"Thanks" vs "Thank you" and "You are welcome" vs "No problem"
#31

In a day and age when some people would just as leave knock you down as say, "Excuse me"or "I'm sorry", I'll happily take, "Thanks" and "No problem" and not question their upbringing or culture. When I was growing up this was not only taught at home but was reinforced in school.....sigh!
#32
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: sonoma county CA
Posts: 134

Interesting reading through the responses... "thank you" and " thanks" are both acknowledged as formal or less formal, with "thank you" coming in first.
"You are welcome" is almost never used unless you add a word, i.e. "you are very welcome". "You're welcome" wins out over both alternatives. I suspect that most of us use the contraction rather than the long form without thinking about it. It probably bodes well for "no problem". Language is a living thing.
"You are welcome" is almost never used unless you add a word, i.e. "you are very welcome". "You're welcome" wins out over both alternatives. I suspect that most of us use the contraction rather than the long form without thinking about it. It probably bodes well for "no problem". Language is a living thing.
#33
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 673
#36

I enjoy hearing " my pleasure" when I can see sincerity behind the words. But I have had servers in restaurants that make it their every response. Gets tiring and does not usually come across as sincere. Just MHO.
#38
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Quilting, crocheting, sewing and crafting in my Sewing Room...Peaceful and wonderful !!
Posts: 5,317

I say thank you and I also say excuse me as I was taught, as well as Please and thank you, I'm sorry. But then to my inlaws .. LOL now that is a different story (especially after I found out our immediate family is gossip fodder!LOL). My inlaws just get a thanks and I move on... LOL
#39
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Texas, USA
Posts: 5,896

I like the "I was happy to do it" response in place of "No problem" - IF I was happy (or at least not grumpy) to do it.
I still balk at saying "I was happy to do it" when I was NOT happy to do it and did not want to; or "No problem" when doing whatever was a major effort or expensive or took a lot of time.
If someone not so dear asked me for a serious/major favor, I'd just say, "Sorry but I can't help you." I certainly wouldn't do the favor and then say they were welcomed to it, afterwards.
I see no reason to downplay effort, time, or expense when someone not so dear has asked for a serious/major favor.
I still balk at saying "I was happy to do it" when I was NOT happy to do it and did not want to; or "No problem" when doing whatever was a major effort or expensive or took a lot of time.
If someone not so dear asked me for a serious/major favor, I'd just say, "Sorry but I can't help you." I certainly wouldn't do the favor and then say they were welcomed to it, afterwards.
I see no reason to downplay effort, time, or expense when someone not so dear has asked for a serious/major favor.
#40
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Texas, USA
Posts: 5,896

If anyone has a problem with my 'no problem' response after a doing a him/her favor, that person will have an even bigger problem because it'll probably be the very last favor I do for him/her. 
Seriously though, as long as the person speaks from the heart, the words shouldn't matter so much. Why get your britches all bunched, over another person's lack of formality? Are we all so perfect in our speech habits, as to be truly qualified to correct anyone with speech less 'refined' than our own? Even if we are, is it worth hurting the other person's feelings, just for our own inflated egos?

Seriously though, as long as the person speaks from the heart, the words shouldn't matter so much. Why get your britches all bunched, over another person's lack of formality? Are we all so perfect in our speech habits, as to be truly qualified to correct anyone with speech less 'refined' than our own? Even if we are, is it worth hurting the other person's feelings, just for our own inflated egos?
Last edited by Neesie; 08-24-2015 at 06:11 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
CarolinePaj
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
59
09-07-2011 04:46 PM