{"id":10464,"date":"2021-01-23T17:42:47","date_gmt":"2021-01-23T17:42:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=10464"},"modified":"2023-09-11T22:41:03","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T22:41:03","slug":"top-of-the-morning-to-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/top-of-the-morning-to-you\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Top of the morning to you!&#8221;: Meaning, Usage &#038; Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}<\/style><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who could ever forget the movie <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leap Year <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">back in 2010?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The endless greens <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/how-to-use-of-which-in-a-sentence\/\"><b>of<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the Irish meadows, the story behind Ballycarbery Castle, and the train wreck of mishaps that Anna Brady had to endure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most unforgettable scenes in the film was when a group of lads offered desperate Anna a lift and one greeting her saying, &ldquo;Top of the morning to you,&rdquo; only to drive away with her luggage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-after-so\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>So<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, what does this expression mean? Do Irish people use this in daily conversations? If so, how could we respond to it?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&rsquo;s try to explore this notorious phrase a couple of miles deeper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>What is meant by the expression &ldquo;Top of the morning to you?&rdquo;<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><strong>&ldquo;Originating in Ireland, the phrase &ldquo;Top of the morning to you&rdquo; goes beyond a typical &ldquo;Good Morning&rdquo;. It conveys a wish for the best of the morning. The customary reply is: &ldquo;And the rest of the day to you&rdquo;. Despite its association with Irish culture, it&rsquo;s rarely used in modern Ireland, indicating a potential stereotype.&rdquo;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>&ldquo;Top of the morning to you&rdquo; in more detail<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/guides.lib.wayne.edu\/c.php?g=174887&amp;p=1151898\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Irish culture <\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is generally known for its sensual accent, hard-to-pronounce names, love for &ldquo;craic&rdquo; or gossip, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-and\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>and<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> high alcohol consumption.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As regards the language, the elusive Irish accent never misses its top rank among the sexiest accent in the world, just like Italian and Spanish.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Irish language, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-also-the-definitive-guide\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>also<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> known as Gaelic, belongs to the Celtic language family, which is a sibling of the Brythonic or British language.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ldquo;Top of the morning to you&rdquo; used to be an ordinary salutation in the Northern and Southern parts of the country, as per Joyce Patrick Weston in her book <\/span><strong><i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/ebooks\/34251\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">English as We Speak it in Ireland<\/a>.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, Google Ngram viewer reports the expression&rsquo;s usage at its highest in the first three decades of the 19th century.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-however\/\"><b>However<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it started declining after 1830 and began to rise again from the early 1990s to date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At present, many online commentators who claim to be of Irish descent think that &ldquo;Top of the morning to you&rdquo; is mainly used by American tourists in Ireland <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-rather\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>rather<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than the locals <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-per-se\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>per se<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/that-that\/\"><b>that<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the greeting may be commonly heard during St. Patrick&rsquo;s day every March 17th as a celebratory salutation for the Irish culture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-thus\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>Thus<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, using the verbiage either colloquially or formally in a non-ironic manner may spur an unfavorable atmosphere <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-instead\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>instead<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of a healthy one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>&ldquo;<\/b><b>Top of the morning to you<\/b><b>&rdquo;<\/b><b>: Usage and Examples<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As mentioned, a possible scenario that may not lead to a perception of offensive behavior is by using the phrase during St. Patrick&rsquo;s day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A newscaster may use &ldquo;Top of the morning to you&rdquo; as an opening remark in a media program to start a report.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Newscaster:<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Top of the morning to you! We are live here in Dublin today. Today is St. Patrick&rsquo;s day and we are about to interview some locals about Irish practices and whatnots.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When used within the context, the expression could be interpreted as a non-offensive linguistic tool that only aims to inject some irony in speech.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another scenario that the expression has been conveniently used is in the video intros of Irish YouTuber Jacksepticeye.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jacksepticeye: Top of the morning to you, laddies! My name is Jacksepticye and welcome to the Tea Party simulator!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being Irish himself who&rsquo;s simply trying to infuse some ironic and jocular features in his video content, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-apparently\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>apparently<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the expression&rsquo;s usage less likely invites criticisms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10470\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New.jpg\" alt=\"Top of the morning to you: Meaning &amp; Usage\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" data-pin-description=\"Top of the morning to you: Meaning &amp; Usage EXPLAINED\" data-pin-title=\"Top of the morning to you: Meaning &amp; Usage\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-735x1103.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-223x335.jpg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-231x347.jpg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-347x520.