration to people. While the men are jogging, a truck splashes mud into Forrest's face, and the salesman gives him a yellow shirt to wipe the mud off. Forrest rolls up the shirt and hands it back, saying "have a nice day". Unrolling the shirt, the man finds a smiley face outlined on it. Thus the film credits Forrest Gump with inventing the ''Smiley'' logo and the ''have a nice day'' slogan. In September 2005,
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald (American musician), Hugh McD ...
released the album ''
Have a Nice Day Have a nice day is a commonly spoken expression used to conclude a conversation (whether brief or extensive), or end a message by hoping the person to whom it is addressed experiences a pleasant day. Since it is often uttered by service employee ...
''. The album cover contains a red smiley face which guitarist
Richie Sambora Richard Stephen Sambora (born July 11, 1959) is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Bon Jovi from 1983 to 2013. He and lead singer Jon Bon Jovi formed the main songwri ...
stated echoes its title song. Sambora explained that "It's
ike Ike or IKE may refer to: People * Ike (given name), a list of people with the name or nickname * Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II and President of the United States Surname ...
'Have a nice day; get out of my face'—therefore the smirk. To me, it's much more of a Clint Eastwood 'Have a nice day' than a smiley face 'Have a nice day.'"


Usage

The phrase "have a nice day" is typically spoken by service employees or clerks to customers at the end of a transaction. A mercantile method of expressing "thank you" as in "thank you for shopping with us" or "thank you for using our service", it is commonly used among people in the United States and by retailers in New Zealand and elsewhere. In the 1970s, the American supermarket chain
Kmart Kmart Corporation ( , doing business as Kmart and stylized as kmart) is an American retail company that owns a chain of big box department stores. The company is headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States. The company was inc ...
opened a store in Brisbane, Australia. The workers were trained to say, "Thank you for shopping at K-Mart. Have a nice day." Other versions of "have a nice day" are "have a good one" and "have a nice one." The phrase was universalized after 1950 by truck drivers conversing on their CB radios. Scientific studies indicate that people who regularly smile are more likely to say "have a nice day". The phrase can have passive–aggressive connotations, and can be caustically used to end transactions with abusive customers. The speaker may also use the phrase
ironically Irony (), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected; it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique. Irony can be categorized into d ...
, in either a purposeful or unintentional manner. Roly Sussex of ''
The Courier-Mail ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, ...
'' wrote that "have a nice day" can sound "a touch brusque" in comparison with "you have a nice day". Deeming the word "you" as moderating the imperative, Sussex stated that the word "you" causes the phrase to seem like a mixture of a command and a hope. He wrote that using "you" in imperatives is more common with people under 25. In her 2001 book ''The Facts on File Dictionary of Clichés'', Christina Ammer wrote about the growing usage of "have a good meal" in restaurants. Ammer opined that the phrase "induces teeth-gnashing irritation when voiced by a particularly incompetent waiter". Academic Sandi Mann's interviews found that the British wished and demanded cordiality from service personnel, more than from their coworkers. Israelis, Americans, and Australians, on the other hand, wanted friendliness from both their coworkers and service personnel. Mann explains that the British do not expect a "smiley" display from colleagues because they have more time to build longer-term relationships. Those in the service industry, though, have to become "one-minute friends" each time they interact with customers.


In crime

On July 14, 1979, the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' published an article titled "This is a holdup; have a nice day" about a Minneapolis robber; while robbing the First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Chicago, the man gave a note to the bank teller that said "Thank you, and have a nice day". On November 3, 2007, two robbers equipped with handguns stole money from a
kiosk Historically, a kiosk () was a small garden pavilion open on some or all sides common in Iran, Persia, the Indian subcontinent, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward. Today, several examples of this type of kiosk still exist ...
at a Vale, North Carolina store; the ''
Hickory Daily Record ''Hickory Daily Record'' is an American, English language daily newspaper based in Hickory, North Carolina, USA. It is owned by Lee Enterprises and is published seven days a week. The newspaper is a member of the North Carolina Press Associati ...
'' called them "courteous crooks" because after the theft, they told people to "have a nice day". Before the
Binghamton shooting On April 3, 2009, a mass shooting occurred at the American Civic Association immigration center in Binghamton, New York. At approximately 10:30 a.m. EDT, Jiverly Antares Wong (also known as Jiverly Voong), a 41-year-old naturalized Americ ...
on April 3, 2009, the perpetrator sent a rambling diatribe against the police to
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; the letter concluded with the chilling message "COP BRiNG ABOUT THiS SHOOTiNG COP MUST RESPONSiBLE. AND YOU HAVE A NiCE DAY".


