On the Finer Points of "Fine"

The word fine is one of those lexical units whose meaning, or meaning potential, is frustratingly multiple. It spans the range from signifying satisfaction to reflecting dissatisfaction.  It is a little bit like, as I noted previously, "fuhgeddaboudit" in the fine film Donnie Brasco.  In an effort to clear up my own thinking about it, which stems in part from personal communication failure, I want to look at the finer points of what we mean by fine.

I should perhaps say that I mostly have in mind when we use the word fine in a solitary response (as in the single word, "Fine") rather than as in a modifying position to a noun (as in "it is a fine day").  I will, however, make special mention of the short response, "It is fine."

1) Fine:  (a) very well; splendidly; (b) of high quality; (c) beautiful; (d) good idea; tantamount to "I totally agree; I like it; let's do it."  This sense can occur during quotidian dialogue:  Someone asks, "How was the boat race?" and you respond, "Fine" with the sense, "It was very enjoyable."  This is a very positive adverbial usage.  It can also occur when, say, people share ideas, and when one responds with a positive inflection:  "Fine!"  This enthusiasm could take an exclamation point, but it may not always.  Admittedly, this is perhaps the least often used of the connotations that I outline here.  It is, however, a legitimate one with a long history.  When used in this way, "fine" might not be used in isolation.  It probably will be followed up with a short sentence of affirmation, as it was with the boat race example.  We might say, "Fine.  That is a fine idea," or, "Fine. That is a good idea."  Part of the reason for the extra clause is the speaker's sense that something more is needed to clarify the usage, understandable, to be sure, but also liable to misunderstanding.

2) Fine:  (a) all right, good but not great;  (b) sure, okay; tantamount to "we can do that" (positive to indifferent).  This is more common than #1 because it reflects more toned down affirmation, which can run the spectrum from solid agreement to indifference.  An example of this sense might be, "Would you like roast beef for dinner tonight?" "Fine."  The respondent might prefer roast beef to chicken (while preferring rack of lamb to both), or might like each equally and be amenable to the suggestion of one instead of the other.  But the idea is, "Sure; that sounds good; I'm open to that:  fine."

3) Fine:  (a) blah, blah, blah; or (b) so so; tantamount to "it doesn't matter, but I must say something to you to follow social norms; so here" (totally indifferent). The prime example here is conventional dialogue, the common inquiry that really isn't:  "How are you?" "Fine."  It is a non-answer, just filler.  It completes the formula greeting without giving anything away, without committing to any disclosure about how one really is doing or feeling, in part because the person asking typically does not really care.  (If one does care, then that will be more apparent through a repetition of the question -- "No; really, how are you?" -- or initially through context and voice inflection.)  The utterance of "fine" in response is level, calm, and distant.  It may be followed up with a reciprocal question ("Fine.  How are you?"), or it may just be left hanging.  If there is a follow-up interrogative, the question may honestly be understood as a form of direct address like "Hello."  What one says is not literally what one means.  This use of "fine" completes conventional speech when an utterance is required.

4) Fine:  all right, if you say so; tantamount to "haahw; oh, sure, whatever" (indifferent but disliking and annoyed).  This is the soft sense of capitulation, and we cross over into the negative side of the spectrum.  Often this use of "fine" will be preceded by a huffing under one's breath, or a roll of the eyes, or both.  Body language will shift into the sulking position.  The length over which one may enunciate "fine" may be extended: "Fiinne."

5) Fine:  okay while thinking WTF; tantamount to "I disagree; you've got to be crazy; and I'm disgusted with you, but I'm too tired to fight about it anymore."  This is the hard sense of capitulation.  The utterance of "fine" here expresses exasperation.  Its enunciation will be quick and sharp. The accent will be on the F sound: "Ffine!"  If not completely self-absorbed (which could be a reason the respondent formulates the "fine!" in the first place), the interlocutor will detect (finally) that something has gone relationally awry.  Here, "fine!" might terminate a conversation, or it may, despite intentions, open up one designed at reconciliation.

These are, I believe, the most common five uses of "fine" as a single-word expression.  If I had to rate them in terms of frequency, outside of the formula greeting or non-committal (#3), then I would say that #4 ("whatever") may predominate, but #2 (an upbeat to neutral "sure!") and #5 ("okay; let's move on") might be close seconds.

A fine example of #5 in my taxonomy.

I would, however, like to revive the more positive uses:  #1 (splendidly, very well, of high quality) and #2 (sure, okay, good).

I mean, fine: I am a bit old school.  I admit that I would love to be able once again to utter the first sentence of Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse and be understood:  "'Yes, of course, if it's fine tomorrow,' said Mrs. Ramsay" -- speaking of the weather.  That is a different usage, but still.  I am cautiously optimistic that I can succeed, at least within my very small circle of conversation partners.

As I walk this (dare I say it?) fine line, there is another use of "fine" the meaning of which is notoriously difficult to discern.  It is this expression: "It is fine," or, "It was fine."  This is particularly nettlesome to understand when confined exclusively to written communication.

For instance, if you apologize for something, and the response is, "It is fine," you are probably left wondering what this really means.  Denotatively, you know that the author has overlooked or excused the confessed wrong, but connotatively you may not really be sure in what sense, or to what extent.

• Is it #5 ("It is fine:  I disagree; you've got to be crazy; and I'm disgusted with you, but I'm too tired to fight about it anymore")?
• Is it #4 ("It is fine:  We are all right, but I'm still a bit annoyed and trying to get over it")?
• Is it #2 ("It is fine:  We're reconciled; don't give it another thought; we're friends again")?

Or, as a second example, suppose you ask a friend how some potentially tense situation played out between your friend and a third party.  Suppose further that you asked, say, "How did your lunch with your sister go," and you received in an e-mail response, "It was fine."  What would you think?  Would you immediately know what the expression meant in its fullness?  Perhaps the answer depends upon the characteristic speech patterns of your friend?  When he says this in other instances, what does he typically mean?

• Is he standoffish and distant (#3 -- "It was fine; I don't want to talk about it; conversation over")?
• Is he still wincing and pissed (#4 -- "It was fine; we reached a not entirely satisfying agreement; I wish it were otherwise, but whatever")?
• Is he angry and dismissive (#5 -- "It was fine; she's still a total, bloody jerk; I can't stand her; but I  also can't think about it anymore; I just want to fuhgeddaboudit")?
• Is he encouraged and upbeat (#2 -- "It was fine; we settled everything; it went so much better than I had expected; thanks for asking -- really")?  This sense could border on #1.

Even if you know a person well, even if you are familiar with that friend's speech patterns, sometimes you just do not know what "Fine" means.  You don't.  And that is not -- well -- fine and good.  It is unsettling.

What does one do in a real-life instance of this last example: the ambiguous written response about a third party?  There is no easy answer.  Of course, one could ask for clarification, as you likely would when apologizing.  But if the other person is still miffed after talking to his sister (#4 or #5), then that is not the wisest or easiest thing to do.  It may not be welcome.  And it could cause its own quarrel.

Maybe the best that we can do is to recognize the polyvalence of the lexical unit fine, and then to respect its full meaning potential.  Recognize and respect.  After all, if you just encountered #2, then everything is already fine.  Don't give it another thought.  If you just encountered #4 or #5, then showing some restraint by recognizing and respecting privacy will help you to avoid a quarrel and the need for reconciling with your friend.  And that is just fine, too -- in the #1, splendid, very well sense.