AboutCarol Pozefsky Expertise Etymology: The origins of English words and phrases.
Anchor/Reporter NBC and CBS Networks. News Director 3 Regional Radio Stations.
Question Carol, thanks for responding, but no, I didn't find the post about the phrase,
"not at all." Please point me in the right direction.
David Hare was interviewed about his latest play. The end of the interview
went like this:
Int: Thank you so much for joining us.
Glad you could be here.
Hare: Not at all.
I'm curious about the derivation of this phrase--it "presumes" the first person
has said something like, "I hope it wasn't a bother coming today" to which he
replies, "not at all." Any idea where, why, how this phrase began?
thank you!!
-----Answer-----
Hello again, I hope you're having a fine week,
I remember answering this question last week. Please let me know if you
have not received the anwer.
The best to you always, CP
Answer
Hello again,
The phrase 'not at all' is akin to similar shorthand phrases such as 'don't mention it' , 'my pleasure', 'you're welcome', etc. in which certain words are implied but not spoken. "Would you mind passing me the salt?" "Not at all" rather than "I wouldn't at all mind passing the salt."
Over the years the phrase 'not at all' has really lost it's original , literal meaning and has morphed into a catch-all courteous response; a social amenity with no particular meaning intended except to sweeten the discourse.
My guess is that the phrase is English in origin and probably can be found in Oscar Wilde and certainly earlier.
The best to you always, CP
