"no problem",

In place of "You're welcome"? I can see that, but I'm certainly guilty of saying "No problem."

"Not a problem" is the one that really gets to me.

I say it all the time, but not in response to Thank you. I say it when someone asks me to do them a favor.

I only mean I don't like it (yet still say it) in response to "Thank you."

That's great news, msbelle and mac!

And if things quiet down this afternoon at work, I'll go read and post on Erin's blog to cheer it up.

I have a slowly gathering doomy feeling that I may end up an American Episcopalian before my life's end. All the juicy doctrine and tradition of my own church, plus full agency for women.

But, shitshitshit, I love my parish so very dearly, and no place else will ever be quite so deeply home (it doesn't hurt that the pastor pulled me aside once and said quietly, "You should know that I spend a lot of time angry at the Church too, probably for all the same reasons you do"). And I firmly believe that the bigger church is just WRONG, violating its own history, its own magisterium, with the current brutal hardline shutting-down and vile political meddling.

Hec and I had a talk about it once, and how it feels like contemplating abandoning a beloved friend who's gotten into a horrible abusive relationship with a manipulative bastard who's brainwashing her against all her old friends. If we all leave, she's got no lifeline out at all; but we can't stick around to the point where her fucked-up relationship is toxic to all of us too.

Bah. Don't need all these thinky thoughts right before Advent.

What's wrong with it as a response to "Thank you"?

Of course, it's just about our national motto, so I can't see it clearly, but still. When I say it, it's what I mean. Why shouldn't I say it?

Chris Weitz says:

this was made for the fans, and if you don’t get it, then you don’t get it.

IOW, it's not FOR you.

[link]

NYT readers dislike the phrase "no problem", and I immediately worry about my speech choices.

Me too, Dana. I say "no problem" but I guess I need to find something else. "You're welcome" I say too, but to me it implies I went out of my way for somebody and often as not I didn't, which is when I say "no problem." Oh well.

Plus I sign off emails and letters with "take care" but someone complained about that too, that it implied bad things are out in the world. I'm kinda WHATEV on that complaint. Dude, don't read your issues into my salutations. Still. I also don't want to be annoying when really I'm just trying to not have to be sincere all the time.

Me too, Dana. I say "no problem" but I guess I need to find something else.

How about "no problemo"?

"You're welcome" I say too, but to me it implies I went out of my way for somebody and often as not I didn't, which is when I say "no problem."

Actually, when you put it that way, it makes me want to reclaim it as being fine. When I show the security guy my ID, it's not like I'm doing anything. So he says thanks, I say no problem, that actually works.