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Okay, I understand that these two phrases, “That's a good question†and “That's a great question†seem to be related, in that they appear to create a hierarchy of by which questions are graded, perhaps according to height and popularity.
But actually each one has a specific meaning completely unrelated to the judging of the question.
I'm not aware of the origin of the phrases, but I do understand how each one is used. Each question refers to the actions of an absent third party. When someone remarks that a question is either good or great, they're commenting on the actions of someone or something, such as the government, who isn't present.
“That's a good question†pegs a question as having no definitive or obvious answer, while “That's a great question†is a penetrating comment that exposes the hypocrisy or ignorance of the absent third party.
For example, if a bank robber shows up in a ski mask and with gun on a Saturday afternoon at the bank, to ask, “Why didn't he get to the bank when it was open?†– that's a good question. But if the bank robber won the lottery the day before, “Why did he rob the bank after he won the lottery?†– that's a great question.
If someone tries to buy auto insurance after a car accident, to ask, “Why didn't he get insurance before the accident?†– that's a good question. But to ask “What made that guy think he could get coverage for an accident that already happened?†– that's a great question.
“That's a good question†refers to somewhat obvious things, while “That's a great question†implies an epiphany or great insight.
Actually, that question has a good answer, so it's neither good or great. I simply understand how each phrase is used, so as far as I know, I'm the authority. It's understandable that both phrases may be used in an imprecise manner -- that is, to judge the relative worth of a question. That doesn't prohibit the more definitive meaning of each phrase as I've explained. If both phrases are simply value judgments of questions, then why isn't there a more complete scale? “That's a bad questionâ€, “That's a terrible questionâ€, “That's a middling question.†I hear no phrases like that; further, when I hear “That's a great question†or “That's a good questionâ€, I also hear and understand the underlying meaning as I explained above. While sometimes saying, “I heard that†merely means the speaker's ears are functioning properly, most of the time it means something like, “I agree wholeheartedly with what you said.†It's the same with “good question†and “great question.â€
Yes, exactly. I didn't think of it until you mentioned it, but you're right. One could even argue your interpretation is a subset of my definition, that is, a question which has no definitive or obvious answer, and therefore requires further investigation. My overall point is that saying "good question" or "great question" is so much more than just grading the quality of the question. Now I wonder if there is a name for these kinds of phrases, where the meaning of the phrase is substantially deeper than the literal meaning of the words. I suppose they could be called idioms, but that seems insufficient to me and brings up things that aren't mentioned here.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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