It's the little things

When you learn a foreign language, there are always little nuances that no one tells you because it never occurs to them. For instance, today I needed to call my bank because I spotted some fraudulent charges on my debit card. The woman, whose English was quite fluent and slightly accented, took care of the whole thing very competently, but there was an interesting linguistic note.

She kept saying "Very well" when she meant "Very good", as in

"Is the address we have on file for you the one we should send the affidavit to?" "Yes." "Very well."

or

"Do you believe this could be family or friend fraud?" "No." "Very well."

Maybe it's just me, but the answer "very well" normally conveys either disbelief or disapproval coupled with compliance. Picture the butler rolling his eyes as his employer tells him to take the tramp to the master bedroom for a bath...

I do note that the dictionary* says "very well" is "used to signify agreement, approval, or understanding of instructions" and doesn't define "very good" at all.

* "well." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (6 Aug. 2008).