Reflections on
English: Salutations, the death of You’re
Welcome
2/4/17
Author:
Robleh Wais
I
have noticed while listening to radio broadcasts, that use of the polite phrase
you’re welcome in response to the
polite salutation, thank you, is
disappearing. What is even more
interesting is the phrase thank you
is replacing it as the preferred response!
What? Did I say that? Yes, it’s true at least from my radio listening
experience. That is, interlocutors are
now starting to thank each other when starting discussions and ending them on
the radio. This is particularly true of
radio interview programs that abound on public radio, like NPR. You want an example now don’t you. Okay, here is one almost verbatim I heard
recently.
Beginning:
Host:
X thank you for speaking to us this
morning.
Guest:
Thank you for having me.
Ending:
Host:
X thank you for talking to us about this
issue.
Guest:
Thank you too.
This
is no isolated example, for sure. Over
and over, and over again, I hear this kind of exchange. It makes me wonder why doesn’t anybody just
say you’re welcome anymore? I’ve heard just the two thank yous without any extended comment. Usually the respondent in this case lays
stress on the you. So, you’ll get
thank YOU. It is mystifying to me. I believe it has something to do with the
persons engaging in a conversation via a medium like radio trying to appear
polite. But, why do they have to fall all
over each with these thank yous? When I hear this kind of exchange I want to
say, then who the hell is welcome, then?
If this keeps up we’ll all become a lot of sycophantic, obsequious appreciation
seekers. This needs to stop. We need to go back to the thank you/you’re welcome salutary
paradigm. My fellow English speakers
there is no need to go around thanking anybody that rings you up for a
discourse.
An
offshoot of this development, I’ve heard, again on the radio is when a radio
program has a call-in program. Now get
this, the show is all about calling in with your questions, comments, etc. I have heard real jerks answer when they’re
chosen with thank you for taking my call. Here, servility has been raised to the level
of an art form. For somebody to thank a
radio show host for allowing them to be on the air, when the show’s purpose IS
to take calls, is nauseating. It implies
that of the thousands of calls that have waited on line to speak, the host said
oh, that guy in Jerkery,
Ohio, let’s take him. But, this is
not what the idiots saying this mean.
It’s just a salutary phrase they’ve learned to use. The only instance in which a thank you for taking my call would apply is if the host said something
like the following:
Okay,
listeners we have some 50,000-people waiting to get on, and we have less than a
half hour left, so if you get on this program you’re lucky, but please call
anyway.
In
this case yeah use that phrase.