Translation question: Minnesotan to English

[mrissa]

timprov and I have discussed it and generally agreed that the appearance of the phrase "would hate" in a Minnesotan sentence followed by an infinitive generally means that the person is doing the infinitive, or trying.

Examples: "I would hate to rush you" = "Hurry your butt up."
"I would hate to make you feel like you had to go home now" = "Get out of here."
"I would hate to pressure you" = "Do it now."

In many cases, the speaker is quite sincere: they really, genuinely want the end effect without the stated intermediate event. They want you to hurry without feeling rushed, to go home without feeling unwelcome, to do whatever needed doing without feeling pressured.

My question is: is this universal, or does this phrase get used otherwise elsewhere? Or does it just not get used at all, where you're from?

Comments

[callunav.livejournal.com]

I think the general concept is very common. I don't think people I interact with use "would hate" very often, but, for instance, "don't want" serves the same function. The only real difference is that there is generally a very audible, even when unspoken, "--but--" tacked onto the end. It's not really a finished sentence, and is generally spoken in a tone of reluctance or discomfort. I don't know what it's like in Minnesotan. Do people say, "I'd hate to rush you," as though they mean, "I'd never in a million years rush you," and it's up to the listener to understand what's really being said? Or is it more overt? Do people shift their weight and say awkwardly, "I'd hate to rush you, but..." and then hope that they'll be interupted so that they don't have to finish the sentence?

(That's the response required by ettiquette, I've found. If someone says, "I don't want to make you feel like you need to finish with that, but..." then one is expected to leap into the provided opening with an, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you were waiting." If one does not meet this social obligation, the person may not finish the sentence at all (more likely) or may explain why they do need to make you feel that way, even though they certainly don't /want/ to.) It's the ritual discomfort which relly marks the interaction, I think.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Sometimes there's no "but...." It's just, "Oh, I'd hate to rush you" in a very cheerful voice, with no intent to say, "but another group is using this room in 15 minutes, and we'd like to get the trash emptied before they get here" or anything.