Story: “At my restaurant job, our boss is one of the craziest guys I’ve ever met. He’s always ranting about random stuff, leaving notes around the restaurant, and sending texts with zero context. But one day, he left a note basically screaming at us saying that we needed to get in line and work better. However, the one thing he wrote in all caps at the top of the note was: IT’S NOT MAY, ITS SUMMER! Now, the funny part of all this was, it was May. This was years ago, but this is something my coworkers and employees still talk about. Anytime someone is “slacking” or not doing a “good job,” we always crack a joke and say “It’s not May, it’s summer!”
Analysis: It’s very cool and interesting to see how different jobs and different workplaces have their own niche sayings. Typically, all workplaces have their own words and phrases recognizable to their stuff, but this one — “It’s not May, it’s summer” is definitely unique. It’s humorous, it has a great backstory, and its shared amongst the coworkers at this restaurant. Another really cool thing about this “phrase” that they share, is how not only is it used in a humorous way, but it also carries meaning in a serious way–being used to get other employees back on track and doing a better job. It’s super versatile, and it gets its message across. It’s obvious that this message carried a lot of meaning with this informant, and honestly, how important this phrase is to the community that works at this restaurant. Even now, they say the boss is in on the joke!