Originally Posted by
Reilly
Maybe this needs its own thread?
I really like the words "you're welcome". And what I've noticed is that *hardly anybody* uses the phrase any more. As in, nobody. Listen to any radio or TV interview, and the host thanks the guest for coming on and being interviewed, and the guest *almost never* says "you're welcome." The guest says "thank you" in return or "glad to be here" or some such. Or, if you ever find yourself on a multi-party conference call, the host will say 'thank you' at the end followed by a chorus of 'thank you's' -- I like to throw in my one "you're welcome."
It's started to really bug me how nobody says "you're welcome" anymore and I notice it all the time. It's like we're all now in a game of "thank you" one-upmanship -- "no, no, thank you".
I like saying "you're welcome" because it recognizes the other person's politeness, and leaves it at that. There's a certain graciousness to being able to accept another's compliment or another's politeness without feeling I owe some sort of expression of thanks in return. It lets the other person's sentiment be the controlling one, and simply answered, without introducing my own sentiment (that may call for acknowledgement). It lets the original expression breathe.