My thoughts exactly

Jan Freeman's column yesterday deals with people who gripe that other people say the wrong things - not Don-Imus wrong, or Alberto-Gonzales wrong, mind you; these offenders are saying "It's the least I could do" or "No problem" or "It was a pleasure" when someone says "Thank you" to them. They say "Can I get a coffee?" instead of "May I have a coffee?" They say "Pleasure to meet you" instead of "How do you do."

Gasp!

Okay, these things are shibboleths, and maybe there's reason for them - but getting bent out of shape over it seems extreme to me. Surely the fact that other people maybe have different ways shouldn't be a surprise and offense to us.

I agree with her conclusion:

To take offense at someone else's kindly intended idiom because you have figured out, after much thought, how to read it as an insult -- well, I'm sorry, and I hate to say it, but if you'll forgive my speaking plainly, that's just cranky.