Wednesday, August 5, 2009

You're Welcome!

Last weekend, Husbandrinka and I visited friends in Pennsylvania, en famile. They (our friends, not our en famile) made a delicious barbecue, wined and dined us. I'm furious and don't see how I will ever forgive them.

Because when I was leaving, I thanked them for their hospitality, and the guy friend said "you're welcome".

You're Welcome?! What the fuck is that?

Doesn't everyone know that when you are thanked, the only acceptable response, with the exception of the preferred "no, thank YOU", is "it was entirely my pleasure"?

It's like some people have absolutely no manners and don't belong in society.

Husbandrinka doesn't seem to be as offended by this as I am, arguing that if they thank us for coming and we thank them for hosting, we'll be stuck in an endless loop of gratitude and life as we know it will cease to exist. And they say that women are hysterical.

So, I don't know. On the one hand, they're good friends and with my personality, I need all the friends I can get. But on the other hand, there is only so much abuse that I can put up with. And "you're welcome" is just hostile. One step short of dismemberment. And that's the last thing I need right now.

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35 Comments:

Blogger Sophie said...

FIRST!!1! (snigger evilly)

Weren't you offended that they didn't ask you not to go yet, when you were ready to go?

August 5, 2009 at 1:08 AM  
Blogger Evan4sh said...

You are one angry mother.

August 5, 2009 at 1:35 AM  
Blogger Nanny Goats In Panties said...

Good Lord, woman. Either you are a belligerent drunk, or they didn't "wine" you enough. Of course, you could always just shoot people on the spot when they piss you off like that. Works for me every time.

August 5, 2009 at 2:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If this were Facebook, I'd hit the "like" button. You are awesome.

August 5, 2009 at 2:27 AM  
Blogger Christy said...

I'm with you. When my guest says 'thanks for having us' then I automatically say 'my pleasure!' 'come again soon!' and then I go finish all the bottles of wine we opened. The end.

August 5, 2009 at 7:00 AM  
Anonymous Vicki said...

At least they didn't say Hi and/or Hello. That would have been a catastrophe right there. Also, I am glad you came to Pennsylvania. We really know how to treat New Yorkers right.

August 5, 2009 at 8:21 AM  
Blogger Carolyn...Online said...

And this is why Russians eat their young.

August 5, 2009 at 8:36 AM  
Blogger Keyona said...

Ugh, yeah that would but the hell out of me...

August 5, 2009 at 9:08 AM  
Blogger Teacher Mommy said...

At least they didn't say "Your welcome," because then not only would they have been incredibly rude, they would have been grammatically incorrect. And I think that's probably grounds for drawing and quartering.

You are incredibly brave and forgiving to have put up with as much as you have. I'm not sure I would have your strength!

August 5, 2009 at 10:05 AM  
Blogger kristine said...

i am totally with you - its like saying you're welcome to someone after sex. i mean, wasnt it intended to be for mutual enjoyment??

August 5, 2009 at 10:06 AM  
Anonymous TheWordWire said...

Seriously! How rude of him not to thank you for coming -- My friends always thank me for allowing them to host me. I say, "Oh, it's no problem. I really don't mind."

August 5, 2009 at 10:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am 64 years old. I might point out to you that for most of my life, the acceptable thing to say when someone thanks you is "you're welcome."

August 5, 2009 at 10:20 AM  
Blogger Brittany said...

Damn, I never THOUGHT of it this way! You're totally right!

Assholes.

August 5, 2009 at 10:31 AM  
Blogger jmt said...

I really think next time you should be sure to leave post-it notes in all their rooms with that phrase on it - "it was entirely my pleasure". Not only will it leave them wondering WHAT was your pleasure, but they'll also wonder why post-it notes. No need to thank me, Marinka, you're welcome.

August 5, 2009 at 10:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm with Nanny Goats in Panties... just shoot them.

August 5, 2009 at 10:52 AM  
Blogger Loukia said...

Oh my goodness!

Good point... and now I'm thinking back to my son's recent birthday party, wondering if I said 'you're welcome' to anyone who said 'thank you' to me... I hope not!
OMG... I really hope not!

NO, I think this is more or less what happened:

"Thanks for inviting us!"

Me: "Thank you for coming and for the lovely present!"

Yeah, that's better. I'm sure I did not say 'you're welcome'.

