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Author Topic: What happened to "You're welcome"?  (Read 10979 times)

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Offline Jonathon

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What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #50 on: August 24, 2009, 12:17:27 PM »
But as I've said before, it doesn't seem to me that you have a serious eye towards meaning.

And just to be clear: I'm not getting heated, and I don't think Porter is either. I think we're both just somewhat confused and maybe a little annoyed.
You underestimate my ability to take things seriously!

Offline The Genuine

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What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #51 on: August 24, 2009, 12:18:57 PM »
Well, that's because I'm annoying.
I think Jesse's right.

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Offline Jonathon

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What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #52 on: August 24, 2009, 12:21:13 PM »
But, like I already said, you seem surprised that some people have gotten annoyed. And like Porter said, you're trying to have it both ways. If you want a real discussion, don't be annoying.
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Offline rivka

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What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #53 on: August 24, 2009, 12:28:36 PM »
Quote
If you want a real discussion, don't be annoying.
QFT
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Offline Porter

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What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #54 on: August 24, 2009, 12:49:17 PM »
Sigged 'cuz it's an awesome quote, not as a continual jab at Jesse.  I promise.
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Offline pooka

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What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #55 on: August 24, 2009, 01:49:30 PM »
I don't think that "you're welcome" has to be smug or sarcastic, but it does imply a superiority or even equality of status that is questionable in an employee/customer relationship.  

I mean, maybe I've got that wrong.  Maybe I need to look at this as me helping someone because I do know how to do some things they don't, and it's not a status thing, but just a social specialization thing.  

But yeah, a guy just came to get his glasses and he said "thanks" and I said "OK".  
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his work."  Comte de Saint-Simon

Offline Tante Shvester

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What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #56 on: August 24, 2009, 02:11:07 PM »
I recently switched from "my pleasure" to "you're welcome" when I realized that it really wasn't my pleasure at all, most of the time.  I'm going to hold "my pleasure" in reserve for the times when I really am getting pleasure.

So far, "you're welcome" is working for me.  Who knows, it may just catch on all over again.
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Offline Annie Subjunctive

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What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #57 on: August 24, 2009, 03:03:48 PM »
Quote
but it does imply a superiority or even equality of status that is questionable in an employee/customer relationship.
I've never felt it had that implication at all. It's just a polite thing to acknowledge someone helping you - maybe even MORE appropriate from a businessperson to a client.  
"It is true, however, that the opposite of Little Rock, Arkansas is Boulder, Colorado." - Tante

Offline Jonathon

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What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #58 on: August 24, 2009, 04:12:55 PM »
Uh . . . isn't it a polite thing to acknowledge that you helped someone? I think that's why it possibly has a slightly condescending connotation. Acknowledging that you helped someone puts you in a one-up position, while saying "Thank you" levels any potential imbalance.
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Offline Annie Subjunctive

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What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #59 on: August 24, 2009, 05:31:35 PM »
That's what I meant, I just said it the wrong way. "You're welcome" doesn't mean "I did that for you because I'm nice like that," it means, "You are welcome to such services and fully deserving of them. It was no particular virtue on my part to provide them for you."
« Last Edit: August 24, 2009, 05:31:47 PM by Annie Subjunctive »
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Offline saxon75

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What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #60 on: August 25, 2009, 03:10:07 PM »
Quote
But, like I already said, you seem surprised that some people have gotten annoyed. And like Porter said, you're trying to have it both ways. If you want a real discussion, don't be annoying.
I'm sorry to keep harping on a subject that seems to have passed (as well as one that I have been talking about quite a lot lately), but this is kind of the crux of what I'm always telling you about the problems you report in your personal interactions.  You can disregard how other people will feel or react and behave exactly according to your desires, but then you have to deal with the fact that people will sometimes be bothered by your behavior.  Or you can modify your behavior in order not to bother people, in which case you have to deal with the fact that sometimes you don't get to behave in exactly the way you want to behave.  But you can't insist that you get to behave however you want and no one should ever be bothered by it.  Or rather, you can insist, but people won't comply.  Nobody owes it to you to not get bothered when you behave in ways that bother them.
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Offline sweet clementine

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What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #61 on: August 25, 2009, 09:44:20 PM »
Very well expressed

(though I maintain my complete non-involvement in this discussion)
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Offline pooka

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Re: What happened to "You're welcome"?
« Reply #62 on: December 24, 2023, 09:37:50 PM »
***Check posting dates***
I was looking for a thread about typography.
And I saw this thread and it made me wistful.
But also, it's now a hit song which briefly made a lot of people say "you're welcome" but also made it weird for people to say you're welcome.
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his work."  Comte de Saint-Simon