# When did "good on you" replace "good for you"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 20, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-good-on-you-replace-good-for-you/473590 "2008-11-20T02:34:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crocodiles_And_Boulevards)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-good-on-you-replace-good-for-you/473590/21 "2008-11-20T19:36:30Z")
> [@Roland\_Orzabal](#): > > I can only speak for myself (American, born in upstate New York, raised mostly in Virginia), but to me, those phrases mean two different things. > > I use “good for you” as a sarcastic statement, generally as a response to somebody bragging about something. It means either “I don’t care”, “you are being a pretentious twatwaffle”, or both. I can’t imagine a situation where I’d use it to express actual approval…something about the sound of the phrase just strikes me as inherently snarky. > > “Good on you”, on the other hand, means that I approve of whatever you did and wish to commend you for it. It’s a bit of an akward phrasing, and is thus intended to carry more weight than if I’d just said “good” or “good job”. > > Examples: > > - _I drank a whole fifth of Jack last night!_ > > - Good for you. > > - _I gave up drinking last night; I’m getting on the wagon._ > > - Good on you. > > - _Bob just bought a $2,000 Rolex!_ > > - Good for Bob. > > - _Bob just donated $2,000 to a cancer research fund!_ > > - Good on Bob. Does it still sound snarky to you if they say it like this: Bob: John, guess what! I aced that exam I’ve been worrying about. I’ll be over a 3.5 this semester after all! John: Hey, good for you! (say it in your head with genuine affection) It sounds natural to me as a phrase of praise, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-good-on-you-replace-good-for-you/473590/22 "2008-11-20T19:45:28Z")
Yep, it’s Aussie. Another Aussie-ism I picked up when I spent a semester down there is “How you goin’?” Not “how’re you doin’?,” apparently that’s weird down under. It’s “How ya goin’?” ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-good-on-you-replace-good-for-you/473590/23 "2008-11-21T03:06:55Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Yep, it’s Aussie. Another Aussie-ism I picked up when I spent a semester down there is “How you goin’?” Not “how’re you doin’?,” apparently that’s weird down under. It’s “How ya goin’?” Yes! I hear that one from Aussies a lot, too. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-good-on-you-replace-good-for-you/473590/24 "2008-11-21T07:12:55Z")
I grew up with it (NZ/AU), so it doesn’t sound strange to me at all. Though Australians, who love to shorten things that are already short, have reduced it to just “Onya!” which I think sounds terminally stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-good-on-you-replace-good-for-you/473590/25 "2008-11-21T08:37:34Z")
I can’t go past this thread without a certain jingle running through my brain continually. [So now I’m going to infect all of you](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAroAL3lJaE) ---
**Author:** ![PsychoNoddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e36b37/32.png) [@PsychoNoddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PsychoNoddy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-good-on-you-replace-good-for-you/473590/26 "2008-11-21T08:41:39Z")
This mid-fifties Australian has probably used “good onya” all his life. There is another meaning to it though. If “good onya” is preceded by “o(h)” (perhaps better rendered as “aw” for Americans) the meaning becomes something like “only a dickhead would do that” or “what were you thinking?” ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-good-on-you-replace-good-for-you/473590/27 "2008-11-22T14:06:28Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Well, I sold a plaster head for $100. It’s a start! Good on you! 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-good-on-you-replace-good-for-you/473590.md?page=1)