August 5, 2009 at 11:39 AM  
Anonymous Andrea's Sweet Life said...

How about "Any time"? That's my standard response.

Although, if they were to take me up on that and show up at 2 am on a Wednesday, I probably wouldn't answer the door, and may possibly turn the dogs loose on them.

August 5, 2009 at 12:16 PM  
Blogger Ann Imig said...

Those fucks.

If they say "gesundheit" THAT'S IT!

August 5, 2009 at 12:30 PM  
Blogger *Akilah Sakai* said...

They probably poisoned you.

August 5, 2009 at 12:39 PM  
Blogger Elenka said...

hey, wait a minute......You're welcome means,
YOU are WELCOME. What could be nicer than that! They are telling you that YOU are WELCOME to come there any time, day or night. Don't you see?

August 5, 2009 at 12:48 PM  
Blogger Maureen@IslandRoar said...

Hey, you just have to accept it. Some people have no manners. I say, invite them back, and show those rude bastards how it's supposed to be done!

August 5, 2009 at 1:05 PM  
Blogger Gabrielle said...

Whoa !
I need an explanation !
I'm not a native English speaker, so there are subtilities that I still don't get...

I think I understand what you mean, after having read your post and the comments, but I'm not sure.
Here's what I understood :
- "you're welcome" is said when people thank you for something YOU did for them
- When something was SHARED it's better to answer something like "thank YOU" back ?

If that's correct, then it will prevent me from being unintentionnally impolite next time I'm said "thank you" !

This comment may come out of the blue, but I've been reading here (and enjoying greatly) for some time now.

And this will surely end as an annoying comment since I'm gonna screw it all up by telling you : if "en famile" was a french expression, then it's "en famille".

Oh, and I almost forgot :
Happy anniversary !
(this one is too much, isn't it ?)

August 5, 2009 at 2:39 PM  
Blogger the mama bird diaries said...

thank you for this magnificent post. and when you're ready, you thank me for this fantastic comment.

August 5, 2009 at 2:48 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

You got "you're welcomed'd"

Ughhhh...

Around here we wipe our butts with "you're welcome"

Peace - Rene

August 5, 2009 at 4:31 PM  
Blogger tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Pop a cap in their asses. That is just unacceptable.

Man.

August 5, 2009 at 4:42 PM  
Blogger Miss Britt said...

What were they wanting you to do? Get down and grovel and kiss their asses for their hospitality?

REALLY.

How rude.

August 5, 2009 at 5:02 PM  
Blogger Jennifer said...

What a bunch of assholes! So glad my husband and I don't have any friends like that! Wait..we don't have any friends...Hmmm...

August 5, 2009 at 5:24 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

The "manners" in PA are so very different from those in NYC - it took me years after my transplant to get used to it.
I still get weird looks sometimes - and insist on believing that it's only because of geography-related social type stuff.

August 5, 2009 at 6:02 PM  
Blogger Fancy Schmancy said...

Some people have no clue about manners, or you might want to switch to decaf, or something. ;-)

August 5, 2009 at 6:48 PM  
Blogger Anna Whiston-Donaldson said...

At least they didn't say, "No problem." That bugs me.

After the comment pointers on Remedial Blog School I'm a little afraid to comment anymore. Thank you.

August 5, 2009 at 10:15 PM  
Blogger Frogs in my formula said...

Cut his balls off. Then say, "You're welcome." You'll feel better.

August 5, 2009 at 10:25 PM  
Blogger Elisa @ Globetrotting in Heels said...

gah - the gall! Doesn't he know it's a privilege to have you over? Doesn't he know he should be grateful you even showed up, considering you are a New Yorker? And they live even further away than Brooklyn? I mean, come on. "Thank you for coming all this way to visit" would have been more appropriate. Did he at least give you some cake to take home? Because I can forgive (and forget) almost anything if I get cake.

August 6, 2009 at 12:36 PM  
Blogger Kari said...

I'm so glad I decided to spend my lunch hour catching up on your blog. These laughs will literally get me through the rest of my day.

August 6, 2009 at 5:17 PM  
Blogger bernthis said...

I'm just grateful they are still talking to me by the time I leave

August 6, 2009 at 10:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Um, wow. Just wow.

August 8, 2009 at 8:18 PM  

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