A Canadian brought this to my attention recently.
Americans do not respond to “Thank You” with the common, and respectful, “You’re Welcome”. Mostly it has become “uh huh”, “ok”, or “no problem” or just some grunt or whatever.
This is just one reason why we are unpopular with citizens from other countries.
Think on That.
That’s also the most unproblem problem to ever exist. “Sure, no problem” is a perfectly acceptable answer and most of the time it’s a way of showing modesty. More like, if anyone has reason to give you a thank you they aren’t going to get pissy because you didn’t give a problem “you’re welcome”, they’ll be too focused on what you did to earn that thank you.
We’re unpopular with other countries because of how often we get involved in their affairs. I’m pretty sure that our speaking conventions are the least of their concerns.
Well said Glassycans.
I agree wholly with the original post. The half-hearted response seems connected to an erring ‘sense of other’ in our culture of self.
I’m not surprised it took a foreigner to notice that. Americans today are nothing but riff-raff, and you’re lucky if someone doesn’t knife you for even the slightest display of good manners. Regrettably, we as a nation have become accustomed to it.
In the America of my youth, when someone said, “Thank you,” even the most detestable miscreant would reply, “You honor me deeply with your words. The idea that I may have performed any act or spoken any words that would elicit your gratitude fills my soul with a jubilance that I had hardly imagined possible. It is my greatest desire that someday I may again receive the thanks of such a fine gentleman (or gentlewoman) such as yourself. May the angels smile upon you.” Of course, that was BEFORE OBAMA.
Cool story hoser
I think we should remind ourselves what “welcome” really means.
A long form example: “thank you for scanning and bagging my groceries and counting my money and being a courteous cashier.” “You’re welcome to my service and I hope you come again.”
When you say “you’re welcome” you’re effectively inviting the person to call upon you again. Perhaps we don’t want people feeling so entitled to our time and inviting themselves to request things of us. If I’m standing in someone’s way and they ask me to move, I do so, they say thanks. Why would I say welcome? I’ve moved once, if you request me to move again I am clearly not the problem, you are. You are not welcome to request me to move again. Period. Just as an example.
I was taught by my father, who was a hotel manager, that the only appropriate response to thank you, if it was a customer or other benefactor, was “Thank YOU.” Nobody in sales or customer service ever seems to get this one.
Good answer, Whiskey. Also, “No problem” needlessly leaves behind suggestions that what I thanked them for was that I may have caused them a problem. I wasn’t apologizing.
Saying “no problem” treats my “thank you” as an apology, which I find extremely grating.