# Whatever happened to You're Welcome? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 9, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229 "2011-05-09T03:05:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/41 "2011-05-10T16:19:01Z")
… Sorry; I accidentally posted a reply to this thread instead of starting a new one. Stupid, stupid, stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/42 "2011-05-10T16:48:18Z")
Depending on the situation, I commonly use the following: “You’re welcome” “No problem” “Any time” “No worries” “Of course” ---
**Author:** ![Meyer6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Meyer6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meyer6)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/43 "2011-05-10T18:57:27Z")
> [@campp](#): > > Saying “You’re Welcome” is considered being a jerk. > > WTF? I don’t think anyone else is a jerk for saying ‘you’re welcome’ - in fact it seems perfectly polite to me when I hear it. I just don’t like to say it personally, and I don’t like to be attacked for saying ‘no problem’ as though that’s terribly rude. There’s lots of things other people say that I probably wouldn’t say (eg. ‘no worries’), but that doesn’t mean I get all bent out of shape when I hear them. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/44 "2011-05-10T19:16:54Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > I usually use “no problem” but from what I‘ve heard some “get of my lawns” don’t like it. Saying “you’re welcome” seems too formal. You have got to be kidding me. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/45 "2011-05-10T19:18:07Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Glad to see I’m not the only one who thinks “you’re welcome” as a response to “thank you” sounds a little patronizing and unnecessary. I won’t miss it. Where are these people coming from??? ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/46 "2011-05-10T19:48:53Z")
Yet another issue about which I am an alien in comparison to the Dope. “You’re welcome” sounds like anything other than a polite response to “thank you?” In what universe? “Oh, no problem” is something I use informally, with friends, but in a more formal or unfamiliar situation, I can’t imagine “you’re welcome” sounding anything other than polite. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/47 "2011-05-10T20:39:37Z")
> [@Meyer6](#): > > When I worked retail I usually replied to customers thanks with ‘no problem’ rather than ‘you’re welcome’ - saying ‘you’re welcome’ implies that I had just done them a huge favour out of the goodness of my heart, when the reality was that I was being paid to serve them and we both knew it. This is completely reversed. “No problem” is what conveys the idea of a huge favor, and it carries with it the added baggage that it might conceivably be a “problem” for you to take my money. > [@Meyer6](#): > > To me it makes more sense to convey the message “it’s not a problem for me to help you since I’m here anyways and this is my job” It could not possibily be a “problem” for you to do your job right, so there is no reason to allude to the possibility you might be doing it wrong. > [@Meyer6](#): > > rather than “I’ve taken time out of my busy schedule to help you so you’d better thank me”. This is an utter corruption of anything that the word “welcome” can mean. “Welcome” is always a good word, except when used in a sense of childish sarcasm, which would not occur to anyone doing business with a paying customer. > [@Meyer6](#): > > Of course there were a few customers who objected to it - usually in the 50+ female demographic (which everyone who works retail seems to agree are the most likely to have some kind of unreasonable issue with you). For every customer who says anything about it you can be sure there are several who choose not to speak. That definitely includes me. > [@Meyer6](#): > > I distinctly remember one lady making a big scene when I said ‘no problem’ even though I’d been assisting her for about half an hour, patiently answering all her questions and so on. She went on and on very loudly about how rude young people today were and how I was clearly not brought up properly. You could and should have tried to defuse the situation smiling with all the sincerity you could muster, and saying “I’m sorry, M’am, and I promise you that you _are_ welcome, and I appreciate your business”, and… > [@Meyer6](#): > > Right lady, because yelling at a minimum wage employee …and how much money you were making doesn’t have a damn thing to do with it. I can tell how sorry you felt for yourself. Poor dude! Lif’e’s a bitch and then you get a 25-cent an hour raise, eh? Noooo problem! > [@Meyer6](#): > > in front of other customers and co-workers after I had been nothing but nice to her is soooo much less rude than daring to say ‘no problem’. Grrr, it still makes me angry thinking about it and that was probably 10 years ago! May I ask did you learn from the expereince and put your learning into practice? As in trying to remember to say "“You’re welcome” to the types of customer who you say you identified as the ones likely to object to “No problem”? Or were your little feeling so hurt that you stuck to your rights, by golly, and it was “No problem” and screw anyone who doesn’t like it. Frankly I hope you have grown up a lot in the last 10 years, but I see no evidence of it from your post. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/48 "2011-05-10T21:10:07Z")
> [@velvetjones](#): > > I never really thought about it as overly formal or even patronizing. Wow. I say you’re welcome all the time when I’m thanked. (probably 'cause I like to be different) I may need to rethink that. I agree, I always say “you’re welcome.” I just think it’s a standard response ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/49 "2011-05-10T21:29:46Z")
