Am I the only one who hears that phrase at the local Timmy's and cringes? I hope not! It's not just a Newfoundland thing, as I recall hearing it years ago in Manitoba while standing in line at yet another Timmy's.
Is there some sort of correlation there? It seems to me that I only heard it at Timmy's, ... unless that was the only place my student-self stood in line long enough to hear it.
It's grammatically unattractive. "Can I help who is next?" Yes, yes! You know and I know that they really mean "Can I help the next person?" But how hard is it to say that correctly?
What about "Hi, can I help you?" or "Next, please!"
Nowadays I hear it nearly everywhere I go. Standing in line at Chapter's, the teller beckons me with a "Can I help who's next." Starbucks. Mary Brown's. McDonald's. It goes on!!!
I want to go over and 1) Educate them, and 2) Smack them. Not necessarily in that order.
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