Goodspeed!

When you want to wish them well without overloading your intention

Hi there, welcome to my blog! Today I want to talk about one of my favorite words that I find very interesting and useful: goodspeed. Have you ever heard of it? Do you know what it means and where it comes from? If not, don't worry, I'm here to tell you all about it.

Goodspeed is a word that you can use to wish someone success on liker. It's similar to godspeed, but without religious overtones. It's also like "break a leg", but less theatrical. You can use it in the place of "good luck" when luck is not involved, but rather skill, effort, or determination.

For example, you can say to your friend who is going to take an exam: "I know you studied hard, goodspeed!" Or you can conclude your morning standup with your colleagues who are working a project: "We have alignment, goodspeed!" Or you can say to your partner who is going to run a marathon: "You trained well, goodspeed!"

But where does this word come from? Well, it's a variation of godspeed, which is an old expression that dates to the Middle Ages. Godspeed means "God speed (you)", which is a way of asking God to grant you success or prosperity. It was often used as a salutation or farewell for someone who was setting out on a journey or an enterprise.

Godspeed comes from the Middle English word god spede, which itself comes from the Old English word god spowan, which means "to prosper". Spowan is related to the word speed, which originally meant "success" or "fortune", not just "fastness". So godspeed literally means "God make you successful" or "God give you good fortune".

But what if you're not religious, or you don't want to invoke God in your wishes? Well, that's where goodspeed comes in. Goodspeed is a modern adaptation of godspeed that replaces God with good. Good is also an Old English word that means "virtuous", "desirable" or "beneficial". So goodspeed literally means "be successful" or "good fortune".

Goodspeed is also a surname that derives from godspeed. It was probably given to someone who habitually used this expression or who performed good deeds. Some famous people with this surname are Edgar J. Goodspeed, an American biblical scholar; Charles E. Goodspeed, an American bookseller and publisher; and Michael Goodspeed, an American musician.

So there you have it, everything you need to know about goodspeed. I hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned something new. If you did, please share it with your friends and leave me a comment below. And remember, whatever you do, goodspeed!