to think that its "Wish you were here?" and not...

[PyongyangKipperbang]

...."Wish you were here!"

Stupid discussion with my sister (neither of us can remember how we got onto it!) and we are both convinced that we are right!

I think it is you, the postcard writer, asking the recipient if they are jealous of your lovely holiday and wish that they were there too. My sister says that it is you saying that you wish the recipient was there on hols with you.

Who is right?!

[harderandharder2breathe]

Your sister is right

[amispartacus]

Do you wish you were here?
I wish you were here!!

Throws in:

Wishing you were somehow here again.... from Phantom.

I suppose it depends on who you were writing to - if the person you were were writing to was someone who you wished could be here with you, then an exclamation mark is suitable.

If the person is having a crap time / is in a crap place, then maybe the question mark...

It would be an interesting exercise in a primary school

[Eolian]

Assuming the OP is a narcissist from her misinterpretation of a postcard greeting is hilariously bonkers even by MN standards.

[Andrewofgg]

Weather is here, wish you were beautiful.

Andrew - behave!

[PyongyangKipperbang]

Wow, so from a discussion about whether a phrase has a question mark or an exclaimation mark has become me being a spiteful narcissist?!

Blimey, unclench dears, it was simply a "Is it this or that?" no indepth personality profiling required!

[ColourfulOrangex]

Your sister is right

[Notso]

Who wishes they were on holiday with their family? Not me I see enough of them at home, I'd leav the kids if someone would look after them.

[Notso]

Like you I've always thought Judith Chalmers was goading the public, Wish you were here well your not you plebs, enjoy your wet weekend in Rhyl

[Eolian]

Your sister is right. The reason the tv programme had it as a question mark was because it was showing holiday destinations that the viewer might or might not find appealing, so it was asking "Do you wish you were here, (or not)?

[MerryMarigold]

Well, your way is more honest, let's face it. But your sister's way is what the words actually mean.

[Isitjustmeorisiteveryoneelse]

dolly thanks for the first proper lol of the day!
I got all excited cos I thought this was a Pink Floyd thread.....

[QuinionsRainbow]

Your sister. Proper use of the subjunctive.

[dollydaydream114]

Your sister is correct - it's meant to express a wish that the person was on holiday with you.

It's not meant to be saying 'Don't you wish you could have a holiday like mine?' That would be quite obnoxious, actually.

[AnnieAnoniMouse]

Your sister of course!

It's wishing the person was with you, not being nasty. Well, for us nice people anyway, I guess it's up to you if you want to go around being spiteful. How bizarre. (Yes, I know you don't actually send postcards).

[MitzyLeFrouf]

'The fact that you even thought that the gloaty interpretation was correct actually makes me quite sad - is that really how far the narcissism and self promotion of the internet age has gone?'

Bit OTT. A bitchy 'wish you were here?' is what I can imagine Lucia writing on a postcard to Miss Mapp,

[UnexplainedOnHerCollar]

Oh I love the song "Wish you were here" (hate PF generally but a great song).

I never, ever considered the "Bet you wish you were here" type reading! It means "I wish you were here on holiday with me" IMO but then I always thought it sounded really fake too – in most cases you probably don't wish they were at all.

[ageingrunner]

Your sister is right!
It made me think of this though 'weather is here, wish you were lovely' to be used on a postcard to one's ex

[quencher]

I think it could be both.

You wish you were here, don't you ? Your sis asking for whether you wish to be on holiday with her or not.

Or

You wish you were here! Not asking but telling you about how you feel. Used like a phrase. I think sometimes shortened to "you wish!"

The sentence is determined by the contest of the postcard. I think?
I could be wrong.

[estateagentfromhell]

The fact that you even thought that the gloaty interpretation was correct actually makes me quite sad - is that really how far the narcissism and self promotion of the internet age has gone?

[deydododatdodontdeydo]

“Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it.”

The number of people who thought Hitler was right did not make him right.
However: you're wrong :)

[estateagentfromhell]

Your sister's correct - the show was called 'Wish you were here...?' because it was basically reviewing various destinations and hotels etc, i.e. to establish whether they were any good or not! (i.e. there was an element of questioning about it)

[Twistmeandturnme]

The telly programme was a review show with positive and negative reviews, hence the ? at the end.
The postcard phrase is definitely the positive ! not gloaty ?

[MitzyLeFrouf]

Your sister is definitely right.

It's an 'I'm having an amazing time and the only thing that could enhance it further would be your presence' type of thing not a 'Ha ha sucker, I'm having a great time bet you're soooo jealous'.

[d270r0]

Yas your sister is right. Its you saying you wish the other person was there with you.

[SukeyTakeItOffAgain]

Well that was pretty unanimous wasn't it Pyongyang :o