Grammar/punctuation question

In My Humble Opinion
1

This is a thread only a Grammar Geek could love. Lynne Truss, you out there?

There may be a GQ factual answer to this, but sometimes punctuation is more of an opinion than a fact, so I’m doing a poll.

A generous and patriotic local resident has donated the cost of erecting a flagpole with lights in our town park. Naturally, we will be attaching a plaque giving him credit. The title of the proposed plaque says – and these are just the words sans punctuation – “Thank you Harry”.

My question: how would you punctuate this, if at all?

Sorry I didn’t make the title more descriptive, but that might have prejudiced the replies.

2

“Thank you, Harry.” – That’s how it would with a sentence. For a plaque, the period could be left out, but the comma is needed.

3

I agree with RealityChuck. The comma is needed.

4

As I read it, it depends on the context.

“Thank you Harry” is the town thanking Harry for his donation.
“Thank you, Harry” is Harry thanking the town for accepting his donation, or the US for having a fine flag for to fly far above, or to whatever else his gratitude belongs. It’s the way the writer of a letter would end it, with the comma, and that’s the way I can’t help reading it.

But as I look at them side by side, the second form really does somewhat allow for the first meaning, too.

At least you’re not acknowledging that Harry’s proud erection will bear the flag for generations to come.

5

Whichever meaning is intended, the phrase needs a comma. My question is whether this is really the entire text to be included on the plaque. People may not know who “Harry” is or why he is being thanked (for the flagpole or for something else altogether). And, as mentioned above, there is the possibility of it being interpreted as Harry expressing thanks to someone, although it’s not clear to whom or for what reason.

6

Uh, strong disagreement here. I’d never read “Thank you, Harry” as Harry thanking the town. It just doesn’t make sense that way as a stand-alone phrase. If you wrote:

“Thank you,
Harry”

that’s Harry’s salutation at the end of a letter saying thanks.

But all on one line, no way it’s Harry thanking anyone else.

7

Yes, you need a comma and a period.

“Thank you” is a complete sentence. The subject (“I” or “we”) is implied, as in an imperative construction, but no less effective for that. “Thank you” should be punctuated like a sentence, with a period at the end.

The comma is necessary as well; “Harry” is a vocative-case inclusion, and should be set off with a comma to indicate that it’s addressing the specific audience (Harry) and not attempting to fulfill some other unspecified grammatical function. Thus:

Thank you, Harry.

8

I didn’t want to jump in here too soon and skew the results.

But I feel that the title on the plaque should read:

“Thank you, Harry”

The comma seems necessary to me, but I wouldn’t use a period in a title (think newspaper title, for example).

In any case, we are too late, and I’m afraid we will have to call out the punctuation police. The town already made the bronze plaque, and it says:

Thank you Harry

This flagpole, flag and lights
provided through the generosity of

Mr. Harry Kohls

9

Well, I agree that a comma would have been preferable, but the plaque, as is, looks fine, I think. <–To make up for the lack of commas in the plaque, I have inserted as many as possible into this sentence.