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07-20-2008, 01:56 PM
|  | Hot and Juicy | | Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: off campus
Posts: 46,392
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Once again, Brian and I are having one of our little semantics arguments, and once again, Brian is convinced that he and the rest of the world is right and I am wrong.
Pretty Good. What is the definition of "pretty good".
On the good scale, is "pretty good" better or worse than "good"?
Brian believes that pretty good is better than good.
I believe that pretty good is approaching good.
If I say, I had good day - it's a definitive statement - the day was was good.
If I had a "pretty good" day - the day was approaching "good", but not quite there.
On my scale it would be:
not bad
pretty good
good
really good
great
On Brian's scale, it would be
not bad
good
pretty good
really good
great
Who do you agree with? |
07-20-2008, 02:21 PM
|  | Schmoopy Woopy | | Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: A stone's throw from Geezerville, FLA
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I think there's a pretty good chance this is going to end in a way Delia doesn't like. 
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07-20-2008, 02:30 PM
|  | I'm Sparkly in Real Life | | Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: It's not heaven, it's Iowa
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It all depends on the vocal influction. (And I can't get that word to spell right)
"This is a pretty good steak" means it's not bad.
"This steak is pretty good!" means I'm surprised that it's as good as it is. I expected it to be pretty bad (which is awful).
But it never means that it's better than good.
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07-20-2008, 03:13 PM
|  | Forum Code Administrator | | Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: PA
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I'm with Lynn on this one.
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07-20-2008, 04:45 PM
|  | Premium Member | | Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Michigan
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I agree with Lynn as well. It all depends on the vocal inflection. |
07-20-2008, 05:09 PM
|  | A Has Been | | Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Farmersville, TX
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I don't see a clear winner in this because of my experiences. I have customers that will say something is pretty good and they mean excellent. Some will say it when they really didn't care for it. I believe it all depends on who's mouth it's coming out of. |
07-20-2008, 05:27 PM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: The Nutmeg State
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"This is pretty good, but..." means it's less than good.
I can't think of a situation where "pretty good" is better than good. |
07-20-2008, 05:32 PM
|  | Hot Lips | | Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: I'm not sure
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My first inclination was that "pretty good" can never be better than "good". However, it can be a regional thing. Living here in the "I say one thing but really mean another capital of the USA", I can see the answer for just about any level of "good" being "pretty good". A regional thing.
Personally, I say good ranks higher than "pretty good".
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Last edited by thinkerlady; 07-20-2008 at 05:39 PM.
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07-20-2008, 05:34 PM
| | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: The Nutmeg State
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Based on the answers so far, I think Brian was a little too cocky this time  |
07-20-2008, 05:48 PM
|  | Insert witty comment here | | Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Alabama
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Gotta go with Lynn's excellent explanation. I'd never really thought about it, but I'd say that's just about right. If I'm going to say that something's better than good, I'd probably say "really good". I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say that Lynn's second example necessarily means I thought it was going to be *awful*, but that at the least, "pretty good" means it was better than I had expected, whatever level that expectation was at.
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07-20-2008, 06:58 PM
| | I'm Sparkly in Real Life | | Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: It's not heaven, it's Iowa
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So, has Brian cried uncle yet?
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07-20-2008, 07:03 PM
|  | Got my hands over my eyes | | Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Maryland
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I'm going to have to say that 'good' is USUALLY, but not always, better than 'pretty good' when spoken. Definitely all about the inflection.
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07-20-2008, 09:16 PM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Central California
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Wow. My first reaction was, "Well of course it means better than good. You put something like 'pretty' in front of the word, and it has to be better." However, when I start to use it, like, well:
"How was your day?"
(shrug) "Pretty good."
or
"How was Batman?"
"It was pretty good."
I know for sure I would mean it wasn't all that good. It was okay. Oh, but, if I answer the first question with my silly, giddy, eyebrow-wiggling, "Pretty good!" Then I probably mean it was better than good. So, in closing, I would have to say,
"What everyone else said."
BTW, that means everybody wins. (grin)
BTWBTW, the new "Batman" movie was batastic (and, I mean that in the fullest good way)!
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07-20-2008, 11:01 PM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: May 2001 Location: South of Bawlmer
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Brian, I'm so sorry, and it's not because Delia crochets things for people who suck up to her, but I have always thought "pretty good" compares to the New England equivalent of "it doesn't suck."
How does that crocheted thong fit?
Pretty good.
(Delia, please, no crocheted thongs)
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07-20-2008, 11:14 PM
| | Hot and Juicy | | Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: off campus
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ROFL
I'm crocheting with jute right now, so the thought of a thong is positively painful!! |
07-21-2008, 12:07 AM
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Delia's. |
07-21-2008, 09:30 AM
|  | In Spanish, I'm Marijuana | | Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Lawn-Guy-Land, NY
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Pretty good is less than good, more than OK.
Really good is more than good, less than excellent.
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MJ
It's extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases.~ Bono |
07-21-2008, 09:36 AM
|  | Mistress of Mayhem | | Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: New York
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I usually use pretty good to indicate "better than expected."
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07-21-2008, 01:17 PM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Iowa USA
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Quote: mjfrombuffalo said
 Pretty good is less than good, more than OK.
Really good is more than good, less than excellent. | Ditto!
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07-21-2008, 01:45 PM
|  | Registered Member | | Join Date: Jul 2008
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I think it is subjective and not set in stone. As others have said, it depends on the circumstances and the inflection. I don't think either one of you is right -- or wrong. It's a slang expression that may even be regional in its meaning. |
07-22-2008, 03:06 PM
|  | Hello, I'm Deb | | Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Oregon
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I like MJ's definition - that's how I use it too. Sorry, Brian.
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07-22-2008, 03:26 PM
| | Insert witty comment here | | Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Alabama
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It may be a men/women thing, too. Dh's first reaction when I asked him was that "pretty good" is more than "good". But after talking it through he said that, yeah, most of the time it's less than good. But he still said he sometimes considers it to be more than good, depending on how you say it.
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07-22-2008, 04:08 PM
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Mars vs. Venus. 
__________________ Support me as I Walk for a Cure for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). You can donate here! JDRF Donation Page Kim J Patience is the companion of wisdom. -Saint Augustine
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07-22-2008, 09:35 PM
| | In Spanish, I'm Marijuana | | Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Lawn-Guy-Land, NY
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Huh. Hubby sides with Bri.
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MJ
It's extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases.~ Bono | |
