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Are you not already being kind by saying thank you to begin with? I read the comments on this site What's the deal with thank you kindly?, and I guess that I am still pretty confused as to the meaning of this.

Obviously, if someone says "Thank you" in a very sarcastic manner then they aren't intending to be kind, but I mean in the general sense of showing gratitude to someone for something, is there a way to do this unkindly? If there isn't a way, then why would someone say, "Thank you kindly"?

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SUM GUY
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  • What's unclear about FF's ' "Thank you kindly" has the sense of "with goodwill and enthusiasm; very much", coupled with his 'Many might consider it dated or even archaic today'? – Edwin Ashworth Mar 09 '15 at 19:07
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    What about "Thanks, I guess."? – Ian MacDonald Mar 09 '15 at 19:09
  • You mean something other than the tone of voice? Or saying "Thank you" when the other party has just done something that was clearly not beneficial to you? – Hot Licks Mar 09 '15 at 19:09
  • (There is nothing special about "Thank you kindly" vs a simple "Thank you", or "Thank you very much". They are just variations to avoid monotony.) – Hot Licks Mar 09 '15 at 19:11
  • I guess avoiding monotony, to me, is the only real reason to say thank you kindly. Thank you for your reply, Hot Licks. Yes, something other than the tone of voice or being sarcastic...to show gratitude to someone by saying thanks in an unkind way. – SUM GUY Mar 09 '15 at 19:18
  • @SUMGUY Which of these questions are we supposed to answer? By your train of thought there is zero difference between "thanks," "thank you," and "thank you very much." From my perspective, taking the time to phrase a complete sentence with more than 2 syllables shows whoever you are thanking that you mean your thanks sincerely. – Lumberjack Mar 09 '15 at 19:44
  • @HotLicks I can't agree. I imagine a sneering teenager saying "Thanks" for something juxtaposed against anyone who is actually grateful for anything. It is like night and day. Nobody grateful ever said "Thanks" and left it at that, did they? – Lumberjack Mar 09 '15 at 19:49
  • @Lumberjack - Lots of people say "Thanks" and leave it at that, and mean is sincerely. It depends in part, of course, on the size of the favor and the degree of gratitude. And on the tone of voice. A broad smile and an enthusiastic "Thanks!" implies far more gratitude than a robotic "Thank you very much." – Hot Licks Mar 09 '15 at 20:03
  • "Thanks. You shouldn't have. Really." – Sven Yargs Mar 10 '15 at 02:52
  • "Thanks, sucker!". That's genuinely thanking you AND insulting you at the same time. I'd say that qualifies as "unkindly". – cas Jul 21 '16 at 09:20

2 Answers2

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"Thanks, but no thanks." or maybe "Thanks... not."

Emma Dash
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The best way to offensively/sarcastically say "thank you" would be to put it in context. Taking the wrong context is one way to insultingly thank somebody. Here are some examples:

  1. You are given a second helping of food even though you're obviously done eating: No thanks, I've already eaten. Your sarcasm emphasizes the obviousness of your satiety.

  2. A promoter is pushing a handbill into your face: No thanks, I'd just recycle it. If you wanted something stronger, change the context: No thanks, I've had enough fiber today, or with a positive spin, Thanks, I've always wanted one of these! (This last option may be the best, as a lot of these handbill promoters must keep working until they have distributed their whole stack of fliers.)

  3. A panhandler asks for change. (Nonsensically) saying no thanks here suggests that you're not paying attention and serves as a mild insult. If this gets a negative response, state that you thought the panhandler was selling something and that you don't have any money anyway.

  4. I suppose, if you're repeating somebody who just said thank you kindly, you could say something ridiculous, like thank you with sprinkles on top, or, in the right company and with the right grin, thank you unkindly! This would work best with a vigorous handshake, as if the action you're thankful for was life-changing.

  5. Underplay the importance with a distraction: Thanks, that was great, especially the part where you—did a Tesla just drive by? Man, I want one of those.

Adam Katz
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