TGIF!!!
February 3, 2017
Morning All, Thank God It’s Friday! Today we are taking a break from the standard DDYK and we going to explore that little phrase. So I thought, wow this will be easy just do some copy and paste off the internet and we are done yeah! No so much. Lol Apparently there is, as with most things today, some controversy as to where this phrase originated, it’s usage, and it’s meaning. You can explore the wonderful world of the internet on your own time, but apparently “TGIF” did not originate with the TGI Friday’s restaurant chain, which opened in New York in 1965. The Encyclopedia of Slang is credited with the first use of “TGIF” in print way back in 1941. I found references to religion with the Jewish day of rest, there was an examination of the invention of the 5 day work week, there was even, believe it or not, a Supreme Court case brought forth by the United Workers of America to remove the phrase from the lexicon of American Sociology. A Supreme Court case, really? Some people have just way too much time on their hands! I am sure it has a different meanings to us all but for me it means I can do things at a slower pace and I don’t have to crawl out of bed at 4:00 A.M.
So here are a few bits of nonsense to get your day started.
You’re more likely to hear people use the abbreviated version of the saying – “TGIF.”
When saying the whole phrase, some may choose to either say “Thank Goodness It’s Friday” or “Thank God It’s Friday” – based on their personal preference.
A 1978 movie on disco culture was called, “Thank God It’s Friday.” The movie starred Donna Summer and Jeff Goldblum, and featured a Love & Kisses song with the same name.
In 1989, ABC aired a family-friendly primetime TV block called TGIF. While it was based on the phrase, “Thank God It’s Friday,” ABC TV stars are said to have referred to the block as “Thank Goodness It’s Funny.”
In 1996, R. Kelly released a song, “Thank God It’s Friday.” The abbreviated version of the phrase later made its way into another song in 1989 – Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night (TGIF).”
The use of the phrase TGIF in other languages
- In Canada, you’ll also hear the phrase “TGIF” happily shared on Fridays.
- You’ll likely hear “TGIF” across the pond in England, too.
- In the Netherlands, people do use “TGIF,” but they also say “Het is bijna weekend!” (“the weekend is almost there!”).
- In Latvian, you would say, “Paldies Dievam piektdiena ir klat!,” which directly translates to “Thank God It’s Friday!”
- In the Philippines, you are likely to hear them say “Salamat diyos ko biyerenes na,” which literally translates as “Thank you my god, it’s already Friday!”
- In Spain, people say “¡Feliz viernes!” (“Happy Friday!”) or “¡Buen fin de!” (“Happy weekend!”).
In Portuguese with the phrase, “Fim-de-Semana!” the phrase can be translated as “End of the week!”