In Israel

"Have a nice day" is frequently used in the Israeli retail and service industries. Jerry Levin wrote in his 2005 book ''West Bank Diary: Middle East Violence as Reported by a Former American Hostage'' about a woman in a coffee shop telling him to "have a nice day" after he purchased a sweet roll and coffee. Levin stated that there is also a "grimmer version of the pervasive pleasantry". After an Israeli soldier destroyed the
memory card A memory card is an electronic data storage device used for storing digital information, typically using flash memory. These are commonly used in digital portable electronic devices. They allow adding memory to such devices using a card in a so ...
of Levin's camera, the soldier told him with a jocular smirk, "have a nice day". In 2005, the Mosawa Center for Arab Rights in Israel paid for ads on television and radio stations in Israel. In the television ads, the Arabic phrase for "have a nice day" would flash onto the screen in black letters and on a red background. Immediately following the Arabic phrase would be a Hebrew phrase that said, "Are you already against it without even knowing what it says? All we wanted to say is have a nice day." Spokeswoman Abir Kopty stated that " e purpose of this campaign was mainly to cause the Israeli public sitting at home, or walking down the street, to ask itself why it had a negative reaction to everything Arab, even if it is the simplest phrase." Kopty further said that the Mosawa Center wanted to encourage Arabs to be more active and more visible in the community.


In Korea

According to ''Korean Studies'' published by the
University of Hawaii at Manoa A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, "have a nice day" is sometimes used in Korea. ''Korean Studies'' wrote that it "seemed somehow to fit nicely" with the phrase "Caymi posey yo", which was used in Korean shops to say goodbye. In recent years, it is more common to use the phrase "Annyeonghi gaseyo" to say goodbye in Korean shops.


