Author Topic: "thank you kindly"  (Read 1026 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

recursivelyenumerable

  • you might think that; I couldn't possibly comment
  • Senior Member
"thank you kindly"
« on: September 06, 2014, 01:35:59 PM »
My understanding is that the implied subject of this and similar expressions is "I" in which case it strikes me as awfully presumptuous. You don't get to just assert that you're being kind. That is for me the thankee to assess.
QED

Momo

  • Nebuchadnezzar
  • Senior Member
Re: "thank you kindly"
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2014, 01:44:45 PM »
You presume the thanks is being offered as a gift you can decline and not, as in reality, a thing that is forced upon you regardless of your will. When "I" thank you kindly it is indeed for "my" benefit not yours.

Kara

  • It was all going to be very admirable and noble and it would show us - philosophically - what it means to be human.
  • Senior Member
Re: "thank you kindly"
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2014, 02:04:22 PM »
It's not presumptuous to say you're cordially thanking someone, which is what you're saying when you thank someone kindly.

nudemacusers

  • Senior Member
Re: "thank you kindly"
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2014, 03:03:33 PM »
just yesterday I was in line and the checkout lady said have a good afternoon to the person in front of me, but didn't say that to me as I left.



as a result, my afternoon sucked.  >:(
﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽

Joe Molotov

  • I'm much more humble than you would understand.
  • Administrator
Re: "thank you kindly"
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2014, 03:24:05 PM »
I wouldn't want them to think I was thanking them begrudgingly.
©@©™

Kara

  • It was all going to be very admirable and noble and it would show us - philosophically - what it means to be human.
  • Senior Member
Re: "thank you kindly"
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2014, 04:30:36 PM »
How about kindest regards or kindest thanks?

Superlatives are in formal communication (imo). Excluding rare circumstances we cannot know the highest degree of something--even our own feelings.

The "regards" in "kindest regards" already implies fondness for the recipient; the "kindest" is thus redundant. (I feel the same way about "best regards" but virtually no one will raise an eyebrow if you use that phrase. Descriptive grammar, it's so demonic friends.)

I know we can sarcastically or backhandedly thank others, but generally speaking one does not offer thanks in that manner, so describing them as being kind is unnecessary and awkward. Do you thank others in a mean-spirited manner on the reg?

(Thanking someone kindly is redundant too, but the question posed by the OP was whether or not it was presumptuous, not redundant.)

All this nonsense probably occurs because we shortened "Would you be so kind as to [action]?" to "Would you kindly [action]?"

Kara

  • It was all going to be very admirable and noble and it would show us - philosophically - what it means to be human.
  • Senior Member
Re: "thank you kindly"
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2014, 04:44:12 PM »
There's too much ambiguity for me (best what? wishes? regards? Pop-Tarts?) and best is a superlative, but you would be able to use it in formal business communication without an issue.

recursivelyenumerable

  • you might think that; I couldn't possibly comment
  • Senior Member
Re: "thank you kindly"
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2014, 05:26:37 PM »
I am kind of fond of "best wishes"  :-[
QED

Momo

  • Nebuchadnezzar
  • Senior Member
Re: "thank you kindly"
« Reply #8 on: September 06, 2014, 10:09:52 PM »
I've ended an email with "may you and your family enjoy the slaughter of a goat this day" once.

team filler

  • filler
  • filler
Re: "thank you kindly"
« Reply #9 on: September 06, 2014, 10:14:53 PM »
thx, breh!
*****