Coincidences

MEG: Well, hello there, Julia! Long time no see! JULIA: Meg! Hi! What a coincidence! I haven’t seen you in ages! What are you doing here? MEG: I just got a new job in the city, so I’m shopping for some clothes. Hey, what do you think of this shirt? JULIA: Hmmm … well, you know how much I love blue. See? I’ve got the same shirt! MEG: You always did have good taste! What a small world. LANGUAGE NOTES • Well, hello there … Notice the emphasis on “hello,” which shows that Meg did not expect to see Julia. • Long time, no see! This is a common expression used to say hello to someone you haven’t seen in a long time. • What a …! This exclamation shows a great degree of surprise, joy, disappointment, etc. (What a surprise to see you here! What a joy to have you with us! What a shame that you have to leave so soon! What a wonderful idea that is!) • You always did have good taste! Notice the stress on “did,” which Meg uses to emphasize the fact that Julia DOES have good taste! Meg says it in a joking way because Julia likes the same thing that she does. • What a small world is a common expression used to describe a chance meeting or other such coincidence.