In Europe

Europeans generally feel the phrase "have a nice day" is fake and that the speaker is solely interacting with the listener for business purposes. It is generally not used in the United Kingdom. The phrase "have a nice day" spread to Britain from the United States. ''(subscription required)'' In Britain, the variants "have a fine day" and "have a good day" are frequently used in place of "have a nice day". British customers generally consider it to be obnoxious and overbearing, instead usually preferring the gentler expression "enjoy the rest of your afternoon". In their 2002 book ''Different Games, Different Rules'', Haru Yamada and
Deborah Tannen Deborah Frances Tannen (born June 7, 1945) is an American author and professor of linguistics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Best known as the author of ''You Just Don't Understand'', she has been a McGraw Distinguished Lecturer at ...
recalled teaching a class in London, where a student construed "have a nice day" to be insincere. The student said that Americans "say things like that with this big fake smile on their face, and they don't really mean it". Not having the context of the metaphor, the student took the phrase literally and was unable to discern the intended cordiality. Conversely, when Americans visit stores in Britain where the salespeople engage not in "have a nice day" salesmanship, Americans regard British as lacking
customer service Customer service is the assistance and advice provided by a company to those people who buy or use its products or services. Each industry requires different levels of customer service, but in the end, the idea of a well-performed service is that ...
.
Guy Browning Guy Browning (born 1964 in Chipping Norton) is a humourist, after-dinner speaker and film director. He wrote the ''How To...'' column in ''The Guardian'' from 1999–2009. Before that he wrote about office politics and social climbing. Early l ...
penned an article in 2007 titled "How to... have a nice day" for ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', writing that sarcasm will creep into the discussion if the British say "have a nice day". Browning explained that in Britain, people assume that the day will be horrible—even catastrophic. He wrote that for the United States though, "nice days and the having thereof are written into the constitution". In Germany, "Schönen Tag noch!", the German phrase for "have a nice day", is being used more frequently by its vendors and waiters. German author Hyde Flippo wrote that many Germans deem "have a nice day" to be affected and shallow. Flippo further opined that the phrase is an appropriate example of culturally improper language. He compared it to smiling arbitrarily at a German person which would give the impression that the smiler is a "little simple-minded or not quite 'all there'". Writing that Germans prefer "Auf Wiedersehen!" or "Tschüss!" (both meaning "goodbye")—which German shopkeepers frequently use—to "dubious wishes for a nice day" he opined that that is why Germans generally favor visiting a small shop instead of a large department store. The French also concur that the phrase is insincere. Author Natalie Schorr wrote that the French frequently say "'' bonne journée''"—"good day" in French—and do not consider it to be insincere. Schorr explains that "''bonne journée''" is a "gracious ''formule de politesse''", similar to '' merci'' and '' s'il vous plaît''. However, "have a nice day" sounds like a trite phrase spoken by a telemarketer. In Sweden, Lennart Fridén, a
member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...
of the
Parliament of Sweden The Riksdag (, ; also sv, riksdagen or ''Sveriges riksdag'' ) is the legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral legislature with 349 members (), elected proportionally and se ...
, lamented in a January 1995 speech to Parliament the usage of "ha en bra dag"—"have a nice day" in Swedish. Fridén stated that the increased usage of English loan expressions like "ha en bra dag" "impairs our sense of language and style". He proposed a motion that an authoritative body, working in conjunction with linguistic institutions, be delegated the job of "caring for the Swedish language"; the motion did not pass. The Boston-born American author Edith Shillue wrote in her 2003 book ''Peace Comes Dropping Slow'' that when the Irish stereotyped Americans, they tended to use the phrase "have a nice day". While lodging at a house in Ireland, Shillue found a drawing on the wall for American visitors like her. Drawn by her host's daughters, the picture had the phrase "Have a ______ Day", with a smiley faced affixed instead of the word "nice". Irish author
Aidan Higgins Aidan Higgins (3 March 1927 – 27 December 2015) was an Irish writer. He wrote short stories, travel pieces, radio drama and novels. Among his published works are '' Langrishe, Go Down'' (1966), '' Balcony of Europe'' (1972) and the biographic ...
wrote in his 2004 book ''A Bestiary'' that the Americanization of Ireland led the Irish to say phrases like "No problem!" or "Have a nice day!" even when there is drenching rain.


In the United States

In the United States, "good morning", "good afternoon", "good evening", and "good night" were previously the normal farewell addresses for a lengthy period of time. The common valediction has become "have a nice day". According to the ''Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States'', " nga un nice day" is an example of Cuban
Spanglish Spanglish (a portmanteau of the words "Spanish" and "English") is any language variety (such as a contact dialect, hybrid language, pidgin, or creole language) that results from conversationally combining Spanish and English. The term is mos ...
. This is distinguished from Chicano Spanish, in that the Chicano second-generation and beyond, who are inclined to
code-switch In linguistics, code-switching or language alternation occurs when a speaker alternates between two or more languages, or language varieties, in the context of a single conversation or situation. Code-switching is different from plurilingualism ...
, generally do not speak in the formal address form of "tenga". In 1979, a New York judge sentenced a man to a seven- to ten-year jail term at the
Auburn State Prison Auburn Correctional Facility is a state prison on State Street in Auburn, New York, United States. It was built on land that was once a Cayuga village. It is classified as a maximum security facility. History Constructed in 1816 as Auburn Pris ...
for committing a robbery. The judge's final words were "You are hereby remanded to the custody of the sheriff's department for delivery to the custody of state officials. Have a nice day." Jack Sheehan of WKRT stated that the convict "almost sank to his knees. The phrase had worked its magic."


