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So this isn't so much of a product suggestion as a random tip for something that's plagued me for a while: how to get your iPhone alarm to play a playlist, rather than one single song.
To back up a bit — I've always enjoyed waking up to music, and for years was OK to set a single song as my “wake up music.” When I was at the law firm and hating a specific project, it was Whitney Houston's “It's Not Right But It's Okay”; for some reason after my first son was born, the first song I really connected with was the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' “Heads Will Roll.” I've also had various songs from The Gossip and Talking Heads over the years.
But — I don't know, maybe it's just me — I find that waking up to one single solitary song tends to eventually “ruin” it for me. And then I hit a long period where I hate the song and wake up feeling stabby but I'm also too lazy/late/busy to figure out how to change the song or pick a new one. And then after a week or so of that, I figure out how to turn the whole thing off, and then I just sleep in for a few months.
ANYHOO. Yessss. Don't do that, is what I'm saying.
SO: I was psyched when I recently figured out how to set up my iPhone so it wakes me up to a different song every morning. It's in the SHORTCUTS! Of course, because why would it be in Alarms.
How to Get Your iPhone Alarm to Play a Playlist
Shortcuts –> Automation –> Create Personal Automation –> At ___ time, daily –> Music (Playlist/Shuffle)
In addition to opening the music app, it looks like you can also open the Apple Podcasts app or Overcast. I don't see Spotify on the list of apps that I personally can add, but then, I'm not paying for the premium version of Spotify. (But maybe you just need to add a Siri shortcut first and then it'll open? I'm not sure.)
Anyway, it's been nice to listen to a shuffled song from my “get up!” playlist every morning. Readers, do you have any similar tips to share, either regarding iPhones or morning alarms?
{related: how to wake up more easily when it's dark out and how to get up really early for “me time”}
Sales of note for 10.24.24
- Nordstrom – Fall sale, up to 50% off!
- Ann Taylor – Friends of Ann Event, 30% off! Suits are included in the 30% off!
- Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, and redeem Stylecash!
- Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
- J.Crew – Friends & Family event, 30% off sitewide.
- J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything
- Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Up to 30% off on new arrivals
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 40% off entire purchase, plus free shipping no minimum
- White House Black Market – Buy more, save more; buy 3+ get an extra 50% off
Sales of note for 10.24.24
- Nordstrom – Fall sale, up to 50% off!
- Ann Taylor – Friends of Ann Event, 30% off! Suits are included in the 30% off!
- Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, and redeem Stylecash!
- Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
- J.Crew – Friends & Family event, 30% off sitewide.
- J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything
- Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Up to 30% off on new arrivals
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 40% off entire purchase, plus free shipping no minimum
- White House Black Market – Buy more, save more; buy 3+ get an extra 50% off
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
Anonymous
Inspired by the car replacement thread from this morning– we need a new car. Historically we have had one “family car” (ie kidmobile) and one sedan. Right now, due to the pandemic and random life changes, we have a new minivan and the old “family car” is a 12 year old Acura MDX. It doesn’t need replacing ASAP, but it will need to be replaced over the next few years. We need a car that:
– Fits 5 tall people and one large dog comfortably, including a couple carseats for a few more years
– Is excellent in the snow/ice (our minivan is terrible in snow so we will take this car skiing etc)
– Is semi-luxury/ appropriate for ferrying around clients (this will be DH’s car. He is C-suite and occasionally drives other colleagues around).
– peppy/ fun (ish) to drive
Budget is under $100k, and we don’t want an XL Suburban-type vehicle of any kind. If we ever need to get one of those, it will replace, not augment, the minivan.
We have considered the BMW x5 a few times but always gone with something different and I think may not be roomy enough for us now as a growing family of 5. DH used to drive a 5 series before we switched to our current setup.
Anonymous
Honestly I wouldn’t bother considering it a few years out. You’ll want to look at the best model then not now.
Anon
If you need to fit 5 tall people plus a dog, then your options are minivan or Yukon XL or similar. That’s it.
Anonymous
That’s really not true
Anon
Okay, I’m very happy to be proven wrong, but how do you have room for 5 people plus a dog simultaneously in any other vehicle?
