Since we were all taught as children, the traditional response to “thank you” is “nothing”. This answer dates back to the early 20th century, but since then there have been plenty of comfortable, trendy alternatives—”nothing”, “forget it”, “don’t think about it” , “my joy,” “nothing,” “don’t worry,” among others—animated polite language. However, one is not always greeted with open arms and we don’t know exactly why. The often-maligned expression is “no problem.”
“No problem” is a slang term commonly used by millennials—and many Gen Xers—in exchanges where, traditionally, “nothing” is said: “Thank you for your help.” hold the door for me.” “Nothing.” To most people, “no problem” is innocuous and is immediately taken as a response to a polite thank you—like “nothing.” How can it be explained otherwise? For some, it’s because of its negative wording.
Parsing the expression, we have a concatenation of two negations: ARE NOT means “not any,” and problem implies a difficulty in accepting something. A inclined person might deduce that the answer “no problem” implies that a maybe had a problem or difficulty with the assignment but in the end it wasn’t, and for that reason they were happy to do the duty. However, in actual use, “no problem” almost never carries that connotation. Most of those who responded “no problem” after expressing gratitude intended to convey that they acted politely and without inconvenience, and really did not need to express their gratitude. thanks. Sure, the term “no problem” is negative in construction, but its intended meaning is not. Furthermore, this is not the first “negative” answer to mean that something was done out of politeness or kindness.
“Don’t mention it” dates back to the late 18th century.
Please don’t mention it, said the farmer, you are as welcome as I am. — Clara Reeve, Champion of Virtue1777
This phrase implies that saying “thank you” is unnecessary and that the person is happy to help. The next century welcomed the rather abstract expression “not at all”, which seems to have evolved in the same direction as “don’t mention it”.
“Get another glass of wine, and pardon me for mentioning that society as a body does not expect a conscientious person to be as strict about emptying his glass as it is about turning his glass upside down. me.” I did this, because I paid too much attention to his performance. I thank him, and apologize. He said, “Not at all,” and continued. – Charles Dickens, Great expectations1861
“Nothing” follows these negatively-constructed responses into a serious “thank you”—and for many, it’s not only welcomed with open arms, but forever. accepted as a perfect response to the expression of gratitude.
Welcome in the phrase may derive from the meaning of the word meaning “to be received with pleasure or pleasure, especially in response to a need” or to mean “willingly permit or acknowledge.” In either case, it positively suggests that you “welcome” whatever I give (or do for) you. Specifically, this expression is used in response to a thank you for an intentional and meaningful act of kindness or for a paid service performed; however, it is also habitually used to facilitate the process of social interaction. In other words, it could be a reflexively speaking dishonest phatic expression. Other polite terms, including “no problem,” are also commonly used in this way.
The fact is that “nothing” and “no problem” are not very different. They can be sincere answers or reflexive polite expressions. Understandably, for some, the novel “no problem” phrase, which dates back to the late 20th century, will take some getting used to. You can reject “no problem” if you want, but be aware that in a short time it has become ingrained in the language, younger generations have adopted it, and for many, it doesn’t seem to be a problem at all.
Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn
