Savoring fine whines

August 13th, 2008 at 07:00am Barry Wood

Everyone seems to want to weigh in on former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm’s comments about how Americans are a bunch of whiners, so I guess it’s my turn.

The verb “whine” is from an Old English word for “whistle through the air.” Whining traditionally is associated with a specific type of sound, “a peevish, high-pitched, somewhat nasal sound,” uttered “as in complaint, distress or fear.” Young children whine. So do some engines and electronic devices.

The definition Gramm was using is “to complain or beg in a childishly undignified way, as with a whine.” Now there’s a loaded word, which I imagine is why he chose it.

What most people are doing is not whining but complaining: expressing discomfort or dissatisfaction, finding fault or making accusations. The freedom of speech includes the freedom to complain. Yes, it can get tiresome, but the people who complain the most about other people’s complaining are usually the ones whose lives are the most trouble-free.

Retailers recognize that part of customer service is dealing with unhappy people. That’s why they have complaint departments. Sometimes people who have spent a long time in government forget that they are supposed to be serving the people, too.

So, whine on, America. Not everyone thinks all is well.

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