Anonymous
Any number of the ones listed below
Nesprin
It kinda is. You need an extremely large station wagon, a minivan or a larger SUV
Signed, family of 5 ppl over 5’10”
Clementine
Volvo XC90
Anonymous
Love this car
Leatty
DH (a car aficionado) considered getting an XC90, but he needed a vehicle with a lot of second row leg room since he is very tall and we still have rear facing car seats. The Volvo XC90 only has 37″. He ended up with an Audi Q7, which has 38.8″. I can’t speak to his Audi’s ability to drive in the snow, but it is otherwise a great SUV that meets your criteria.
Anonymous
Audi’s are awesome in the snow.
Anonymous
OP here. We almost bought the XC 90 a while back it got the MDX instead. I loved it and we only had one young kiddo then but apparently it “drove like an elephant.” It is going to be DH’s primary car so I think it’s out. But it will be my minivan replacement when that time comes :-).
Clementine
Try it now! We have the V6 and it’s a delight.
Anon
Honda Pilot. Lincoln Aviator. Buick Enclave.
Anon
Based largely on advice here we just got a Honda Pilot. We like it. We got a 2019 so we could afford the highest package so it would have the second row captains chairs, which allows for car seats but also makes the way back usable in a daily setting. (Although with an under $100K budget you could easily get the highest package in new too). We got AWD in it for snow.
I feel like I was told repeatedly that the Pilot has some of the most leg room in the third row of your classic 3rd row SUVs (probably not compared to your monster Suburbans etc?).
I don’t know about the luxury factor, but it seems fine to me? The car seats might kill the luxury vibe regardless. :)
Anon
I had a 14 year old Honda Pilot with over 200k miles on it, before trading it in a few months ago. I now have a smaller Lincoln SUV (two sizes smaller than the Aviator) and LOVE it.
Anon
Consider that cars aren’t any bigger on the inside than on the outside. If you want something that fits five adults plus a dog comfortably, you’re asking for a very long vehicle – Suburban, Escalade, Ford Flex. That’s the only way you get enough leg room for three rows plus room for a pooch.
I’m a bit confused about “five tall people” and “car seats.” Are you considering keeping this car until your kids are adults? If so, and I say this as a devotee of driving cars into the ground, reconsider whether that’s feasible.
Try the Volvo XC90 or a Mercedes SUV.
Anonymous
OP here. My kids are 5-12 now. I’m assuming whatever car we pick we will still have when my kids are 10-17.
So no, I don’t have to fit 5 adults tomorrow but I am anticipating full size people within the lifespan of the car. And right now I have a car seat and a booster in play.
Anon
I guess you can get it cleaned, but a having the kidmobile also being the luxury vehicle for impressing clients doesn’t seem to practical.
Anonymous
Definitely agree on the no XL-Suburban rule – those need to be discontinued because we can no longer afford to say “f you” to the environment like that and NO ONE needs them. No one.
What about a Subaru Forrester? It’s not exactly luxury, but it won’t embarrass anyone either. It would definitely be functional for your needs.
Anon
FWIW, Suburbans now get very reasonable mileage: 21 city 27 highway. The older models were terrible.
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/PowerSearch.do?action=noform&year1=2021&make=Chevrolet&baseModel=Suburban&srchtyp=ymm
Anonymous
That still sounds pretty terrible.
Anonymous
21 city is terrible in this day and age.
Anon
It’s not great but it’s better than a Honda Odyssey or probably other minivans.
Anon
Compared to a Honda Civic, yes, but a Honda Civic doesn’t fit eight people. I found a list of the top cars that fit 8 people (which a Suburban does) and their city mileage:
Ford Expedition: 17 city
GMC Yukon: 21 city
Honda Odyssey: 19 city
Honda Pilot: 20 city
Hyundai Palisade: 19 city
Kia Telluride: 20 city
Subaru Ascent: 21 city
Toyota Highlander: 21 city
Hybrid Toyota Sienna: 36 city
Last I checked, it actually does better than the other 8-passenger vehicles out there, with the exception of the hybrid Sienna. (Hybrid models have their own environmental problems with lithium batteries.) You’re more than welcome to find a vehicle that can fit five kids and a dog that makes 21 city look “terrible;” however, my suggestion to you is that until you do, you keep your uninformed opinions to yourself.
Anon 2.0
A Forrester is not going to be large enough for what she wants. An Ascent might fit the bill.
And, yes, some people have large families and need large cars. I’d say its a bit of an exaggeration to say no on needs them.
