Me To You
CHEERS EARS
'Cheers' has replaced 'thank you' as the most popular way to show verbal appreciation, it emerged yesterday (Mon).
Research revealed the traditional response to a good deed by another has fallen by the wayside and been replaced by cooler, more trendy phrases.
Almost half of those polled said they now use 'cheers' more often than 'Thank You'.
Four out of ten believe saying 'thank you' sounds too formal - so instead use more catchy, chatty words like 'fab', 'lovely' or 'wicked'.
Other phrases used to replace the two little words of gratitude include 'ta', 'cool' and 'great'.
A third said they would often just resort to a quick wave instead of saying 'thank you'.
Caroline Weaver from Me to You, which conducted the poll of 3,000 people, said: ''While the Great British public might feel uncomfortable saying thank you these days, they do like to show their gratitude in other ways.
''Respondents felt it didn't matter how you thanked someone for their kind actions, as long as you did so in a friendly and polite way.
''At the end of the day everyone knows that a big smile and some form of acknowledgement is all it takes to show we are grateful.''
The study found 'Lovely', 'Nice one' and 'Much appreciated' are also used regularly.
And apparently 'You star' and 'Alright' are also offered up instead of 'thank you'.
A large percentage admitted using a string of foreign phrases such as 'Merci', 'Danke' and 'Gracias'.
It also emerged half of us are more comfortable using phrases such as 'cheers' and 'ta' while 12 per cent said they preferred using words which suit their vocabulary or the way they talk, rather than being formal.
Unfortunately, a whopping two thirds of people believe Britain is a 'rude' nation and 84 per cent think people should make more of an effort to show appreciation.
Four in ten people don't even send thank you letters anymore if they receive gifts through the post, and the same percentage wouldn't make their children send a thank you either.
While 11 per cent of British couples rarely tell each other how thankful they are for the support and kindness they show on a daily basis.
In fact, 77 per cent of people say the words used to say thank you are irrelevant, believing a nice gesture works just as well.
Fifty nine per cent of folk believe sending a tangible gift or card to say 'thank you' works better than words - because it means someone has taken the time and effort to go out and choose something nice.
The Me to You spokeswoman added: ''People often find it hard to express how they are feeling, and sometimes find it easier to write down their message - whether it is showing support, love, thanks or any other emotion.
''There can be a certain amount of awkwardness when thanking someone, especially if it is in return for an act of kindness which was above and beyond the call of duty.
''On these occasions, sending a card can be the best way to say exactly what you are feeling, putting real thought into what is said.''
As well as saying thank you, couples also find it hard to say 'I love you', with 14 per cent admitting they don't even say it once a day.
Research shows 49 per cent of people in a relationship think they should say the words more often, but find it difficult to show how they are feeling.
One in five people even admitted they only tell someone they missed them once a year.
More than 47 per cent also find it hard to tell others how they are feeling with expressions such as 'Sorry for your loss' and 'get well soon'.
And just under half of folk find it hard expressing their thoughts to friends or family members - particularly when acknowledging bad news.
TOP 20 WAYS TO SAY THANK YOU:
1. Cheers
2. Ta
3. That's great
4. Cool
5. Okay
6. Brilliant
7. Lovely
8. Nice one
9. Much appreciated
10. You star
11. Alright
12. Fab
13. Awesome
14. Wicked
15. Merci
16. Danke
17. Gracias
18. Super
19. Ace
20. Thank you