I say you’re welcome, no problem, and sure pretty interchangeably. The one that drives my mom crazy is how my brother and I say “That’s okay,” instead of “No thank you” when offered something we don’t want. Like: Older Relative: Do you want another slice of this? Me: Oh, that’s okay. I feel like my tone is implying polite refusal, but my mom thinks it’s ambiguous and dislikes it. I’ve made a conscious effort to start saying “No thank you” because of this, but I don’t see the big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/50 "2011-05-10T22:17:01Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > “No problem” is what conveys the idea of a huge favor, and it carries with it > the added baggage that it might conceivably be a “problem” for you to take > my money. LOL, no it doesn’t. The only people that think that are the aforementioned 50+ old ladies who will find fault with \*anything \*a cashier says. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/51 "2011-05-10T22:17:33Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > I say you’re welcome, no problem, and sure pretty interchangeably. > > The one that drives my mom crazy is how my brother and I say “That’s okay,” instead of “No thank you” when offered something we don’t want. Like: > > Older Relative: Do you want another slice of this? > Me: Oh, that’s okay. > > I feel like my tone is implying polite refusal, but my mom thinks it’s ambiguous and dislikes it. I’ve made a conscious effort to start saying “No thank you” because of this, but I don’t see the big deal. Mothers are occasionally right, and your mother is right this time: “Oh, that’s OK” IS ambiguous, and it is not as polite as “No thank you” Does it really hurt you and your brother all that much to use an expression containing the words “thank you”? ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/52 "2011-05-10T22:37:51Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > LOL, no it doesn’t. The only people that think that are the aforementioned 50+ old ladies who will find fault with \*anything \*a cashier says. Get real, and do yourself a favor and eliminate that Junior HS acronym LOL from your vocabulary. It makes everyone who uses it sound like a 1990 Valley Girl who has never let a serious thought enter her head. Did you catch the part where I pointed out that the word “problem” has a negative connotation whereas the the word “welcome” has positive connotaion? A “problem” is something that is wrong, and needs to be fixed, am I right? Something that is “welcome” is something that you would like more of, with no fixing at all, as in your customer’s business. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/53 "2011-05-10T22:40:24Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > What does one say in the way of ‘you’re welcome’ in the UK? Usually, nothing. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/54 "2011-05-10T22:48:29Z")
I absolutely \*\*\*hate \*\*\*the British “ta” short for “thank you.” It’s so cumbersome that you have to \*shorten \*it?!? And “you’re welcome” is the only polite & respectful response to “thank you.” Casually, “no problem” or “de nada” will do, but definitely NOT in a business environment. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/55 "2011-05-10T22:57:07Z")
Part of my job is answering the phones and transferring calls and answering questions (basically I’m a backup operator along with several other people–there is no designated “operator” person) and much to my dismay I find myself replying with “thanks!” when people thank me for something. Then I feel like an idiot. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fake_Tales_of_San_Francisco)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/56 "2011-05-10T23:48:25Z")
I like saying ‘cheers big ears’ in every context no matter how formal. LOL@contention between ‘you’re welcome’ and ‘no problem’. They’re both fine choices, it’s whatever floats your boat. To be quite frankly honest, it mostly depends on _how_ you say either, and what company you’re in. The connotative meaning of either is absolutely irrelevant, of course, because nobody actively makes a semiotic analysis of words when they’re using phrases in casual conversation. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/57 "2011-05-11T00:22:45Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > Get real, and do yourself a favor and eliminate that Junior HS acronym > LOL from your vocabulary. It makes everyone who uses it sound like a > 1990 Valley Girl who has never let a serious thought enter her head. > > Did you catch the part where I pointed out that the word “problem” > has a negative connotation whereas the the word “welcome” has positive > connotaion? A “problem” is something that is wrong, and needs to be > fixed, am I right? Something that is “welcome” is something that you > would like more of, with no fixing at all, as in your customer’s business. If your last posts are to be the example of good manners that we should all strive for, I believe I will stick with my opinion on the matter. You are wrong, You’re Welcome ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/58 "2011-05-11T03:23:02Z")
It’s situational with me. When I have given someone something, be it a gift, a drink, or a plate of food, a “thank you” will elicit a “you’re welcome,” or sometimes a “you’re _quite_ welcome.” In such an instance, I don’t feel awkward in accepting a “thank you” as well, my due, if you will. When I’ve responded successfully to someone’s request for assistance with something, it’s generally the case that I feel that to have refused the request would have been either unprofessional or churlish. In these cases, accepting a “thank you” as my due simply feels wrong to me. So I bust out with a hoity-toity way of saying, “It was nothing.” My response is “notatall.” When I’m thanked for paying a compliment, I play it by ear. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/59 "2011-05-11T11:19:39Z")
> [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](#): > > I like saying ‘cheers big ears’ in every context no matter how formal. > > LOL@contention between ‘you’re welcome’ and ‘no problem’. They’re both fine choices, it’s whatever floats your boat. To be quite frankly honest, it mostly depends on _how_ you say either, and what company you’re in. The connotative meaning of either is absolutely irrelevant, of course, because nobody actively makes a semiotic analysis of words when they’re using phrases… The connotative meaning is exactly the thing I object to in “no problem”. It is more than the connotation, however; it is the complete and utter incoherence of the response. It is clearly established in this thread that there are a lot of people besides me who object, and I think is is reasonable to assume most if not all of them do so for the same grounds as me. > [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](#): > > …in casual conversation. Casual conversation? _Casual?_ There is damn sure nothing “casual” about any conversation between business staff and their customers! ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229/60 "2011-05-11T11:25:57Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > If your last posts are to be the example of good manners that we should all strive for, I believe I will stick with my opinion on the matter. > > You are wrong, > > You’re Welcome In real life my manners are usually quite good. Internet chatrooms are an exception I allow myself, one reason being that it is too much of a problem for me to be polite to so many blockheads. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-youre-welcome/581229.md?page=4)