# How do you reply when someone says "Happy Birthday" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 30, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197 "2017-06-30T15:29:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CHealy7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@CHealy7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CHealy7)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/1 "2017-06-30T15:29:56Z")
“Thanks/Thank You”, doesn’t sound right to my ears, but I can’t really think of anything better. (There are worse possibilities of course; “Same to you” or “you too” probably being the worst I’ve heard). What’s the Dope on this? (If this is too frivolous for General Questions, feel free to move) ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/2 "2017-06-30T15:38:24Z")
If _you_ can’t think of anything better, and _everybody else_ can’t think of anything better, I think we have a winner here. But, in sympathy, for you and Moms everywhere, I always think the congratulations/pleasantry should be directed at one’s Mother. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/3 "2017-06-30T15:39:48Z")
“Thank you…but my birthday isn’t until September.” ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/4 "2017-06-30T15:45:13Z")
You’re thanking them (in not so many words) for their consideration in remembering an anniversary that’s pretty important to you. Works for me. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/5 "2017-06-30T16:16:55Z")
It’s against the rules here on the SDMB to post what I say … rhymes with `ewe` … my mother reminds me often enough about what she endured those 138 hours of hard labor … ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/6 "2017-06-30T16:29:25Z")
“Thank you” is always the correct response when someone wishes you well in any form. My significant other has trouble accepting these sorts of good wishes from others and feels like she needs to return the favor in some way. It’s not necessary. It’s a small pleasantry. Accept it nicely with a “Thank you” and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/7 "2017-06-30T16:52:24Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > It’s against the rules here on the SDMB to post what I say … rhymes with `ewe` … my mother reminds me often enough about what she endured those 138 hours of hard labor … ‘boo’ ? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/8 "2017-06-30T17:26:38Z")
“Same to you!”. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/9 "2017-06-30T17:38:11Z")
“Happy birthday.” “Thanks.” Or, to generalize as **OBob** did: “I wish you well.” “Thank you.” What’s wrong with that? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/10 "2017-06-30T17:45:56Z")
Snu-snu? Birthday snu-snu is de rigueur. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/11 "2017-06-30T17:53:18Z")
> [@CHealy7](#): > > “Thanks/Thank You”, doesn’t sound right to my ears, but I can’t really think of anything better. (There are worse possibilities of course; “Same to you” or “you too” probably being the worst I’ve heard). > > What’s the Dope on this? > > (If this is too frivolous for General Questions, feel free to move) This is really a question in your mind? “Thanks” truly doesn’t sound right to you? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/12 "2017-06-30T18:37:01Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > This is really a question in your mind? “Thanks” truly doesn’t sound right to you? Maybe he’s saying it wrong. Maybe it comes out “tfhfaunkkkkkkshshshs”. That wouldn’t sound right to me either. mmm ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/13 "2017-06-30T18:39:11Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > This is really a question in your mind? “Thanks” truly doesn’t sound right to you? I’m puzzled, as well. Of course, “thank you” (or some variant) is the usual response. Why the hell wouldn’t you say “thanks”? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/14 "2017-06-30T18:46:58Z")
> [@CHealy7](#): > > “Thanks/Thank You”, doesn’t sound right to my ears, but I can’t really think of anything better. (There are worse possibilities of course; “Same to you” or “you too” probably being the worst I’ve heard). I’ve had a classmate and two coworkers who’d been born on the exact same date as me (the coworkers, in the same job!). In that case, “and to you” is perfectly correct 😃 ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/15 "2017-06-30T18:53:04Z")
Thank you Or How nice you remembered! ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/16 "2017-06-30T19:48:08Z")
I do feel somewhat similar to OP when someone compliments how pretty my dog, or, _l’havdil_,\* my wife is. “Thank you” always seems like it shouldn’t be said by me. \*"_L’havdil_ is a Hebrew word meaning “to separate”: it’s very useful stylistically at points in some sentences like this, and would be a nicety to have in English: when a distasteful term in itself or by comparison by literal juxtaposition is linked with another and you want to be sure that in this case of making some other point _only_, you can throw that in, without having to recast the sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/17 "2017-06-30T21:28:34Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > I do feel somewhat similar to OP when someone compliments how pretty my dog, or, _l’havdil_,\* my wife is. “Thank you” always seems like it shouldn’t be said by me. > > \*"_L’havdil_ is a Hebrew word meaning “to separate”: it’s very useful stylistically at points in some sentences like this, and would be a nicety to have in English: when a distasteful term in itself or by comparison by literal juxtaposition is linked with another and you want to be sure that in this case of making some other point _only_, you can throw that in, without having to recast the sentence. In these circumstances, why wouldn’t you say “I think so too”? If it’s your wife, you can add “I’ll tell her you said so”. Especially if it’s your wife, it _is_ odd to respond with “thank you”. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/18 "2017-06-30T21:32:47Z")
How about an angry scowl and a shaking fist: “Don’t tell me what kind of birthday to have!” ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/19 "2017-06-30T21:36:28Z")
“What’s so happy about it?” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197/20 "2017-06-30T21:48:50Z")
> [@Ornery\_Bob](#): > > “Thank you” is always the correct response when someone wishes you well in any form. > > My significant other has trouble accepting these sorts of good wishes from others and feels like she needs to return the favor in some way. It’s not necessary. It’s a small pleasantry. Accept it nicely with a “Thank you” and move on. She could always say “Thank you, and thank you for remembering” so they feel great about their memory skillz. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reply-when-someone-says-happy-birthday/790197.md?page=2)