# is it bad manners to correct a checkout girl **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798 "2012-01-17T15:12:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![murrmac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@murrmac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/murrmac)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/1 "2012-01-17T15:12:29Z")
…when she says "Put in your PIN number please " ? The pedantic, didactic side of me wants to say "It’s not a PIN number, honey, it’s just a PIN ". The sensible, pragmatic side of me says, “why bother …” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/2 "2012-01-17T15:20:25Z")
[Modding] Moved to IMHO from Great Debates. [/Modding] And I’d vote for “Why bother?” ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/3 "2012-01-17T15:23:23Z")
I wouldn’t, the phrase is incorrect but widely used. The clerk just wants to do his/her job, not engage in nitpicking. It’s hard to resist some wise-ass answers to their routine questions: “Could you find everything OK?” “No, I couldn’t find the hockey pucks.” “Do you want those potatoes in a bag?” “They’re already in one.” ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/4 "2012-01-17T15:26:41Z")
I vote “bad manners” to correct a stranger about something so trivial. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/5 "2012-01-17T15:31:22Z")
Unless your name is Henry, and her name badge reads Eliza, I think it’s best you keep your grammar lessons to yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/6 "2012-01-17T15:32:33Z")
Checkout GIRL? Really? When are you, the 1950s? They’re Checkout Hos now. And yeah, don’t bother. Checkout Hos are there to facilitate transferring ownership of the store’s property to you, not to engage you in stimulating, grammatically correct discourse. As long as you know what she’s talking about she’s met her obligation. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/7 "2012-01-17T15:54:05Z")
> [@murrmac](#): > > …when she says "Put in your PIN number please " ? > > The pedantic, didactic side of me wants to say "It’s not a PIN number, honey, it’s just a PIN ". > > The sensible, pragmatic side of me says, “why bother …” Your pedantic side is wrong. “PIN number” is the better formulation because it eliminates confusion. Is she asks “What’s your PIN?” it could mean your pin number or the Huntsman button on your lapel. So not only are you being a jerk for correcting her, you’re correcting something that isn’t even wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/8 "2012-01-17T15:57:16Z")
Yes it is incredibly bad manners. Haven’t you got something better to do than spend your time insulting employees whose lives are already filled to the brim with annoying people? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/9 "2012-01-17T16:00:47Z")
“PIN number” is wrong? What the hell else am I supposed to type into the automatic ATM teller machine? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/10 "2012-01-17T16:01:43Z")
I vote for pedantic. People still call an ATM, an ATM machine. For that matter back when it still meant something we refereed to SALT as the SALT treaty. (For you younger folks, Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty). ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/11 "2012-01-17T16:02:36Z")
People working in retail encounter rude, arrogant, jerkish people everyday. She’ll just mark you down as one of those. Why not go the whole hog and talk on your mobile while she’s serving you? ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/12 "2012-01-17T16:04:22Z")
Less bad manners, more it just makes you look like a dick. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/13 "2012-01-17T16:09:11Z")
Defintely rude to correct a stranger on something so utterly trivial. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/14 "2012-01-17T16:10:27Z")
And it’s not a hot water heater, just a water heater. Why would you have to heat hot water? But who cares? ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/15 "2012-01-17T16:16:09Z")
Let’s just hope the OP isn’t queuing in the “10 items or less” aisle. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/16 "2012-01-17T16:20:31Z")
I’d only correct her if she worked at the DSW Shoe Warehouse. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/17 "2012-01-17T16:20:34Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > For that matter back when it still meant something we refereed to SALT as the SALT treaty. > (For you younger folks, Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty). SALT stood for Strategic Arms Limitation **Talks**. The word Talks was exchanged for Treaty only after the talks resulted in a treaty. For a while, it was called the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks Treaty. Oh, those were heady days for cunning linguists! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/18 "2012-01-17T16:23:49Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Your pedantic side is wrong. “PIN number” is the better formulation because it eliminates confusion. I’m inclined to agree. I can’t think of a better way to put it that would satisfy the OP as correct, yet wouldn’t sound awkward or have the potential to be misunderstood. “PIN number” is _redundant_, but redundancy does not necessarily equal incorrectness, especially when it makes things clearer. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/19 "2012-01-17T17:05:05Z")
I believe that Miss Manners says that it’s always bad manners to correct someone’s manners unless they request your expertise, or you are their parent and they are a minor child. I think grammar ought to go by the same rules. ---
**Author:** ![murrmac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@murrmac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/murrmac)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798/20 "2012-01-17T17:06:12Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Your pedantic side is wrong. “PIN number” is the better formulation because it eliminates confusion. Is she asks “What’s your PIN?” it could mean your pin number or the Huntsman button on your lapel. > > So not only are you being a jerk for correcting her, you’re correcting something that isn’t even wrong. I don’t recollect ever being asked by a checkout girl “\*\*What’s your PIN \*\*?”, and I doubt anybody else has either. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-manners-to-correct-a-checkout-girl/609798.md?page=2)