AZCPA
It sounds like you are looking to merge what the sedan did for you and the family car. Seems like now both vehicles are intended as family cars, which seems to be challenging – the car for skiing/pets/carseats will struggle to impress DH’s colleagues. I agree closest is Volvo XC90, but it’s big and has to be to fit what you are hoping for.
Anon
I would replace the second car with something smaller/similar to your current one and rent a snow car when you need it. Take the minivan you have for all the non-snow kid things and have an adult car for you and spouse.
Shanananana
Jeep Grand Cherokee with leather interior. I live in Detroit and it is basically the only C suite vehicle company car my last company used since it’s 4 wheel drive, while still being a nice vehicle and the backseat is surprisingly roomy. I heard they are releasing a three row one this year. I own a entry level one and have had it 5 years with no issues and will replace it with another once I see how the plug in hybrid they are releasing this year works in practice.
Anonymous
This is a pretty good idea. He’s been eyeing the new ford bronco as well and I think they are similarly…cool enough not to be luxury?
We are also looking at the LR4 only because two friends of ours with 3 kids and a big dog also have them and take them to ski/snow. Thoughts on those?
anonypotamus
I will second this recommendation. I have had mine for 3+ years. It handles great in the snow and is very comfortable as a daily driver. I have a higher trim level (High Altitude) and regularly get comments from clients and partners on how luxurious it feels inside. Plus, it is fun to drive! Mine doesn’t have the third row (releasing this year), but I have heard that the backseat is very comfortable, even for tall people. My dog is usually in the backseat, but she could easily hang in the truck area if the seats were occupied. Highly recommend.
Anonymous
I would look at the Audi Q7. I have a 9 yr old q5 and I love this car.
Anonymous
I would consider a top-of-the-line Toyota Highlander or if I had your budget, I would also look at something like a Lexus LX 570.
Anon
I have a Nissan Rogue. The rear seat moves up to allow more hatch space or moves back to allow more leg room. You can fit 5 people w/ a dog in the hatch. This is an SUV, fyi, so I’m not saying to put the dog in a closed trunk. It would be in the same open air as you.
I have on w/ leather seats and I think it is a perfectly professional vehicle. I don’t believe you have to look rich to land clients but your husband’s job could be different than mine. I want to look like I’m doing comfortable but I can still be responsible w/ my money.
It is great in the snow. You could put the skis on the roof w/ some of your luggage and put the rest of the gear back in the hatch w/ the dog.
Do you consider trucks in the same category of giant SUVs? My husband has a used Ford F-150 King Ranch and it is gorgeous. It’s a status symbol in certain crowds … rich rednecks LOL. The backseat has TONS of room and we have driven 4 tall adults in it many times. Get a bed cover and then you have room for all your gear.
Drives great in the snow.
Anon
If I needed an SUV at that price point, I’d go with a Tesla Model X or Y. I only have experience with the S and 3, but they’re fun to drive, have great acceleration, and are great kid cars. I love being able to start cooling/heating from my phone when I’m 10 minutes out from getting in my car, love being able to keep cooling/heating on with running an engine, and love never having to go in for an oil change.
Sarabeth
Tesla would also be my choice. Apparently they are great in snow.
Anonymous
Any new strategies for breaking the “WFH funk/motivation slump” appreciated! Things I’ve tried but seem to lack motivation to continue…
– Better Routine (walk in morning, breakfast at certain time, break at set point)
– More Self-Care (generally after hours – like, bath, face mask)
– Pomodoro
– Small rewards for billing X hours/week
– Friend time (primarily virtual, but a couple times a month I have in person distanced walks)
I live alone and am WFH for at least another three months, just struggling to get through the days and actually get things done. At this point I need fewer articles telling me it’s ok and that everyone else feels or has felt this way, and more kicks in the rear to actually complete tasks :( Any help appreciated! I’m 15 years out of school and never hit a slump like this before.
Curious
I wrote down the reason I have not quit my job (other than the money — a skill I want to learn and am having opportunities to learn that is tightly tied to being able to LEAVE and do something better for the world). It is on a bulletin board next to my desk. It gets me through Mondays and then the rest of the week is okay.
anon
I am going in one day a week now voluntarily. Fully vaxxed, wear a mask on train and when not in my actual office room. Few people are in my office. I do see a few of my internal clients (execs) some of whom seem to come in a few days a week at least, but they are on another floor. The two times I have done this I have been so productive, it has been great. I don’t know if this is an option for you or not.
Sara
I may have to try this. I don’t feel like any of the things listed above are even making a difference to me now.
