# What do you say to "I love you"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 21, 2005, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346 "2005-10-21T22:31:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![coop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@coop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coop)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/21 "2005-10-22T02:38:52Z")
“really… are you sure?” ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/22 "2005-10-22T02:40:17Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > “I know.” 😃 This is heard occasionally at my house, when we’re feeling especially geeky. Most of the time it’s “I love you, too” Sometimes it’s “Well, that’s good to know” ---
**Author:** ![Glassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Glassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glassy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/23 "2005-10-22T02:56:33Z")
Stop stifling me! God! You’re like Saran Wrap or something. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/24 "2005-10-22T03:01:26Z")
> [@Priceguy](#): > > I’ve never been told “I love you” without saying it myself first. Me neither. But at least it’s been said back to me. Otherwise, well, I’d be very very sad. ---
**Author:** ![dbygawdcapn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dbygawdcapn/32/3995_2.png) [@dbygawdcapn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dbygawdcapn)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/25 "2005-10-22T03:18:36Z")
From Christine Lavin’s collection of “I Love You” retorts: I love you…That’s nice, but you still have to pay me I love you…A lot of guys do I love you…And I don’t blame you I love you…Furthur evidence of your continuing good taste I love you…I love you too, but it’s not gonna happen I love you…Can you hold on a minute, there’s a call coming in on the other line ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/26 "2005-10-22T04:45:35Z")
> [@Lorenzo](#): > > I loved you first. I don’t know why, but I’m convinced this is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard! ---
**Author:** ![TwoOnSunday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@TwoOnSunday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoOnSunday)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/27 "2005-10-22T05:58:01Z")
You couldn’t possibly. We knew each other exactly one week and only saw each other twice in that time period before the declaration. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/28 "2005-10-22T06:03:41Z")
We always say “I love you back”–although sometimes I’ll say “yeah?” and he says “…yeah.” ---
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/29 "2005-10-22T06:30:23Z")
- Uhhhh… _huh_. - Okay. - Really? I hate me. ---
**Author:** ![party\_store](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@party\_store](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/party_store)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/30 "2005-10-22T06:33:32Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally Posted by FairyChatMom_ > I’m here to confess that one time I was caught off guard by the declaration, and I responded “Thank you.” [Lorelai Gilmore] That was very polite of you. [/Lorelai Gilmore] ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/31 "2005-10-22T09:44:37Z")
I got into a serious fight about this once. GF: I love you TP: Thanks" GF: Why didn’t you say “I love you” back? You really don’t love me, do you. Etc. etc. etc. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/32 "2005-10-22T11:28:28Z")
“I love you.” “_Why_?” ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/33 "2005-10-22T11:39:32Z")
> [@honeydewgrrl](#): > > We occassionally get into a tet-a-tet of > > “I love you” > “I love you more” > “nuh uh” > “uh huh” > > etc, etc > > I know…we’re disgusting. We do the same… isn’t it womantic?? :o ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/34 "2005-10-22T12:05:25Z")
“Just one more thing…” “Yes?” “…I love you…” “What did you–Hey, where are you going?” ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/35 "2005-10-22T12:37:03Z")
Sometimes, when mr. new says “I love you” I say “That’s one of the happiest things I know”, because it is. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/36 "2005-10-22T12:41:29Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I expect that the usual responses are “I love you, too” or “Huh? You talkin’ to me?” or “Yeah, yeah, that’ll be $50” :eek: 😃 > > I’m here to confess that one time I was caught off guard by the declaration, and I responded “Thank you.” I’m just an incurable romantic, I guess. > > Can you better that? Have you replied with something, um, unusual when told “I love you”?? When my uncle died, I called his partner of 25 years. I was all weepy (he was a wonderful man) and toward the end of the call, I told her I love her and she said “Thank you.” Stunned silence. It’s not wrong…it’s just not _right._ ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/37 "2005-10-22T13:50:41Z")
> [@Anastasaeon](#): > > “I love you.” > > “_Why_?” “You know… you’ve really got terrible taste in men…” ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/38 "2005-10-22T23:53:36Z")
“I love you.” “Aw…that’s sweet. What’s that behind you?” _flees in panic_ ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/39 "2005-10-23T03:41:21Z")
I’ve always said, “I love you, too.” Except for one time. The person who said it hadn’t even met me in person yet (warning! warning!–in my case only–no offense to anyone else this may have happened to), and I was completely stunned. I gasped and said, “I wish you hadn’t said that.” ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346/40 "2005-10-23T03:54:23Z")
> [@Elza B](#): > > He knows better than to try to talk to me when I’m half-asleep! 😃 Indeed, for that is not the time for talk, but for _action_. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-i-love-you/327346.md?page=3)