Thank you for calling -> Thank you?

[Jonathan Lighter]

I do say, "Thanks [not 'Thank you'] for calling" when somebody calls
unexpectedly with interesting news. (I doubt that I'd say it if news
weren't involved.)

But I have no reason to believe it was ever a "standard" way of signing
off.  My grandparents, for example, would say "G'bye," and I ordinarily
just say "Bye," "OK, I'll talk to you soon," or something like that.

JL



On Fri, May 16, 2014 at 1:19 PM, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> Subject:      Thank you for calling -> Thank you?
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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
>
> Learn Ainu! https://sites.google.com/site/aynuitak1/videos
>
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