No Face
I go in twice a week and it helps a lot.
Betsy
Yeah, after a year of garbage work, getting fully vaccinated and going back to the office 3 or 4 days a week was the only thing that helped. It’s still fully optional so my office is pretty empty, but I’m also not really worried since I’m fully vaccinated.
anon
I with you on this. I don’t need any more coddling; I need to re-learn how to buckle down and be consistent. Pomodoro helps. I’m also keeping a running to-do list that’s categorized by how long something will take me: 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour. If it’ll take longer than 1 hour, that means I need to break it into an even smaller, more achievable chunk.
Anon
Anyone have a good reminder app for an iPhone? I have a medication I usually take in the morning, but for side effect reasons want to try taking it in the evening (doctor’s suggestion). I never ever forget to take meds in the morning, but have a much harder time remembering to take them at night, so would like to try something that pops up on my phone to remind me, something super simple, easy to snooze or to cancel in advance if I’ve already taken it. Would sort of prefer not to have something that’s identifiable as a medication reminder if I’m using it in public, though. Thanks!
Clementine
Silly Question: can you just set an alarm on your iPhone? And just call it something like 7PM reminder?
Anon
This. Or “Drink water!” and then if anyone asks, you tell them about how you’re making an effort to stay more hydrated and this is your habit prompt, or whatever.
Anon
Ideally it would just be an alarm, but it would nice if it was a little more advanced than the regular alarm- I’d like to be able to cancel it if I’d taken my pill that day without the alarm being canceled for the next day, and I don’t think the iphone alarm works that way? I think this is why I struggle with evening pills. It’s very simple to remember to take something as soon as I get up, but I go to bed at different times every day, sometimes I brush my teeth a long time before going to bed, sometimes I get in bed and read for a few hours before going to sleep, sometimes I’m out and about at the time I’d normally get into bed- it’s just way harder and I’m having a hard time thinking of a flexible reminder system!
No Face
My basic old Android phone alarm works that way. When I wake up before my morning alarm, I can hit “dismiss” and it skips just that morning.
Anonymous
Does it have to be at the same time? Mine doesn’t have to be exactly the same time at night and I just remember to take it when I brush my teeth.
Anon
No, I just wrote about this above- the time doesn’t really matter that much, but I have problems because my evening routine varies, which makes using an alarm not as effective (not helpful if it goes off when I’m out, or if I’m already in bed). I think you’re right that the obvious thing is to tie it to brushing my teeth, but I often brush them earlier in the evening if I’m home, and even if I do brush them just before bed, I still seem to forget to take my pill. I don’t understand how I can be so good at taking something in the morning and so bad at doing it in the evening! Maybe it just takes practice?
Anonymous
Don’t have any specific recommendations, but I’d expect a habit tracker app to be able to give you this kind of functionality.
Anonymous
I am very sorry if this doesn’t help, because I’m an android user and I don’t know iphones – but my google calendar has “reminders” that I can set. I set one for every evening to take out my contacts. The reminder pops up on the screen as a little finger icon and says in my notifications until I do it. I can mark a reminder as “done” before the reminder time. Not sure if iphone has reminders that work that same way or if you can use google calendar on iphones (sorry!)
Anonymous
iPhone does have this feature, natively. I’d use that, OP. I use it for remembering to pack kiddo’s bottles for daycare.
Anon
I use google calendar, but have never used the reminders other than for events on my calendar- this sounds sort of like what I thinking of, so I’ll have to play with this, thanks!
Anon
I use Siri for stuff like this. Hey Siri, remind me daily at 8 pm to take my pills.
My dad uses his living room Alexa to remind him to take his.
Sloan Sabbith
Medisafe. Super customizable, has a pill shaking bottle sound for the notification (you can choose other ones, or voices of various pop culture figures telling you to take your pills), and you can mark the med taken before or after the reminder time. We’ve used it to manage my dad’s 15ish meds (given between once and four times day, some with food, some with not, some 1.5 hours after meals…) and it’s been a lifesaver.
Anonymous
I use the native iPhone reminders app for this kind of thing, and also to set reminders to remember to grab something before I leave in the morning etc. it works really well. I have it set to pop up on my Lock Screen.
Cat
Does anyone have an elliptical they would recommend? Our current old one is wearing out and we’re in the market.
