"Whatever"

This word "Whatever" has to be my favorite word. It appeals to my quirky sense of humor and my appreciation of the unique, or even the absurd. When I found the clock, naturally, I had to buy it. I placed it just inside my front door so that the minute people enter the front door, they see it and it brings a smile to their faces.




I laughed when I found a t-shirt with "Whatever" written on the front. What a conversation piece it is when I wear it! It always gets a giggle from people when they see it and they have to comment. "Great t-shirt," they say and they tell me about all of their favorite t-shirts.

The definitions submitted by readers for their perceptions of the word "Whatever" and posted in The Urban Dictionary are fun and revealing about their personalities. My favorite expression would have to be "Whatever floats your boat." It very succinctly sums up my philosophy combining: do whatever you like; think whatever you like; we should all tolerate our differences and maybe even celebrate them. A good synonym would be apathy. I'm definitely not a fanatic looking for a cause. I fear the negativity police would find "Whatever" to be insulting and dismissive. I think it is the new substitute for "have a good one" especially if one doesn't feel like saying "have a good day."





The word "Whatever" now appears not only on t-shirts, and clocks, but on throw pillows, mugs, stickers, posters, and calendars, etc. Perhaps people overuse the word, but I enjoy the humor in the products available to say "Whatever".

Cafe Press has 121,000 products that feature "Whatever". It's a very popular word.

I am fascinated to see how flexible and useful the word can be in the English language. It can be used to encompass whatever a person wishes to wrap into the word.

"Whatever you do, it will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." --Mahatma Gandhi

"Whatever you are, be a good one." --Abraham Lincoln

"Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Whatever you say, say it with conviction." --Mark Twain