When you call someone "a star", what you actually mean is: "I think you are my intellectual inferior, and I have just charmed you into doing something I couldn't be arsed to do myself."
Interestingly, it is invariably the 'thank you' of choice of the over-promoted.
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Mmmn. Instance: Cherie Booth QC used those very words, in an e-mail to convicted fraudster Peter Foster who was using the Blair name, and the "cachet" of having the PM's wife as your buyer, to drive down the price of the flats she wanted to buy. You remember "cherie-gate", it was in all the papers in December 2002, and Cherie had to make a public statement.
Actually, in my view, single-handedly and at a stroke Cherie made that term unusable in polite society.
Aww, come on. I'm always telling people I think they're a star, and when I say it I invariably mean "thank you so much, you are an incandescent and sparkly being who has lit up my galaxy by being so much more wonderful than I had any right to hope," and often it means also "and you are also far superior to me because I would never have known how to make that thing happen", and sometimes also the same plus "...and without your good will which I had no right to count on."
These are the sentiments of a person who has to rely on the help of others, as you can see, far more than is comfortable.
I didn't know about Cherie Blair.
Trust me, I'm not overpromoted. If only.
I personally tend to prefer saying "You're a real Red Dwarf, you are !"
Curiously, it has not always been well received in the past.
Although never as badly as my one-time misguided use of "black hole". I got smacked pretty hard that time, right in the solar plexus.
INTERESTING FACT:
"You're a star" only sounds like patronising wank when coming out of the mouths of English people, and particularly English women. I discussed very fact with an Italian and a Canadian (not a French Canadian) this very evening.
Astonishing, but true.
Ms B - you are an Americaner, therefore this is acceptable.
Indigo - you enhance my very existence. I am utterly delighted by this information.
Johnnyboy - as long as you are not referring to the simply dreadful English 'comedy' series of the same name, this joke is passable. 8.3/10 for 'solar plexus'; quite a nice little end there.
Thank you, I was quite proud of myself there. Though I see you are not overly amused by geek humor.
I shall refrain from further punwork involving vestibules or rare gasses.
J-Boy - are you a scientist? I'm sensing that you might be. If not, you really should consider it as a career. Just a thought. (I should add that use of words like "refrain", "punwork" and "vestibules" does put me off the scent slightly.)
I'm interested to know what prompted this post.
I'm thinking that an over-promoted, female person - whom you do not particularly like - called you a star, yes?
I don't tend to use the phrase myself, though I have been called a star on a number of occasions - being a simple soul, I have always taken it in the spirit of Ms Baroque... I must buck my ideas up, clearly!
Oh dear. Someone I don't even know called me a star this week and I was actually rather flattered. Even though I'm still not sure why she thought I was a star. Ho hum.
So... it's OK for American's to say this? Because I had an ex-father-in-law from Alabama who said this all the time and I'm quite sure he didn't mean it.
I tend to call people I admire Goddesses. But I mean it. I leave rotting fruit and incense around their feet. It gets tiresome.... apparently.
"Eee, I could do wiv a Twix, 'ere's 50p, gezza Twix from the corner shop, wiw'ya? Eee, you're a star."
I hear you.
I hear you with ears I never knew I had, until now.
....
In my recent phone-based job, I always used to enjoy speaking to people who put the word 'cock' at the end of every sentence, but innocuously. "D'you know what ah mean, cock?".
I think Cock is a word which means something similar to Star, but in different social circles.
....
It's interesting to think about these things. Thank you.
Could be worse. You could work for an utter loon...
Background: no-one has said it to me (apart from an Italian man) for years. I am glad of this fact. But I heard someone using a tone that would suggest they were about to say it to someone else, and it reminded me how much I hate it.
Monkey. Would you want an ex-father in law from Alabama to mean it? No, but really - would you?
Muppet dear - don't say I didn't warn you both.
Mikeachim - hello and welcome. Tea? Do let me know if you come to any conclusions.
Oh dear, you're right.
The woman I can't stand (for various and well founded reasons), did something nice for me , albeit without meaning to, and I called her a star.
What else could I do?
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