Thank you for having me (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Laurence Horn]

At 10:28 AM -0500 12/16/10, Dan Goncharoff wrote:
>Aren't you bothered by the lack of relevance of "you're welcome" to
>the notion of being thanked? If someone is thanking me for something I
>did, my first thought shouldn't be to tell that person, possibly
>falsely, that they I am happy for them to be in my immediate
>environment, should it?
>
>Like "no problem", it's just a convention, and one without direct meaning.
>
>DanG

Not entirely a convention, or at least not a simple one of responding
to "Thank you" by "You're welcome" (or "No problem").  Try responding
that way the next time someone thanks you for complimenting them
on...well, whatever:

A:  "You're looking lovely today"/"That was a brilliant
observation"/"Great shot"
B:  "Thanks"
A:  "You're welcome"

LH

>
>On Thu, Dec 16, 2010 at 9:58 AM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC
><Bill.Mullins at us.army.mil> wrote:
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
>>  Subject:      Re: Thank you for having me (UNCLASSIFIED)
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>  Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>>  Caveats: NONE
>>
>>  I was always taught that "you're welcome" is the gracious way to say
>>  "you're welcome".  But this is less bothersome to me than being told "no
>>  problem" when telling someone "thank you."
>>
>>
>>>
>>>  There is nothing "smarmy" about this phrase. It is a gracious way so
>>>  say "you're welcome."
>>>
>>>
>>>  >I'd like to nominate "Thank you for having me"
>>>  >for smarmy expression of the year.
>>>  >
>>>  >
>>  Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>>  Caveats: NONE
>>
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>
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