A linguistic analysis of get over it: how a phrase can influence Pauline Hanson, Indigenous rights, and our beliefs about personal autonomy

Abstract

Get over it is an important phrase in modern English-speaking societies. This paper explores how the phrase implicitly promotes the value of personal autonomy in Anglo cultures such as Australia. First, the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM), a linguistic theory that proposes that the words of all languages can be analysed in more basic and translatable terms, is established to be an appropriate method of analysis for culturally specific phrases such as get over it. Then, it is shown that existing dictionary definitions are insufficient to conduct any cultural analysis of get over it. The prominent place of get over it in Anglo discourse, including Pauline Hanson’s commentary on ‘Australia Day’ and other dismissals of Australia’s Indigenous history, shows the expression’s centrality in Anglo-Australian culture. Based on this and other discourses, as well as existing dictionary definitions, an NSM definition can be established. Comparing get over it to French reveals its specificity to English, as no single French expression is perfectly equivalent to the English concept. As a cultural keyword, get over it reflects particular cultural values relating to personal autonomy; in particular, the assumption that people can control their lives and that there are ways to tell people to do things without compromising their autonomy. Get over it is a key expression in our culture, and it promotes the Anglo belief in personal autonomy, blinding English-speakers to alternative ways of thinking.