Thank You. You're Welcome.
Title
Thank You. You're Welcome.
Creator
Jacob Schlitt
Description
"When I was a small child, my mother taught me to say 'please' and 'thank you'."
Date
2014-07-27
Format
application/pdf
Type
text
Language
en
Identifier
THANK_YOU
Text
THANK YOU. YOU’RE WELCOME.
When I was a small child, my mother taught me to say “please” and “thank you.” It was supposed to be the sign of a polite and respectful child. And I was a polite and respectful child. I respected my elders. I always gave up my seat to an older person on subways, buses and trolleys (I never rode the Hudson Tubes.) I always held the door open for people. And at a dinner table with a group, I would not sit until everyone was seated, and I would not eat until everyone was served. When a server asked what I would like, I would always say, “Please may I have…” And when served, I would always say, “thank you.” And now for the big one: When someone thanked me, I always said “you’re welcome.”
It occurred to me that only occasionally has anyone replied, “You’re welcome,” when I said “thank you.” It seems to be taken for granted. Sometimes, instead of “you’re welcome,” I get a nod. But what we mostly get, I will get to in a minute.
Though Yiddish was my first language, and I knew lots of ways to say, “thank you” (a dank, a sheynem dank, a groisn dank, a hartzikn dank), I did not know how to say, “you’re welcome” in Yiddish. It was comparatively recently that I learned, “Nit tah far vos.” It is very much like French, where one responds to merci with Il n’ya pas de quoi. (sometimes “pas de quoi.” ) Or Spanish, where the response to “muchas gracias” is “de nada,” or “no problemo” ( no problema?)
Several people (including my wife) have commented that they are offended when salespeople (or as they are now called, “sales associates”) reply “no problem” when they are thanked. Don’t they know how to say, “you’re welcome?” It does not bother me, but I tried to figure out why so many salespeople (or associates) reply “no problem.” I do not think it is because they are translating from Yiddish, French, or Spanish.
Having written the above, I did what I am doing more and more: checking Google, and finding out that many other people have explored this problem (or problema.) I learned that Russians say “nichevo,” Italians say “de niente,” Germans say, “kein problem.” And Australians say, “no worries.” I also learned that some people believe that “no problem” should be used for a small act, and “you’re welcome” for something big, like a gift. Also, “no problem” means it was no problem for ME, while you’re welcome emphasizes YOU. “You are welcome to my thoughtfulness.”
Moving from individual interactions and commercial exchanges, to the airwaves, I have been intrigued by the countless “thank you’s” said by radio and TV moderators, newscasters, and interviewers, to their guests. My favorite is Scott Simon’s “Thank you for being with us.” There are a dozen variations used by moderators after questioning their guests. And what do these individuals respond? Mostly, “Thank you for having me” or “Thank you for inviting me.” Occasionally, “Thank YOU!” or “My pleasure.” Seldom, “You’re welcome.”
When I heard Barney Frank once reply, you’re welcome, it came as a delightful surprise, and I wanted to shout, “Yes! Way to go!” Barney is saying, in effect: “You asked for my views; I gave them to you. You are welcome.” Not obsequious, or falsely modest. “Don’t expect me to thank you for having me on your program. I don’t need the exposure any more. I have provided you with information and analysis, which I assume is what you wanted. You came to the right person. When I am finished and you say thank you, I say you’re welcome.”
What with today’s 24 hour news cycle, there are countless news and opinion programs on radio and TV all the time. Each program’s producers line up guests, and I can imagine them, waiting somewhere off camera (or off microphone), anticipating the interview. From time to time, the interviewer runs out of time, and says to the interviewee that is all the time we have, and the interviewee is cut off with no thank you. That is not polite.
My final observation: Frequently, when a big story breaks, a spokesperson for the Administration (or the opposition to the Administration) requests the opportunity to appear on as many talk shows as possible, to put forward their point of view. That is when they should say, Thank YOU! after having their say, and even before the moderator says thank you. Perhaps that is when the moderator should then reply, no problem.