"Have a Nice Day" culture

Sandi Mann, a
business psychologist Industrial and organizational psychology (I-O psychology), an applied discipline within psychology, is the science of human behavior in the workplace. Depending on the country or region of the world, I-O psychology is also known as occupational ...
at the
University of Central Lancashire , mottoeng = "From the Earth to the Sun" , established = as Institution for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledgere-established 1992 (University status granted) , type = Public , chancellor ...
, defines the "Have a Nice Day" culture as filled with "fake smiles, forced ''bonhomie'', and meaningless demands by workers to 'have a nice day'". Managers compel their employees to be attentive and affable with customers despite the fact that some employees do not feel these emotions. Sandi Mann concludes from her research that the "Have a Nice Day" culture will prevail, becoming used by more companies and countries. In the service industry, for example, she explains that products have become more uniform over the past few decades. Thus, the sole way for companies to distinguish themselves is to have better customer service. She notes that there are positive and negative effects. A positive effect is that it is beneficial for business and for people who enjoy fake displays. A negative effect is that emotions incompatible with the "Have a Nice Day" culture are repressed, leading to what Mann terms the "Have a Nice Day" syndrome. In an interview for the ''
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', an employee of a telemarketing company, was called a
son of a bitch ''Bitch'' ( ) is a pejorative slang word for a person, usually a woman. When applied to a woman or girl, it means someone who is belligerent, unreasonable, malicious, controlling, aggressive, or dominant. When applied to a man or boy, ''bitch'' ...
. Clenching his teeth, he responded "Thank you very much, you have a nice day." The stress of suppressing their feelings and faking cheerfulness caused people like the telemarketer to feel insincere and phony. Individuals affected by the "Have a Nice Day" syndrome must carry out
emotional labor Emotional labor is the process of managing feelings and expressions to fulfill the emotional requirements of a job. More specifically, workers are expected to regulate their emotions during interactions with customers, co-workers, clients and man ...
, which could lead to diminished
self-esteem Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth or abilities. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Smith and Mackie (2007) d ...
, depression, and
cynicism Cynic or Cynicism may refer to: Modes of thought * Cynicism (philosophy), a school of ancient Greek philosophy * Cynicism (contemporary), modern use of the word for distrust of others' motives Books * ''The Cynic'', James Gordon Stuart Grant 1 ...
.


