Expressions for a Party

One thing about me that’s not so good is that I often show up late to social things if there’s a party.

I’m often there 20 or 30 minutes late.

I know that’s not good.

But for some reason I just have a difficult time getting to social things on time.

And when that happens there are a few expressions that my friends might use with me to express either that they don’t understand why I’m so late or perhaps just to express some impatience some impatience or maybe a little bit of frustration at my lateness.

So what could we say here.

Well if it’s not frustration and I’m late then I just got there and you were worried about me and you maybe are thinking is he going to actually show up is he going to be here.

And then I do when I’m late.

OK so someone might say you made it you made it you made it.

And that’s a happy expression positive.

That’s to say you’re here you arrived doesn’t mean you’ve actually made something.

It means I recognize that you are here.

Hey you made it.

It’s very positive.

OK but but if it’s a little bit of frustration that I’m late then someone might say What took you so long.

What took you so long.

And this can be used in lots of different places lots of different cases lots of different situations where something happens later than it probably should have.

Maybe it’s a task.

For example I ask you to go and get the umbrella from the other room and it takes you five minutes.

You come back five minutes later and I say Hey what what what took so long.

What took you so long.

I’m expressing a little bit of impatience there or if I show up 30 minutes late to the party and the host is there waiting for me because I’m the one who brought the wine for example and everybody’s waiting for the wine.

Then the host might say What took you so long.

Now that’s a rhetorical question.

Remember the meaning of a rhetorical question.

It’s a question that doesn’t really need an answer.

I could I could say yes I’m sorry I’m late.

We got a little bit stuck in traffic.

That’s an excuse.

OK.

But this one doesn’t actually have to be answered.

We’re not actually asking why are you late.

It’s often just an expression of the feeling of frustration or impatience at my lateness and it can be used in many many many many many ways.

Another one that similar to this is where were you.

Where were you.

Where were you.

This one is very similar to what took you so long.

But there is a difference.

So what’s the difference between what took you so long and where were you.

Well if we say where were you.

We’re talking about being at a place stuck in traffic for example an explanation for not arriving somewhere on time.

This one is usually specifically for a rival being somewhere whereas this one What took you so long might be used for other things.

What took you so long.

Could be about a task.

You didn’t finish a task on time an assignment a paper homework so that sort of thing going to get something for example it could be about maybe response to a question maybe I take 30 seconds to respond to your question then I say something you could say Well what took you so long.

So what took you so long as more general and I would say much more useful in lots of other situations besides just this party situation whereas that where were you is more specifically related to a rival being there.

OK so that’s really the difference between them although in this case they’re used in the same way.