7-27-14
When I was a small child, my mother taught me to say “please” and “thank you.” It was supposed to be the sign of a polite and respectful child. And I was a polite and respectful child. I respected my elders. I always gave up my seat to an older person on subways, buses and trolleys (I never rode the Hudson Tubes.) I always held the door open for people. And at a dinner table with a group, I would not sit until everyone was seated, and I would not eat until everyone was served. When a server asked what I would like, I would always say, “Please may I have…” And when served, I would always say, “thank you.” And now for the big one: When someone thanked me, I always said “you’re welcome.”
It occurred to me that only occasionally has anyone replied, “You’re welcome,” when I said “thank you.” It seems to be taken for granted. Sometimes, instead of “you’re welcome,” I get a nod. But what we mostly get, I will get to in a minute.
Though Yiddish was my first language, and I knew lots of ways to say, “thank you” (a dank, a sheynem dank, a groisn dank, a hartzikn dank), I did not know how to say, “you’re welcome” in Yiddish. It was comparatively recently that I learned, “Nit tah far vos.” It is very much like French, where one responds to merci with Il n’ya pas de quoi. (sometimes “pas de quoi.” ) Or Spanish, where the response to “muchas gracias” is “de nada,” or “no problemo” ( no problema?)
Several people (including my wife) have commented that they are offended when salespeople (or as they are now called, “sales associates”) reply “no problem” when they are thanked. Don’t they know how to say, “you’re welcome?” It does not bother me, but I tried to figure out why so many salespeople (or associates) reply “no problem.” I do not think it is because they are translating from Yiddish, French, or Spanish.
Having written the above, I did what I am doing more and more: checking Google, and finding out that many other people have explored this problem (or problema.) I learned that Russians say “nichevo,” Italians say “de niente,” Germans say, “kein problem.” And Australians say, “no worries.” I also learned that some people believe that “no problem” should be used for a small act, and “you’re welcome” for something big, like a gift. Also, “no problem” means it was no problem for ME, while you’re welcome emphasizes YOU. “You are welcome to my thoughtfulness.”
Moving from individual interactions and commercial exchanges, to the airwaves, I have been intrigued by the countless “thank you’s” said by radio and TV moderators, newscasters, and interviewers, to their guests. My favorite is Scott Simon’s “Thank you for being with us.” There are a dozen variations used by moderators after questioning their guests. And what do these individuals respond? Mostly, “Thank you for having me” or “Thank you for inviting me.” Occasionally, “Thank YOU!” or “My pleasure.” Seldom, “You’re welcome.”
When I heard Barney Frank once reply, you’re welcome, it came as a delightful surprise, and I wanted to shout, “Yes! Way to go!” Barney is saying, in effect: “You asked for my views; I gave them to you. You are welcome.” Not obsequious, or falsely modest. “Don’t expect me to thank you for having me on your program. I don’t need the exposure any more. I have provided you with information and analysis, which I assume is what you wanted. You came to the right person. When I am finished and you say thank you, I say you’re welcome.”
What with today’s 24 hour news cycle, there are countless news and opinion programs on radio and TV all the time. Each program’s producers line up guests, and I can imagine them, waiting somewhere off camera (or off microphone), anticipating the interview. From time to time, the interviewer runs out of time, and says to the interviewee that is all the time we have, and the interviewee is cut off with no thank you. That is not polite.
My final observation: Frequently, when a big story breaks, a spokesperson for the Administration (or the opposition to the Administration) requests the opportunity to appear on as many talk shows as possible, to put forward their point of view. That is when they should say, Thank YOU! after having their say, and even before the moderator says thank you. Perhaps that is when the moderator should then reply, no problem.
7-27-14
Original Format
application/msword
Collection
Citation
Jacob Schlitt, “Thank You. You're Welcome.,” Autobiographical stories & other writing by Jacob Schlitt, accessed April 24, 2024, https://tsirlson.omeka.net/items/show/290.