Thank you?

Even after more than twenty years living in Spain, I still get told that I say 'thank you' when I shouldn't and that I say it too often.

Maybe then what appeared last week in several UK newspapers is yet another sign of me losing touch with what's happening in the country where I was born.

Apparently, according to the reports in the newspapers, the average person will say thank you nearly 5,000 times a year.

But not if they are in a bad mood!

1 in 10 people who took part in the survey, carried out by the Food Network UK among 2,000 people, said that being angry made them refuse to say thank you.

And 1 in 20 stated that they did not consider the use of the words 'thank you' necessary in everyday conversation.

Nowadays, people seem to be saying thanks in other ways - texting or emailing their gratitude or via social networks.

But is it the case that people no longer appreciate things other people do for them?

Or is it the case that people are using other terms to express their gratitude?  'Cheers!', 'ta', 'Cool!', 'Fab' are all being used instead of thank you.


And could the fact that 'merci' and 'gracias' were mentioned as preferred choices for some of the people interviewed be a sign that Britons are developing their proficiency in foreign languages?  I hope so!

Well - thanks - I mean fab, cheers, cool, ta - for reading to the end of this!