10 Phrases that mean nothing

Whatever Translation: "I don't care enough about whatever you are talking about to give you a proper answer."

Think outside the box So the idea is to come up with something creative and original. But this phrase is overused, someone needs to think outside the box to come up with a new one.

How are you? It means nothing if the other person doesn't listen to the answer. A colleague once asked how I was and I told him I had just crashed my car. To my surprise he just said "good" and walked away.

Hard cheese All the English phrases that come from food don't really mean much. When talking to a friend, "hard cheese" means bad luck.

Fine Take note of the tone here as this could mean the opposite.

I'm missing you already Said as you're leaving. What happens if I just turn around and sit back down?

Best practice A highly subjective term that depends on who is saying it, when, how, where and to whom.

It's free Buyer beware, because nothing is ever free.

Limited commercial interruptions If they were unlimited, then presumably there would be no show.

Nothing When you ask your partner if something is wrong and she says "nothing", you are supposed to know that she means something. Don't take this response at face value.

– As told to Hina Navin