by B.J. on 1/16/2005 08:43:00 AM 0 comments Print this post

Comments: Post a Comment
Keep the Change

A three word phrase that I wish I could say everytime I walk out of the 99 cents store.

What's stopping me from saying "keep the change" and letting the cashier keep the change: I'm not cool enough.

I've only seen people say "keep the change" in tv shows and movies. Gu from the Nickelodeon TV Show My Brother and Me smiled as he said it as the cashier tried to hand him his money. The cashier was delighted but called him a cheapskate for it being only 3 cents. The audience laughs. The latest occurrence of this was when Tom Cruise's character said it in Collateral. He told the cashier to keep the change as soon as he picked up the bouquet of flowers for Jamie Foxx's character to give to his mother.

In that context of tv shows and movies, it was part of the actor's job to say "keep the change", either to perpetuate an image of "jokingness" or "coolness." So it wasn't real.

So when I walk in real-life to the 99 cents store and am not trying to portray an image of coolness, I pause for a second, thinking of whether to smile or be cool, but confusedly accept the change, and the cashier is already checking out the next person and his ten cans of generic spaghetti sauce.

Next time I'll get em.

Labels:

 



Home Page