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-427x640.jpg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-512x768.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New.jpg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10470 eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201000%201500'%3E%3Crect%20width='1000'%20height='1500'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Top of the morning to you: Meaning &amp; Usage\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" data-pin-description=\"Top of the morning to you: Meaning &amp; Usage EXPLAINED\" data-pin-title=\"Top of the morning to you: Meaning &amp; Usage\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-735x1103.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-223x335.jpg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-231x347.jpg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-347x520.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-427x640.jpg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Top-of-the-morning-to-you-New-512x768.jpg 512w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>How to respond to &ldquo;Top of the morning to you&rdquo;<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bumping into a random person making use of this phrase as an ordinary greeting these days would less likely happen <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-unless-rules-usage-examples\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>unless<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during St. Patrick&rsquo;s day, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-obviously\/\"><b>obviously<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> enough.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if in any case, this happens, a polite response would be a simple &ldquo;thank you&rdquo; or &ldquo;thanks.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or, a more traditional answer would be &ldquo;And the rest of the day to you,&rdquo; which means wishing for the goodwill or welfare back to the speaker.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jane: Top of the morning to you, Jane! I&rsquo;m going out to get some coffee. Would you like one?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Danny: And the rest of the day to you too, Danny! I haven&rsquo;t been able to get a cup of joe on my way here. So, yes, please grab me one. Thanks!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>&ldquo;Top of the morning to you&rdquo; as a stereotypical remark<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More often than not, many people of Irish descent might cringe at getting heavily associated with the greeting &ldquo;Top of the morning to you.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The only takeaway is that the expression&rsquo;s meaning is not essentially offensive, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/but-rather-in-a-sentence\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>but rather<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a standard Irish &ldquo;hello&rdquo; only.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This purported Irish expression may come across as slightly offensive, though, especially when done inappropriately.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means that it wouldn&rsquo;t advisable to deliberately greet an Irish coworker, client, or superior <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-with\/\"><b>with<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> this phrase if the relationship isn&rsquo;t that established yet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, it could be considered passable, in the least, in situations driven by socialization purposes, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/such-as-in-a-sentence\/\"><b>such as<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> discussing the Irish culture over coffee.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a nutshell, it is best to avoid using the expression toward a person of Irish descent indiscriminately, simply because he or she is linked with Ireland.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Frequently Asked Questions about &ldquo;Top of the morning to you&rdquo;<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Is &ldquo;Top of the morning to you&rdquo; considered offensive?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If done inappropriately and out of context, using it as a greeting may come across as borderline &ldquo;offensive.&rdquo; However, when it is ironically used as an emphatic salutation during St. Patrick&rsquo;s day or other socialization purposes, then it should not propel any misconception.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>What is a synonym for &ldquo;Top of the morning to you?&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another popular, archaic way to greet another person in Ireland is by saying &ldquo;A good morrow to you&rdquo; which could be responded with &ldquo;Morrow kindly&rdquo; in exchanging goodwill wishes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Can we use &ldquo;Top of the morning to you&rdquo; in emails?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In conventional emails without any propelling context, it is better to use other forms of greetings instead, so as not to unintentionally create an unfavorable impression. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if the email is context-driven, such as an invitation related to St. Patrick&rsquo;s day, the expression should be suitable and non-offensive <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" title=\"nonetheless\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/nonetheless-vs-nevertheless-difference\/\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">nonetheless<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interestingly, an innocent phraseology may come across wrongly to a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-usage-in-particular\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>particular<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> group of people depending on the context.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means that if you&rsquo;re a tourist in Ireland <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-who\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>who<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> would use the expression in greeting a hotel receptionist,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chances of getting a negative impression is high.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But if the phrase is going to be applied in events that deem to celebrate cultural identity, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-then\/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=grow.me&amp;utm_campaign=grow_search\"><b>then<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the connotation becomes more positive instead.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who could ever forget the movie Leap Year back in 2010? The endless greens of the Irish meadows, the story behind Ballycarbery Castle, and the train wreck of mishaps that Anna Brady had to endure. One of the most unforgettable scenes in the film was when a group of lads offered desperate Anna a lift &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10467,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,1117],"tags":[322],"class_list":["post-10464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-vocabulary","tag-top-of-the-morning-to-you"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10464"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10464\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25488,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10464\/revisions\/25488"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}