Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[kernelbogey]

Sneak preview.

[Stanfordian]

"Not at all" - Radio 4 plays often contain this phrase especially 'The Archers' who pepper conversation with it. Otherwise I rarely hear the phrase it at all.

[Bryn]

"Not at all" - Radio 4 plays often contain this phrase especially 'The Archers' who pepper conversation with it. Otherwise I rarely hear the phrase it at all.

A phrase I have encountered in many situations throughout my life. For me, it is on a par with "if you can spare it" as a response to the offer of a cup of tea, or somesuch.

[Stanfordian]

A phrase I have encountered in many situations throughout my life. For me, it is on a par with "if you can spare it" as a response to the offer of a cup of tea, or somesuch.

Apart from Radio 4 plays I truly can't remember the last time I heard it.

[Serial_Apologist]

A phrase I have encountered in many situations throughout my life. For me, it is on a par with "if you can spare it" as a response to the offer of a cup of tea, or somesuch.

Oh I've always thought of "Not at all" being a response to "thank you". I use it in preference to "You're welcome", which seems to be everywhere these days.

[Nick Armstrong]

Cali, I fear this will already have been picked up by anti-terrorism's word recognition web crawlers, who are even now trawling through your posts and emails....

The thought occurred even as I was typing it

[Richard Tarleton]

The thought occurred even as I was typing it

I have Antipodean cousins of a military persuasion who refer in emails to one or other sandpit when referring to their latest deployments you-know-where, though I daresay the censors have "sandpit" in their list of keywords

[vinteuil]

I have Antipodean cousins of a military persuasion who refer in emails to one or other sandpit when referring to their latest deployments you-know-where, though I daresay the censors have "sandpit" in their list of keywords

RT : your use of certain keywords here : "Antipodean", "cousins", "military", "persuasion", "sandpit", "deployments", "you-know-where", "censors", "keywords" will immediately mean you are of interest to GCHQ and on their radar / database.

You are probably still "safe" (dangerous word) with "I have", "of a " "who", "to one or other", "though", and "their". Tho' that last has a suspiciously 'other' connotation. Hmm, probably too late...


.

[Padraig]

Hmm, probably too late...

I don't know what that means.

Nor do I know who are the last three persons posting and have never known them, ever.

Signed: John

[Richard Tarleton]

RT : your use of certain keywords here : "Antipodean", "cousins", "military", "persuasion", "sandpit", "deployments", "you-know-where", "censors", "keywords" will immediately mean you are of interest to GCHQ and on their radar / database.

You are probably still "safe" (dangerous word) with "I have", "of a " "who", "to one or other", "though", and "their". Tho' that last has a suspiciously 'other' connotation. Hmm, probably too late...


.

I am expecting the chattering of helicoter blades, and people in combats and balaclavas abseiling down ropes at any minute. There, that's done it

[kernelbogey]

Oh I've always thought of "Not at all" being a response to "thank you". I use it in preference to "You're welcome", which seems to be everywhere these days.

Someone I knew would usually say 'You're more than welcome', with a kind of extra-sincere tone. Seemed daft to me.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Someone I knew would usually say 'You're more than welcome', with a kind of extra-sincere tone. Seemed daft to me.

S/he wasn't an Insurance Salesperson by any chance, kb?

[Pulcinella]

Someone I knew would usually say 'You're more than welcome', with a kind of extra-sincere tone. Seemed daft to me.

I fear that I've said that several times!
Maybe I'll switch to 'You're entirely welcome' or 'You're most welcome' instead.
Or even 'Don't mention it!'

[oddoneout]

I fear that I've said that several times!
Maybe I'll switch to 'You're entirely welcome' or 'You're most welcome' instead.
Or even 'Don't mention it!'

Does it need quantifying/qualifying - why not just 'You're welcome'? Following on from #4925, over-egging can lead to suspicions of insincerity.

[Pulcinella]

Does it need quantifying/qualifying - why not just 'You're welcome'? Following on from #4925, over-egging can lead to suspicions of insincerity.

You are of course right, and I should have added a !
Sometimes the degree of unctuousness in my response is prompted by the tone of what I'm responding to.


Was it Hughie Green who used to say something like: 'And I mean this most sincerely, folks.'?