Criticism

Linguistically, "have a nice day" is a command in that the subject, the pronoun you, is intimated. It could be regarded as an exhortation to achieve an outcome that the recipient has no power to influence. However, it is also possible to interpret the phrase as a contraction of "''I hope that you'' have a nice day". Kerry LePage wrote in his 2004 book ''Some Day Never Comes'' that he chooses to have a nice day based on his own choice, not that of another person. J. Broad wrote in his 2007 book ''Some Day Never Comes'' that the phrase causes people to feel they have an obligation to have a nice day.
Mike Royko Michael Royko Jr. (September 19, 1932 – April 29, 1997) was an American newspaper columnist from Chicago. Over his 30-year career, he wrote over 7,500 daily columns for the ''Chicago Daily News'', the ''Chicago Sun-Times'', and the ''Chicago ...
wrote in his 2002 book ''For the Love of Mike'' that people may have a bad day, not a nice one, because they "confront a demanding boss, a nasty customer, a crabby teacher". According to author John Tschohl, the tediousness of the phrase is exemplified by employees uttering the words so faintly as to be barely audible. The phrase is occasionally used in an ironic manner when others have been disrespectful or have negatively impacted the speaker. In Detroit, a supermarket started a program to have its cashiers tell every customer to "have a nice day" after completing their transactions. After conducting surveys, they realized that more than half of the customers were unaware of whether the clerk had said the phrase. In addition, a number of customers commented that they despised being told to "have a nice day". In a 2006 study, researchers at
Frankfurt University Goethe University (german: link=no, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main) is a university located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was founded in 1914 as a citizens' university, which means it was founded and funded by the wealt ...
discovered that people who must smile and say "have a nice day" in their jobs are more prone to illness.
Flight attendant A flight attendant, also known as steward/stewardess or air host/air hostess, is a member of the aircrew aboard commercial flights, many business jets and some government aircraft. Collectively called cabin crew, flight attendants are prima ...
s,
waiters Waiting staff (British English), waitstaff (North American English), waiters (male) / waitresses (female), or servers (North American English), are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attending ...
, and
call center A call centre ( Commonwealth spelling) or call center (American spelling; see spelling differences) is a managed capability that can be centralised or remote that is used for receiving or transmitting a large volume of enquiries by telephone. ...
operators, as well as others who are forced to act cheerfully, are more likely to become depressed. This can lead to decreased immune system function. Australian '' Andrew Biggs'' of the ''
Bangkok Post The ''Bangkok Post'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. It is published in broadsheet and digital formats. The first issue was sold on 1 August 1946. It had four pages and cost one baht, a considerable amount ...
'' wrote that in the past, the phrase was heard exclusively in Hollywood movies and American soap operas. He lamented that by the 1970s, Aussie teenagers were compelled to tell customers to "have a nice day", a "blatant American cliche". Biggs stated that "have a nice day" is "an idiom that's been mashed and mangled over the decades". Jan C. Snow laments that the phrase was trite and indicative of the speaker's lack of vocabulary. She wrote that on Saturdays, people could be asked to "have a relaxing day". People with highly variable jobs such as emergency room nurses may appreciate "have a routine day", while mothers of young children may wish to "have a quiet day". Debbie Lundberg wrote in her 2008 book ''Have a Nice Day Is Not Thank You, and No Problem Is Not You're Welcome'' that service people should say "thank you" instead of "have a nice day". She argued that "thank you" is shorter and is a "recognition of the ability you have to thank someone", which adds more worth to the purchase than something that will occur in the future. Paul V. Marshall, the bishop of the
Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem The Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem covers fourteen counties in Pennsylvania to the north and west of Philadelphia. The current bishop, the Rt. Rev. Kevin Donnelly Nichols, Kevin D. Nichols, was elected as Bishop on April 28, 2018, and consecrat ...
, concurred, writing in the ''
Reading Eagle The ''Reading Eagle'' is the major daily newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania. A family-owned newspaper until the spring of 2019, its reported circulation is 37,000 (daily) and 50,000 (Sundays). It serves the Reading and Berks County region of Pe ...
'' that he prefers "thank you" to "have a nice day" or "have a great day" even though "thank you" has a "host of socially acceptable responses". He stated that when people say "thank you", they admit that they are dependent on others, which leads to a healthier, safer society. J. Broad wrote that the phrase "have a nice day" is an apt middle ground for the "drop dead" the cashier is thinking and the "come back soon" the owner wants. Broad stated that the phrase is meaningless because it has been castrated by excessive usage and pretense. He compared the phrase to the salutation "How are you?" and the phrase "had a lovely time", which are "conversational space-fillers" that help prevent embarrassing silences. Usage of the term has been compared to inserting the phrase "you know" or the word "like" in sentences. In 1982, comedian
George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercul ...
joked at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
, "That's the trouble with 'Have a nice day'; it puts all the pressure on you. Now you've got to go out and somehow manage to have a good time, all because of some loose-lipped cashier. 'Have a nice day ...' Maybe I don't feel like having a nice day. Maybe, just maybe, I've had 116 nice days in a row and I'm ready, by God, for a crappy day."
William Safire William Lewis Safire (; Safir; December 17, 1929 – September 27, 2009Safire, William (1986). ''Take My Word for It: More on Language.'' Times Books. . p. 185.) was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He w ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote that when the speaker of the phrase is genuine and maintains
eye contact Eye contact occurs when two people look at each other's eyes at the same time. In humans, eye contact is a form of nonverbal communication and can have a large influence on social behavior. Coined in the early to mid-1960s, the term came from t ...
, the act is a "social asset and a note of civility" in a busy world. However, he stated that when the phrase is robotically said or said in a tone similar to "get lost", the utterance "comes across with a resounding clank of falsity". Marilyn Gardner of ''
The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...
'' wrote that the "bland age of 'Have-a-nice-day' should come to a deserving end". She opined that service could not be "peddled as an image", and that substance is more important than style. Satirical commentator
Russell Baker Russell Wayne Baker (August 14, 1925 – January 21, 2019) was an American journalist, narrator, writer of Pulitzer Prize-winning satirical commentary and self-critical prose, and author of Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography '' Growing Up'' (1 ...
wrote in the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' that he did not know Ma Bell was waning until she began using the phrase "have a nice day".
Miss Manners Judith Martin (née Perlman; born September 13, 1938), better known by the pen name Miss Manners, is an American columnist, author, and etiquette authority. Early life and career Martin is the daughter of Helen and Jacob Perlman. Her father w ...
wrote in her 1990 book ''Miss Manners' Guide for the Turn-of-the-Millennium'' that although the phrase was trite, she wondered whether there was "so much deeply felt good will" permeating through the world that shallow friendliness ought to desist. She stated that for her, saying "goodbye" is sufficient because it expresses the same well-wishing farewell sentiment. Leil Lowndes wrote in her 2009 book ''How to Instantly Connect with Anyone'' that if someone says "have a nice day", the recipient should refrain from sarcastically responding "Thanks, but I have other plans" or "Gee, I was planning on having a miserable one, but now that you mention it, I think I'll have a nice one." Lowndes suggested that the response merely be "You, too."


