Post-party question

[mrissa]

Is there anything more socially terrifying than hearing from someone you've just met, "Oh, yes! X has told me all about you!" Err...what's "all," exactly? Whether X has years of friendship to draw upon or weeks, the prospect of figuring out what "all" consists of is rather daunting. Do these people know my shoe size? My preferences in cheese? The name of my old piano teacher?

7.5, mostly hard and sharp but with recent stinky leanings, and Sandi Pixley. Respectively. So now you know all about me, too.

Probably that means this is time for one of those random-question memes. Ask away. I've got the comments on this post screened, so ask what you like. I won't say who asked unless you say I can, or unless it's really obvious. ("What are the top ten things you are now going to do to entertain matociquala this morning? Show your work," is unlikely to be anybody but a bored Bear, for example.)

Comments

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

My mom does, "I've heard so much about you," to be nice, to signal, "You are important enough in my daughter's life that she thinks of you often." Maybe I'm more used to "so much" than "all," or maybe it's my Midwestern urge to understatement coming to the fore again.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Do you see a big difference in the two expressions? I don't. Obviously, "all" is hyperbole, since it's impossible. Isn't it just a more enthusiastic way of saying exactly the same thing?

I confess, I do sometimes make a comment like that with exactly the same intent as your mother. Is that a bad thing to do? The intent is to say "I'm thrilled to meet you," not to put the new acquaintance on the spot.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Sometimes hyperbole strikes me oddly. It's not that I'm offended at either expression or think they're bad per se or should be banned from use. It's just that they set me aback, and the more hyperbole, the more I go Midwest Reticent on people.