We don’t need fancy bells and whistles but want it to feel sturdy/stable and be as low off the ground as possible (DH is tall and the space we use for exercise equipment has a low ceiling). Bonus points for an adjustable stride length because I am… not tall.
Budget is flexible.
Anon
I’ve had good luck twice in life buying used commercial gym equipment. I’m sure there’s an element of caveat emptor, but spending $500-700 on a used multi-thousand dollar piece of equipment that was regularly professionally serviced has worked well for us. Sad to say, but maybe some gyms near you have folded since the pandemic and have equipment to sell?
Cat
ha, our current one was a Craiglist find (actually a commercial model so who knows how those owners got it) and lasted over 4 years for $200. No such luck now with everyone working out at home!
Good idea to scope out gyms, though.
Anon
It was IMPOSSIBLE to find used gym equipment at the beginning of the pandemic, and the new stuff was hella backordered. Maybe now that people are getting vaccinated and gyms are reopening, there will be the reverse effect coming soon?
We sold an elliptical to make way for a recumbent bike in spring 2020 and we had people fighting to buy the elliptical. Then the recumbent bike arrived fully two months after the promised delivery date.
Anon
I bought a ProForm in the early aughts and still love it. I don’t think that particular model is still made, but I would rebuy the brand.
Anon
Medisafe is the “best in show” app that’s actually designed for this. I’m not sure if the reminder sound/image could be customized to make it unidentifiable as a medication reminder though!
Sloan Sabbith
+1 You can change the reminder to any other iPhone notification sound.
Travel Suggestions
Starting to think of the possibility of a fun fall trip (late sept/early oct) and have basically forgotten what used to be on my travel wish list. Any suggestions for somewhere to visit for about a week? Willing to fly and rent a car (assuming everything is ok with Covid). We have 1 baby who will be about 1 and the hope is that I’ll be pregnant around that time again, so we’d like to stay in the US. Traveling from metro-Atlanta.
Previous trips we’ve enjoyed pre-baby include SF/Tahoe/Yosemite, Canadian Rockies, Iceland.
We have done Savannah and Charleston multiple times.
Anon
New Orleans?
Anonymous
I would not plan a vacation at a time when I hoped to be pregnant, unless it was fully refundable. Even if you’ve been pregnant before, you just don’t know how your body will react the next time around. I developed hyperemesis while on vacation right after I got pregnant, and it ruined the vacation.
Anonymous
San Diego
Anon
New England for the foliage.
Elle
Asheville! Or maybe Nashville?
arejlks fads;jkl
I’m in such a rut. I just cannot focus at work at all. I can sometimes fake it with to-do lists and pomodoro and all that, but I have little-to-no natural focus. My work doesn’t really require hours tracking but I’ve started doing it just for myself. Even after I get started I don’t really get into that state of “focus” which is what usually happens.
I used to work at a nonprofit but long story short that job ended and now I’ve started working at what everyone tells me is a very interesting up and coming startup. I thought so too, to an extent, which is why I took this job 3 months ago.
But I feel like I’m on permanent BEC mode with many of my coworkers, each day is a struggle – not in a “sunday scaries” way, just in an I-cant-focus way. I do have mental health issues, and I am on medication and I have a therapist, and I talk to him about it.
But a part of this is – do I just hate my job? Like dislike my company? I used to work at a Big 4 and though I just hated work and the office environment; worked at this nonprofit and realized I did like it. I learned that I do better at smaller places, and honestly don’t do well with hierarchy, which is part of why I chose this. A part of the problem could be that I do not feel like I have a personal relationship with any of my coworkers really.
I just feel bored. Even my friends and family know I get angry/irritated easily when I get bored. My dad’s first question was not do you like your new job or how are your colleagues – it was “Is your work interesting?”, and my dad and I are very close.
I know work isn’t everything, and I do do things outside of it. Honestly, that doesnt help, especially with WFH, because I’m more interested in my volunteer work than my actual job.
You could just say “grow up!”. But I left that safe Big 4 job to take a real risk, and it went fantastic, and that’s not something everyone would do. The dream job that everyone says doesn’t exist did for me for a while. I could probably find another nonprofit job I felt more strongly about, although it would likely pay less or have some other downside. I thought that basically after a crazy 3 years I should take it easy for a while with this job.
Anon
It could be the pandemic, or the general state of things, or even something about you yourself rather than the job? I would hesitate to make a life changing decision when we are in the middle of a world crisis, as I may be influenced by other factors.
banonona
I want double piercings in my lobes! I have to imagine this is fine in a law firm today, anyone disagree?
