meaning - What is the purpose of using the word "why" in "why, thank you"?


I sometimes have heard somebody replying with Why, thank you. instead of Thank you.


What is the meaning of the first phrase? What is the difference between the two phrases?



Answer



It is definitely expressing mild surprise. Imagine you're giving a dinner party. You turn to the person sitting at the table next to you and ask them to pass the salt. They do. You say "Thank you." You wouldn't say "Why, thank you.", because there's no surprise, you were fully expecting them to pass it to you. But if someone says "I must compliment you, this stew is delicious!", you might well say "Why, thank you!", because you weren't expecting the compliment, it was a bit of a surprise. You could still say just "Thank you." in this case, but you wouldn't really ever say "Why, thank you." in the first case.


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