# "May the spirit within me salutes the spirit in you." **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 11, 2014, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156 "2014-09-11T10:25:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/1 "2014-09-11T10:25:45Z")
“May the spirit within me salutes the spirit in you.” **Every single day** , my FB friend posts this same message. He must retype it every day because who would copy and paste the same thing every day? I’ve been out of school for so long, I’m not sure why the sentence is wrong. Beside that extra ‘s’, what is the problem here? I think there are several. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/2 "2014-09-11T11:03:34Z")
OCD, for a start. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/3 "2014-09-11T11:07:06Z")
1. Spirits can’t salute. 2. Unclear, but is he telling his spirit what to do or telling you what his spirit is doing? ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/4 "2014-09-11T12:57:34Z")
I’m not sure why spirits would salute anyone anyway. Are they military? ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/5 "2014-09-11T13:18:54Z")
The main problem for me, anyway, isn’t about spelling/syntax, it’s that it’s really kind of pretty stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/6 "2014-09-11T13:39:54Z")
You can stand by me to rely on you! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/7 "2014-09-11T13:48:22Z")
It’s code for ‘I got a boner when I saw you’, right? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/8 "2014-09-11T13:54:47Z")
Maybe he thinks the shots of tequila you did in college recognize each other. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/9 "2014-09-11T13:57:18Z")
“May… salutes…” those words don’t belong together. He should at least drop the “may.” What does that even mean? “I hope my spirit somehow salutes you” or “I give permission for my spirit, should my spirit be so inclined, to salute the spirit in you.” Even without the “may” it sounds newagey and pretentious and stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/10 "2014-09-11T13:57:41Z")
How about: “May,” the spirit within me, salutes the spirit within you. The spirit in the FB poster is named “May” and your spirit is not named, though May has high regards for it. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/11 "2014-09-11T14:09:04Z")
It sounds like namaste bullshit. I have had multiple yoga-type people explain to me that namaste means something along the lines of “The light that exists within me recognizes and rejoices in the light within you.” Other than sentiment, the only problem is that it should be salute, not salutes. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/12 "2014-09-11T14:15:17Z")
:):)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/13 "2014-09-11T14:16:03Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > How about: > > “May,” the spirit within me, salutes the spirit within you. > > The spirit in the FB poster is named “May” and your spirit is not named, though May has high regards for it. Bless my buttons, it’s obvious now thanks to the comma. Seems odd that he doesn’t know the name of the spirit in the other guy. May, the spirit within me salutes Kevin, the spirit in you. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/14 "2014-09-11T14:23:51Z")
From a gramatical perspective, it should be either “May the spirit within me salute the spirit in you.” OR “The spirit within me salutes the spirit in you.” The conflict you’re getting is between may and salutes, so either salute needs to be properly conjugated or may needs to be dropped. From a meaning perspective, it sounds like an odd version of namaste. From various Western usages of the term, I’ve heard sentiments such as recognize, bless, bow, rejoice, etc. but I’ve never heard salute. So, that too seems off to me too. And as an aside, it may be worth telling this person if you’re close to them that a daily greeting on facebook is unnecessary and probably isn’t even seen by that many people anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/15 "2014-09-11T14:32:03Z")
He’s not a new-ager. He’s a very, very, very devout Baptist. I also think he’s so in the closet that even he doesn’t know it, but that’s beside the point. ---
**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:** [September 11, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/16 "2014-09-11T16:26:10Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > May, the spirit within me salutes Kevin, the spirit in you. [Salute!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgIMJcBpqKI) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/17 "2014-09-11T16:34:15Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > [Salute!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgIMJcBpqKI) The only possible answer with any value. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/18 "2014-09-11T18:44:32Z")
I See you ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-spirit-within-me-salutes-the-spirit-in-you/698156/19 "2014-09-11T18:50:16Z")
Oh my word. We are to the point where Hee Haw clips are on youtube. Horsemen can’t be far behind.