Have a nice day [Sarcastic] (2025)

Oh yes, it's true.

In the UK, phrases like 'Have a nice day!' and 'Missing you already!' are generally seen as the ultimate insincerity. We associate them with wretched underpaid workers in burger bars who are compelled to actually utter these glib banalities as part of their job.

The most common way to use it offensively is as a way of 'rubbing in' bad news.
Example - 'Oh, and by the way, your wife phoned to say she's divorcing you. Have a nice day!'

Louisa

Dust! said:

hi,
I've heard that, especially in UK, 'have a nice day' could seem an insult.
is it true?
other ways to say it?

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Hi Dust,

I've never heard it used as an insult in the UK. There is sometimes a degree of joking sarcasm because of its seemingly endless use in the USA, and people here will say, in a mock-American accent, "Have a nice day. missing you already."

I hope you have a good day.
Have a good day.
Enjoy your day.

LRV

<< Note: This thread has been merged with a previous thread on "Have a nice day." >>

I was ending a message to en eBay vendor with "Have a nice day" instead of the usual "Best regards" or similar when it occurred to me to look it up on google. I found a long Wikipedia article that explains that

"Have a nice day is a commonly spoken valediction, typically uttered by service employees to customers at the end of a transaction, particularly in Israel and the United States. Its repetitious and dutifully polite usage has resulted in the phrase developing a cultural connotation among some listeners as representing impersonality, disinterest, passive–aggressive behavior, or sarcasm".

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I deleted it, but is it really so bad? Can I use it in my personal/business correspondence?

Carlo

I might use it if we have been discussing the enjoyable activities of the day in question. Otherwise I would avoid it for the reasons given, and particularly because for me the usage is still marked as "American".

Of course, any decision on its use will be highly dependent on the detailed context of the particular correspondence. Maybe your writing would benefit from a shot of sarcasm?

If your email message is positive, Have a nice day will be read as positive. If it's negative, your sign-off will be read as sarcastic. It's really that simple.

Now whether you should use it is another matter based on context, as teddy says, and the person you're writing (nationality, for example).

Hmm, since I am not a native, I would be excused by my correspondent.
But, as I understand, in general there is a simple rule: when in doubt, do not use it.

Thanks.

Calo

Copyright said:

If your email message is positive, Have a nice day will be read as positive. If it's negative, your sign-off will be read as sarcastic. It's really that simple.

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I agree with LouisaB that this seemingly well-meaning phrase will always sound insincere in the UK ~ not necessarily sarcastic, just insincere.

It all depends on context, and how you say it. Example, if you just took a verb root and said it.

Sit - It could be taken as a stern command, or a polite gesture. Depends on context.

In some context, 'Have a nice day' could be taken as an insult. But just as easily, a nice gesture. In England, we tend to only use it sarcastically, it isn't often used politely. If it was in an email, then unless the email was just insulting me, or informing me of bad news, then I would take it to mean it's positive meaning.

It was used sarcastically on me only the other day.

A young bloke walked towards me in Derby

city (to use the official term ) centre asking, "Can you spare twenty pence, please?" I said, "No, sorry." He responded, in a tone that was clearly sarcastic, "Have a nice day!" "You too!", I retorted in an equally sarcastic tone. "Tosser!!", he yelled at the top of his voice, as he disappeared round the corner.

Here in the Middle East, us British folk use 'how are you?' in the same mocking tone. Since it is culture here to start almost all greetings with 'how are you?' yet the asker really doesn't care about the answer, it has become a joke to us.

We say it sarcastically to mock people by that culture.

Would it be bad to say "Have a nice day" for the situations below?

Situation 1:
You are a doctor.
You've just told your patient he has terminal cancer.

Situation 2 :
You are working at the lost and found.
A lady comes to ask you if her wallet she lost is there.
You tell her it is not.

Can you say "Have a nice day" to him / her when saying good-bye...???

I guess from what I've read in the forum, people in UK don't really use this phrase "Have a nice day," so it would be taken as a from of sarcasm in the UK for the situations above.

Thank you.

mikichan said:

Would it be bad to say "Have a nice day" for the situations below?

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Yes. Now I'm going to go look for an "understatement" icon. While I'm away -->

Copyright said:

Yes. Now I'm going to go look for an "understatement" icon. While I'm away -->

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It wouldn't just be 'bad' in the UK in those two situations, Miki ~ it would be asking for a punch in the face.