Different meanings of 'there you go'

The expression, "There you go," has reached the ranks of the ubiquitous "you know," and "basically." But because of its several meanings and different word accents it is more tolerable. In fact, it can be welcomed to hear.

When someone says, "There you go," when he/she has witnessed some minor or possibly major achievement it is good and satisfying to hear. Maybe the achievement is only tying your shoe laces for the first time or opening a child-proof bottle of medicine, although this latter is approaching the category of major achievement. The words are a combination of "Atta boy," "Way to go," "Hey, look at you!" To hear them makes one swell with at least a smidgen of pride and intensifies the urge to do even better. So keep on using such praise and encouragement to all those you know who are attempting to move forward toward some goal. Remember the super happy look in your baby's eyes when you showed joy in his/her first steps! Or when you congratulated your child when the first page of "Dick and Jane" was read without help?

You can notice the same effect in an adult. There may be a slight straightening of the shoulders or a good deep breath. Adults are more inhibited in their expression of pleasure.

A second meaning of the phrase, often used by waitresses in non-fancy restaurants when they spin a plate of your order before you seems to imply, "Here's what you ordered. I've done my part. Eat." It makes one want to get up and there go.

President Reagan put a whole new meaning to the expression when he added the word, again. As in, "There you go again." When you add that extra word, even though you don't mean to be rude, it is accusatory in that you are stating to the speaker that he/she is beginning to use the same old arguments and premises that have long been discredited.

Sometimes when a person has reached his conversational re-run stage and begins to tell you the same old story for the umpteenth time, you are tempted to say, or at least think, "There you go again." But suspecting that you, yourself, are reaching that stage, you listen patiently and try to laugh or commiserate as when you first heard it.

Suspecting that I am reaching the repetitious age and not wanting someone to cringe inwardly and say to himself, "There she goes again," I ask if my listener has heard the story before. I think it is very kind when they say, "Yes, but it was surely a good one."

So, there you go, that's what I think about the new over-used expression.

REJOICE!

Jean Bell Mosley is an author and longtime resident of Cape Girardeau.