# "I appreciate you" - when did this start? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 19, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appreciate-you-when-did-this-start/416152 "2007-08-19T16:54:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appreciate-you-when-did-this-start/416152/41 "2007-08-20T21:20:23Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] Yeah, like bad touching. I wouldn’t say that to anyone with whom I have not at least made out. But speaking of inapproprite conversations, how often have you heard this one? “Hi!” “Pretty good.” Or a phrase that my HS choir teacher used to use. Instead of saying “Quiet down”, he would replace it with “I can’t hear!” But he was polite about it, so he always said “I can’t hear, please!” [/QUOTE] The hi/pretty good thing sounds very odd. If I overheard that, I would think it went like this:" high?" " Pretty good!" (this Maui wowie is terrific shit). Why would your choir teacher say “I can’t hear” when he means, “none of you can listen, you’re talking too much/too loudly”? My bugaboo is “I feel ya.” NO, you don’t, ace. Back off and go away. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appreciate-you-when-did-this-start/416152/42 "2007-08-20T22:07:09Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby] \My bugaboo is “I feel ya.” NO, you don’t, ace. Back off and go away. [/QUOTE] How about, “Wow, are you stealthy. I didn’t even notice.” And then walk away. ---
**Author:** ![Daffyd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daffyd/32/8923_2.png) [@Daffyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daffyd)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appreciate-you-when-did-this-start/416152/43 "2007-08-20T23:28:28Z")
I got over the “uh huh” thing when I realized people were repeating what they said to me… Them - “Thanks for shopping at Macy’s”. Me - “Uh huh” Them - “Thanks for shopping at Macy’s” Me - ??? After having a variant of the above conversation several times a day, I realized everyone thought must be hard of hearing and saying “huh?” I trained myself to say “Thanks” or “You’re welcome” pretty quickly after that. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appreciate-you-when-did-this-start/416152/44 "2007-08-21T16:02:25Z")
[QUOTE=jali] I’ve noticed the “I appreciate you” thing too - it really irks me. I’m in the south now, and if someone tells me to “have a blessed day” my recently learned response is, “well, bless your heart”. I’ve learned that this isn’t exactly complimentary. [/QUOTE] I learned “well, bless your (his/her/their) heart” years ago, and I’ve never used it in a genuinely well meaning way. It usually means, “well aren’t you stupid, but I suppose you meant well.” I’ll also say “bless his/her heart” when I hear kids screaming their bloody heads off and the parents aren’t doing anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appreciate-you-when-did-this-start/416152/45 "2007-08-21T22:37:50Z")
A standard one here is “Listen, thanks a mill!” ---
**Author:** ![Obsidian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@Obsidian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obsidian)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appreciate-you-when-did-this-start/416152/46 "2007-08-22T01:12:47Z")
A part of the “Uh huh” type responses to thanking may be born out of the excessive, employer-enforced thanking. I try not to do it, but it comes out sometimes when I’m being thanked for something that was not, in fact, a personal favor to the speaker or even slight inconvenience to myself. (Like at the grocery store. I got my food, you got your money. We’re square.) When it’s genuine, that “You’re Welcome” just comes out naturally, but when it’s fake/used a rote greeting, I tend to stumble (Or respond with “Have a nice day,” or something else more appropriate for the actual situation. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appreciate-you-when-did-this-start/416152/47 "2007-08-22T23:00:27Z")
geez, some people. What’s wrong with “much obliged”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appreciate-you-when-did-this-start/416152.md?page=2)