# Verbal tics of corporate cheeseballs: saying "thanks" in reponse to a question **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 29, 2010, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-tics-of-corporate-cheeseballs-saying-thanks-in-reponse-to-a-question/558745 "2010-10-29T08:01:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-tics-of-corporate-cheeseballs-saying-thanks-in-reponse-to-a-question/558745/1 "2010-10-29T08:01:53Z")
On two occasions, I’ve sat in meetings where a high-ranking corporate cheeseball was given a challenging question (about quarterly earnings or what not) and the first thing out of his mouth was a muted, almost sotto voce “thanks,” after which he went on to answer the question. Obviously a verbal tic substituted for “uh” (or “duh”). But two different occasions, with similar cheeseballs in similar settings – do they teach that at Wharton, or what? I can imagine said cheeseball coming home to his wife some time after midnight with a rumpled collar and liquor on his breath, and when she demands to know where he’s been, the first thing out of his mouth is a muttered “thanks” while he quickly thinks up a story about working late. No biggie, just thought it was weird. You ever encounter this?