DonDud wrote:
"please" is just such a nonsense word anyway. It's obviously derived from pleasure, and can be used as a verb "to please," but in the context of asking for something, it really doesn't mean anything. How can adding a useless word to your sentence give more power to your request?
The word is short for the phrase
"If it pleases you", meaning "
I'm not trying to order you to do something you'd rather not, but if you don't mind, would you?"
It did and still does 'mean something' and serves a purpose. It lets the other party know that you are not a pushy, obnoxious ingrate, by phrasing your remark as a REQUEST rather than a DEMAND.
The reason for saying "
thank you" should be obvious unless you're a totally self-involved schmuck. Acknowledge the fact that somebody did you a niceness that they did not have to do.
That said, I hate compliments too, and my knee-jerk reaction is to negate them as in responding to "
You look nice" with '
Aah, my hair's a mess'.