I’m declaring a personal crusade to stamp out the use of “No problem” in our society. The correct response… one more time is “You’re welcome,” or “It’s my pleasure.” In fact, it’s inappropriate, in most instances inaccurate and in some instances rude. No matter how you slice it, in American English, to use the phrase “No problem” as the correct response to “thank you” and most other situations is not accurate. In the U.S., Americans even use the slang “No problemo,” a bastardization of the more correct Spanish phrase, “No hay problema,” or “Ningún problema.” Is that where we get it? The more we hear and see the term used – even in movies - the more correct we think it is. In many other languages, the customary reply to “Thank you” is not always a literal translation of “You’re welcome.” In French, for instance, the reply is “De rien,” which means, “It was nothing.” In Spanish, a common response is “De nada,” which means, “It was nothing” as well. #Anyway you slice it we are thankful for you free(By the way, if you ever hear me saying “No problem” please feel free to call my attention to it, if I didn’t already do it first.) I recently heard it out the mouth of a 6-year-old boy, and worst of all I’ve caught myself saying it. It’s not just people in the service field who say it. What was the problem in the first place? What happened to the simple yet powerful phrases of “You’re welcome” and perhaps “My pleasure?” Front desk attendants say “No problem” after I thank them for giving me my room key. Waiters say “No problem” when giving me change from the bill I just paid. Cashiers say “No problem” after I thank them for the change I receive for my purchase. Woodhouse: “ A slight throbbing about the temples told me that this discussion had reached saturation point.” Not only do my temples throb, but my brain screeches every time I hear those two words. I knew I reached a boiling point when I saw this quote by the British author P.G. It’s become a so trite, clichéd, unoriginal, and commonplace. Another is common on signs in stores, saying “10 items or less” when it should read, “10 items or fewer.”īut my Number One worst pet peeve is how people constantly use “No problem” as the response to almost everything. Among them is the word “further” instead of “farther” when talking about distance. Saying “No Problem” is Not Proper Etiquetteĭo you have one or more words or phrases you can’t stand? I do.
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