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From: jlg@lanl.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Don't mention it
Message-ID: <17428@lanl.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 5-Dec-84 15:29:14 EST
Article-I.D.: lanl.17428
Posted: Wed Dec  5 15:29:14 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Dec-84 05:39:01 EST
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Sender: newsreader@lanl.ARPA
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lines: 11

> When Alan Turing was in the U.S. in the late thirties he wrote home
> complaining of Americans' speech habits.  Among the things that annoyed
> him was the reply "you're welcome" to "thank you."
> What was he used to hearing instead?

He was probably used to some variation on 'it was nothing' or 'don't 
mention it' (I don't remember the appropriate response in german). 
I recall a discussion about 'you're welcome' in a german class though.
It appears that it sounds egotistical or pompous to non-americans.  I
always thought 'it was nothing' sounded a bit pompous, but it's all 
a matter of upbringing I guess.