Thank you for calling -> Thank you?

[Benjamin Barrett]

I've noticed that two people, both about 70 years or age, always end phone calls with "thank you for calling" (when I call them), an expression that I don't think I ever use. (Yes, people do call me on occasion.)

At the same time, I've noticed that I sometimes end a call with "thank you" even if the other person is the main beneficiary of the phone call. This "thank you" seems odd, but now I wonder if it's a shortening of "thank you for calling."

Does "thank you for calling" have a history of being standard and then falling out of common use?

Benjamin Barrett
Formerly of Seattle, WA

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