... but I stopped. Now I'm a dad, and may blog again...

Monday, November 04, 2013

Thank you seems to be on its way out, as it dissolves into a mush of ta, and cheers, and nice one.  And with it inevitably goes you're welcome. How can you reply to nice one with you're welcome, it would sound bizarre. All this can be seen (heard) in living colour (sound) when alighting the bus at a busy stop or station, a queue of people stepping off, passing the driver and saying an array of thanks. Mostly thanks, with the odd ta, cheers or nice one. Sometimes the driver responds, sometimes not. When he does it's usually a nod, a yup, or a cheers. Even a thank you will not coax out a you're welcome in response.

I work in a shop where I am sometimes inclined to be helpful towards customers and when I am, especially with nice old ladies, I am often rewarded with a thank you. I always try to say you're welcome, but sometimes other responses slip out unbidden. There are two that spring to mind: 1) That's OK, or it's OK, which I don't like, because it's not a proper response and it is quite dismissive, sort of batting away the thank you before it can land. 2) Thank you, a thank you for the thank you. I imagine that this is a response American's would find baffling, the sort of behaviour they stereotypical assign to Canadians. Perhaps. Anyway, a thank you for the thank you is just weird. And wrong, like replying to how do you do? with good thanks, you? instead of the correct how do you do? Clear? Clear.

And on the bus, the one I mentioned before, remember, the bus, on that bus a boy in a hat gets on. He was a school boy, wearing one of those baseball caps they all wear nowadays, perched on his crown, separate and balancing. They have words and slogans on them, don't they, I'm sure you've seen them, out there in the wild. This hat said CAVIAR on it. Yep. The salty eggs, or roe, of a sturgeon. On a school boy's hat. In Hulme, Manchester. I don't know what's happening any more.

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