From time to time I become fascinated again with the various ways we express appreciation for favors we have received, and especially about how we acknowledge and respond to expressions of appreciation. Quite often these days I am hearing people, perhaps especially younger people, respond to a "thank you" by saying, "No Problem!"
For the past few days one of my favorite cartoons in the Arkansas Democrat/Gazette, the cartoon called "Dustin," has taken up Dustin's Dad's objections to the "No Problem" way of acknowledging a "Thank you." While I will acknowledge that I have found the "No Problem" response to be puzzling, and have reflected at length on what meaning it may intend, I have never considered challenging anyone who uses the expression, nor have I been moved to raise negative issues about it. Apparently in the cartoon, Dustin's Dad looks for a particular response to his "Thank you." He wants to hear "You're Welcome," or "You're most welcome, Sir!" He is not satisfied by any other response, and so he lets the young man at the counter know of his negative view of the expression. The store manager notices the discussion, comes to mediate the tension, and the young man ends up calling Dustin's Dad a tub of lard -- which of course isn't very nice in any language or context. I'll be watching for the further developments in the "Dustin" cartoon.
I have noticed that my own generation basically moved away from our parents' common expression of appreciation and thanks. Especially my dad, when thanking someone for a favor, would use the expression "I'm much obliged to you." Or, the expression might be shortened to simply "Much Obliged!" The sense of "Much Obliged" was that since you have done a great favor for me, I feel I owe you a favor in return. In other words, I am obligated to you because you have gone out of your way to help me. The common response to "much obliged" was to say something like, "Oh, I was glad to do it, you don't owe me at all!" As expressive as "Much obliged" was, I never picked up on using that expression, and I don't remember any of my generation as using it. My generation tended to simply say "Thank you" or "I appreciated your help" or "Thanks" or "Thank you very much!" (That last one was from Elvis!) We did pick up on the common practice of responding to a "Thank you" by assuring the person who said "Thank you" that we were glad to do the favor or service, and that we are not looking for any kind of return favor. For our generation, the most common response to a "Thank you" was the one that Dustin's Dad was apparently looking for -- a "You're Welcome" or "You are very welcome, Sir!"
Some time ago, I noticed that one of the waitresses in a restaurant where we were eating, when thanked, would respond with a "My pleasure" or "It was my pleasure." That response surprised me, because it was different from what I was accustomed to, but it seemed very fitting as a way of responding to a "Thank you." It seemed to say, I want to be helpful, and I am pleased that you let me know I have been helpful. That response, like a "You're welcome" or a "Thank you for saying so," assures that the favor was not grudgingly done, the service was not reluctantly given, and that good will is shared by all concerned.
I have come to think that people who respond to a "Thank you" with a "No Problem" are intending to convey a meaning quite like that of those who say "You're welcome." But, "No problem" does have shortcomings, or so it seems to me. Saying "No problem" does convey that doing the favor for you was not a burden to me, and that I didn't mind doing you a favor. However, saying that it was not a problem is not so positive or affirmative as saying, "I was glad to do it" or "I'm glad you appreciated the service I offered." To say that something was not a problem even seems to hint that there could easily have been a problem. Most customers coming into a store or restaurant certainly don't intend to be a problem, and they would be distressed at any suggestion that they might be a problem. Using the word "problem," rather than keeping a sense of mutual appreciation, seems to hint that rendering the service or doing the favor was something the doer was just OK with doing. That's a bit short of saying "I'm glad to be helpful." Saying, "You were not a problem to me today" is not so positive as saying, "I'm glad you were my customer today!" or "It was a pleasure serving you today!" or "We appreciate your business!"
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Editor's note: Jerry Nichols, a native of Pea Ridge, is a retired Methodist minister and on the board of the Pea Ridge Historical Society. The views expressed are the author's. He can be contacted by email at [email protected], or call 621-1621.
Editorial on 07/25/2018