Absolutely delighted or just very pleased?

I did a translation for a very high-powered company this week.

They seemed to happy enough apart from one bit where I used the phrase "very pleased" when they thought "absolutely delighted" was more appropriate.

Prone as I am to North of England understatement, I see from where they are coming, and if they knew me at all, they would understand why I used the terminology that I did.

I am rarely "absolutely delighted" about anything.

Situations where I would be absolutely delighted? Try the following:

1. Being offered a job in line with my experience and my expectations, and my potential (and, yes, people of my age still have potential!).

2. Being offered a salary which will ensure that I can live adequately without ever getting into debt for the rest of my existence.

3. All the money that I am owed being paid so that I have no further problems like the ones that I currently have (another attempt to get €1,300 that I am due fell on deaf ears yesterday afternoon - that money is crucial for a couple of reasons).

4. An end to poverty worldwide, an end to debt, unemployment, underemployment and overpopulation worldwide.

Chance of getting any of the above 4? Quite .... then the chances of me being "absolutely delighted" about anything are extremely remote.

Being "very pleased"? That might be a different matter, but the bar is a bit lower and the expectations not so high. The list is too long to quote, but if you go back and read the whole of this blog, the subject matter is not difficult to locate.