•August 4, 2021•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

Theresa Pawlicki tells me she is 78 years old and has a daughter who is a stickler about proper English, so she lives in mild fear of saying the wrong thing.
But that’s not why Theresa wrote to me.
“I have to tell you the one phrase I hear so much today that is extremely irritating is ‘No problem!’ I assume it’s meant to take the place of ‘Thank you,’” she wrote. “When I hear it, it brings chills to me and it is insulting. It’s easier to say ‘Thank you’ as it’s only two syllables where ‘No problem’ is three.”
Theresa, my dad was once like you: His blood would simmer when someone would say “No problem” when “You’re welcome” would have been the more appropriate response.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.