Anonymous
I truly can not imagine this being an issue. I see it so often on so many women I doubt that women are shooting themselves in the foot over something so small.
Cat
in theory I am your enemy here, I am a client with power to choose a firm who doesn’t like the look. But IDGAF.
alicia
Looking for travel ideas!
– Thursday to Sunday trip from NYC
– Up for up to a 3 hr flight, but must be in the US
– For my sister and I, both in our 20s
– We’d like to go to a beach
– I’m so burned out.
Cat
a US beach that’s nice and toasty warm within 3 hours of NYC = Florida, unless you’re talking later in the summer.
Palm Beach? Naples (fly into Ft Myers)?
Not sure about the flight time but the USVI may also be an option (STT).
Anonymous
Mask recommendations? I like polyester / “sports” fabric, but my Atheleta Activate masks are bugging me as they now tend to go into my mouth when I breathe. I recently purchased some Tommie Copper poly/spandex masks but the inside feels really cotton-y. I also like masks with nose wire that are form fitting (as opposed to the accordion style). Anyone have any good ideas? Thank you.
Anon
Banana republic masks have been good for me, but are currently out of stock – nose wires, adjustable ear loops, soft feel. I have had good luck finding similar ones on Amazon though.
Anon
I’m reading something from my opposing counsel and it has the phrase “do the necessary” in it several times. I’ve never heard that phrase before. Not “do the necessary work” just do the necessary. Like . . . “in anticipation of the upcoming hearing, Attorney Jones will do the necessary. Is this an old phrase? A new phrase? Just curious.
Anon
I’ve heard and used it for years.
Anokha
I’ve heard it for years
Anonymous
I’ve never ever heard it before, in the North East fwiw.
Anon
Never heard it before. Regional?
Hi
I frequently get “do the necessary” and “do the needful” when the drafter/email writer is from India or Pakistan. I don’t know if that is coincidence or common parlance in those countries.
Curious
Common parlance! So much so it’s a joke between my white husband and several Indian friends.
Anon
It is the way we in India were taught formal/business essay writing in school. There were many stock phrases like “do the needful”, “yours sincerely”, “kindly request you to”, “hereby”. When life moved to business emails the degree of formality needed to drop off but for many people, it didn’t happen and they follow the same mental template they had been taught because it’s easy and quick. When I moved to the US (and communication went electronic) I had to unlearn this.
Anon
OP here. I’m in the Northeast so I assume it is regional. To my knowledge, the author is not Indian. Cool to know other people have heard it and use it!
I hope my post didn’t sound judgmental. I’m just a bit of a nerd and was curious.
Anon
This type of phrasing is common in some Eastern European countries too.
anon
I grew up (north carolina) with this being a euphemism for bodily functions. Regional, with a warning?
Anon
Non-lawyer who thought that was a euphemism for heading to the restroom.
Sloan Sabbith
Tentative book recommendation: Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of ‘80s and ‘90s Teen Fiction. I’m only like 10% in but am loving it so far.
I was a teen in the early 2000s, so I was a little past the heyday of these books, but we also got most of our books from the library or Goodwill (my parents were not into paying full price for a book I’d read in 2 hours…) so BSC and Saddle Club were my jam. Sweet Valley High a little less so. But it’s fun to read about the rise of the books that, honestly, turned me into a voracious reader. For the longest time, my dad carried around a folded up piece of notebook paper where he wrote down every BSC book in existence and we crossed off the ones I had so he knew what to look for at Value Village or wherever.
eertmeert
That is so sweet of your dad.
I was a voracious reader during this time. I loved all the Super Specials, which often told the stories from multiple character viewpoints. The 80s/90s Nancy Drew novels were awesome as well.
Anonymous
Amazing! Thanks for the recc, it sounds right up my alley. In case you’re interested, there are two podcasts I’d recommend – SSR Podcast (YA fiction throwbacks – I got hooked by starting with the BSC Kristy’s Big Idea episode) and Old Millennials Pod (pop culture from the 90s), both of which I really enjoy.
Sloan Sabbith
Thanks! I am not a huge podcast fan (only listen to What Should I Read Next, honestly) but I’ll look them up! I have started but did not get into American Girls, about the books.
Anonymous
Yep! Our counsel, raised in Pakistan, does the needful or the necessary for us :)