Tuesday, 28 July 2009

In a Good Place

This phrase 'in a good place' - as in 'I'm in a good place'. I thought it was the preserve of celebrities, especially celebs who have just been through some self-induced meltdown in their lives. Private Eye had a brilliant Craig Brown parody of Piers Morgan 'intervewing' Katie Price. 'Your boobs, Katie. I have to ask - how are your boobs in all this?' 'My boobs are in a good place, Piers, a really really good place'... But now it seems the phrase has slipped out of the celebrity compound and into respectable public life. On the Today programme this morning, someone representing some quango or trade body had been hauled in to defend the UK's slow and unrelibale broadband speeds. No need to worry, he assured us - when it comes to broadband speed, 'We're in a very good place'. Never mind that there are about 24 better places, to judge by the world rankings - it's the phrase itself. Why did he use it? What, if anything, does it mean? How long will it be till we hear it from the mouth of a politician? Maybe it's already happened...?
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6 comments:

  1. Mark28 July 2009 at 11:31

    I may well be wrong, but "I'm in a good place" is more something I'd expect to hear from a business person or management consultant. The phrase stakes a claim. "I'm in a good space" is more the phrase I'd expect to hear from someone in therapy. I do wonder whether there's any longer such a thing as respectable public life. If there is I have an itch to set fire to it, but then I'm well placed for good space today.

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  2. Anonymous28 July 2009 at 14:03

    Scroll down to "On his own politics and “optimistic” conservatism"

    Perhaps this years Chistmas message will conclude with "My husband and I wish you a Happy Christmas and hope you are in a very good place."

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  3. Uncle Dick Madeley28 July 2009 at 15:26

    A 'good place' isn't so bad. It always worries me when people tell me they have a 'special place'. It usually involves staring into space and rocking on their heels.

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  4. malty28 July 2009 at 18:10

    Thought the good place was where the buffalo roam and the deer and antelope play, where never is heard a discouraging word... although what do I, a mere brave know.
    Gord's edict on broadband was, as befits a lump of porridge encased in concrete and therefore unable to understand what's going on, an absolute humdinger, "this investment will make our broadband world class", that is if your world begins and ends in Fife.

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  5. malty28 July 2009 at 20:12

    Mind you though but this really must be a good place today, just 24 billion huh

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  6. dearieme28 July 2009 at 22:03

    It's presumably better than being in a Better Place?

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