Defense

Carol Swiderski of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' wrote that although saying "have a nice day" may not be sincere, the speaker has acknowledged that the recipient is there. She argued " ve we become so analytic that we can't accept these little niceties without asking ourselves, 'Did he really mean it? Does she really care if I have a nice day?'" Writing that society has become so automated that going through a check-out line at a grocery store without having made
eye contact Eye contact occurs when two people look at each other's eyes at the same time. In humans, eye contact is a form of nonverbal communication and can have a large influence on social behavior. Coined in the early to mid-1960s, the term came from t ...
or spoken with the checker is possible, Swiderski favored "insincerely meant human kindness to a robot". She encouraged people to respond to "have a nice day" with "you have a nice day, too" because she hoped that when a sufficient number of people do this, there could be a time when people will sincerely intend it. Jeff Corbett of ''
The Newcastle Herald The ''Newcastle Herald'' (formerly branded as ''The Herald'') is a local tabloid newspaper published daily, Monday to Saturday, in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It is the only local newspaper that serves the greater Hunter Region and ...
'' defended "have a nice day" despite his characterization of the phrase as "wincingly American and so patently false in its sing-song delivery" by cashiers. Corbett favored the phrase to the inquiries of the shopkeepers about his life; he preferred "have a nice day" because it did not entail a response.
Janice Turner Janice Turner (born 8 April 1964) is a British journalist, and a columnist and feature writer for ''The Times''. Early life Turner was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. She went to Ridgewood School in the north of Doncaster. She attended the ...
of ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' supported the phrase, writing that she is indifferent to it being used insincerely or 1,000 times a day. She wrote that "have a nice day" is "soothing, even kind", in that it improves the interactions among millions of people crowded together. William F. Wyatt Jr. of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' wrote that "have a nice day" used to be new and "fill da needed slot". "Goodbye", he stated, inappropriately indicates that salespeople are intimate with customers they do not know and would seem forced. "Farewell", Wyatt said, would feel abnormal and could only be employed in an ironic context. The close of a transaction needed an oral ending. "Have a nice day" was the apt phrase for those who serve people they do not know to end a transaction.


Notes and references

;Notes ;Footnotes ;Bibliography * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* {{The Canterbury Tales American culture English phrases Parting phrases