US: "appreciate it". You don't, right?

[Peter Harris]

When i was over in Houston, a frequent response to anything was "appreciate it". We were also asked "how yall doing today?" several times an hour. Heard people say "so good to see you!".

How much of this is false? I mean, whilst it's good to say it, i can't help but think more than 50% of the time, the speaker didn't appreciate anything, nor did those people actually care how we were doing that day.

What's better for a society - being asked and no-one caring, or being asked infrequently but it actually mattering?

Just wondering as it seems like quite a US/Non-US divide to be asked so much and feeling it meant so little.

[kyleb]

Yeah, you sound like a typical European.

[Peter Harris]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, you sound like a typical European.

[/ QUOTE ]

i could speak french in a derisive fashion if it helps [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Yeah, i was just wondering. There's only so many times i can here "preciate it" in a declining intonation before i thought "no you don't"...

[FlyWf]

Welcome to Costco, I love you

[Shadowrun]

better for all of humanity if we all put a facade that we are perfect,caring people at all hours of the day.

[Peter Harris]

[ QUOTE ]
Welcome to Costco, I love you

[/ QUOTE ]

that was crazy too. Asda here is now owned by Walmart and they have welcomers here too and people look at them like they are from Mars. Like i'm going to buy more since someone said hello to me on the way in...

[Peter Harris]

[ QUOTE ]
better for all of humanity if we all put a facade that we are perfect,caring people at all hours of the day.

[/ QUOTE ]

and eventually no-one will feel anything genuine, right?

EDIT: i guess the english equivalent is our massive overuse of "Please" and "Thankyou" - you'll here it about 4/5 times in an average transaction. So it's not entirely an American issue, i do concede [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[mason55]

Can you give some examples in how this was used?

[GovmentCheese]

this has been addressed by the onion:

http://www.theonion.com/content/vide..._of_all_praise

[Peter Harris]

[ QUOTE ]
Can you give some examples in how this was used?

[/ QUOTE ]

we were at a restaurant, and rather than the waiter lean across the table (and a candle) to reach a bread plate, I passed it over to him, he said "preciate it".

another time, I gave exact change in a store to save getting coins back, and copped it again.

Walking around the shops in downtown (esp. Macy's) we couldn't pass any staff member in store without getting hello'd/how are you'd, yet they barely broke pace, stopped or looked genuinely interested.

It's the combination of an unfamiliar intonation coupled with the body language that made me think that no-one really meant it. It could be an unknown cultural thing (i.e. a downward intonation doesn't necessarily imply a negative connotation, it's what's said that matters), possibly.