My native friend uses the word "whatever" (slang) quite often in the sense of "anyway" I think. I would like to use it too but I am worried about sounding like "I don't care what you say". So could you tell me where and how to use it "properly" to sound cool?
whatever...
Actually I would argue that 'whatever' is synonymous with "I don't care". However, there are certain circumstances when "I don't care" is used.
Here are some that I can think of:
Getting into an argument about something, and brushing the accident off with 'whatever'. Note: This may not be the best way to use 'whatever' to look cool, because it is somewhat rude and dismissive as @ColleenV mentioned (dismissive: feeling or showing that something is unworthy of consideration).
Person 1: Since you were late to pick me up, I missed my appointment!
Person 2: Sorry, but there was a lot of traffic.
Person 1: Whatever
(meaning I don't care to argue about this anymore)
Losing your train of thought — where you are talking about something but completely forget what point you are trying to make.
Person 1: I know there is something that I need to buy at the grocery store, but I can't remember, and I forgot to write it on my grocery list. Ah, whatever!
So … "whatever" first does not mean: "I don't care", although based on some people's reactions, such as a past boss of mine (who happened to be an American-born non-European heritage individual, fully Americanized and educated, but possibly 1st generation, and not yet spiritually liberated — maybe next gen :)), it is clear some people take it to mean that or something similar. One must be judicious in its use for this very reason.
OK, so the real usage is much more benign, and generally friendly way of saying: "I get what you are saying, but your current train of thought appears to be leading in a rather redundant and/or non-productive direction." This is the usage when it is intended to cut off the monologue another is addressing to you, in a friendly manner. It is not intended to end the discussion, but to say let's move on to more productive information.
It is also used to personally cut off your own speech, such as when giving a list of examples, for example: "You could do A, B, C, whatever". i.e. in this sense it is synonymous with "etc".
However, if you want to fast track your understanding of this and other American English modern expressions, the most reliable source is the movie "Clueless", starring Alicia Silverstone, as a California teenager attending an upper middle-class high school. She speaks an advanced form of what used to be called "Valley Girl" speech, which turned out to be so cool and appealing that virtually all of America slowly adopted it one little bit at a time, not too long ago.
