thank

Captain Obvious

A person who makes a statement or statements of such obvious meaning or implication as to be entirely redundant, superfluous, or unnecessary. Pauline: "The President has said that lower-class families are bearing the brunt of the recession worse than anyone else." Johnny: "Thank you, Captain Obvious!" A: "Your photos are out of focus because you didn't adjust the lens properly." B: "Wow, Captain Obvious strikes again!"

(I) can't thank you enough.

Fig. a polite expression of gratitude. Bill: Here's the book I promised you. Sue: Oh, good. I can't thank you enough. Tom: Well, here we are. Bill: Well, Tom. I can't thank you enough. I really appreciate the ride.

I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself.

Fig. I do not care about your opinion of this matter. Jane: This place is sort of drab. John: I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself. Bill: Your whole family is sort of loud. John: I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself.

I'll thank you to mind your own business.

Fig. a version of Mind your own business. (Shows a little anger.) Tom: How much did this cost? Jane: I'll thank you to mind your own business. Bob: Is your house in your name or your brother's? John: I'll thank you to mind your own business.

no, thank you

and no, thanks

a phrase used to decline something. Bob: Would you care for some more coffee? Mary: No, thank you. John: Do you want to go downtown tonight? Jane: No, thanks.

See also: thank

Thank God for small favors.

Rur. Be thankful that something good has happened in a bad situation. Charlie: We're out of gas, but I think I see a gas station up ahead. Tom: Thank God for small favors. He had a heart attack, but it was right there in the doctor's office, so they could take care of him right away. Thank God for small favors.

Thank goodness!

and Thank heavens!

Oh, I am so thankful! John: Well, we finally got here. Sorry we're so late. Mother: Thank goodness! We were all so worried. Jane: There was afire on Maple Street, but no one was hurt. Bill: Thank heavens!

See also: thank

thank one's lucky stars

Fig. to be thankful for one's luck. You can thank your lucky stars that I was there to help you. I thank my lucky stars that I studied the right things for the test.

See also: lucky, star, thank

thank someone for something

to show or state one's gratitude to someone for something. We would all like to thank you for coming tonight. Thank you for inviting me.

See also: thank

Thank you.

I am grateful to you and offer you my thanks. Bill: Here, have some more cake. Bob: Thank you. John: Your hair looks nice. Mary: Thank you.

See also: thank

thank you for a lovely evening

an expression said by a departing guest to the host or hostess at the end of an evening. (Other adjectives, such as nice, can be used in place of lovely.) Mary: Thank you for a lovely evening. John: Will I see you again? Bill: Thank you for a nice evening. Mary: Thank you so much for coming. Good night.

thank you for a lovely time

an expression said by a departing guest to the host or hostess. (Other adjectives, such as nice, can be used in place of lovely.) Bill: Thank you for a nice time. Mary: Thank you so much for coming. Bye now. John: Thank you so much for coming. Jane: Well, thank you for a lovely time. John: Don't stay away so long next time.

Thank you for calling.

Thank you for calling on the telephone. (Said when the call is helpful or a bother to the caller.) Mary: Good-bye. Sue: Good-bye, thanks for calling. John: Okay. Well, I have to get off the phone. I just wanted you to know what was happening with your order. Jane: Okay. Bye. Thanks for calling.

Thank you for inviting me.

and Thank you for inviting us.; Thank you for having me.; Thank you for having us.

a polite expression said to a host or hostess on departure. Mary: Good-bye, glad you could come. Bill: I had a great time. Thank you for inviting me. John: I had a good time. Thank you for inviting me. Sally: Come back again, John. It was good talking to you.

See also: thank

Thank you for sharing.

Inf. a sarcastic remark made when someone tells something that is unpleasant, overly personal, disgusting, or otherwise annoying. Thank you for sharing. I really need to hear about your operation. Thank you for sharing, Bob. I hope your parents' divorce goes well.

Thank you kindly.

Thank you very much. Tom: May I give you a lift? Jane: Why, yes. Thank you kindly. Mary: That's a nice suit, and you wear it well. Charlie: Thankyou kindly, ma'am.

Thank you very much.

and Thank you so much, a

more polite and emphatic way of saying Thank you. Tom: Welcome. Come in. Bob: Thankyou very much. Bill: Here's the book I promised you. Sue: Thankyou so much.

Thanks (a lot).

and Thank you a lot.

1. Inf. Thank you, I am grateful. Bill: Here, take mine. Bob: Thanks a lot. Mary: Well, here's your pizza. Bill: Thanks.

2. That is not worth much.; That is nothing to be grateful for. (Sarcasm is indicated by the tone of voice used with this expression.) John: I'm afraid that you're going to have to work the night shift. Bob: Thanks a lot. Fred: Here's your share of the money. We had to take out nearly half to make up for the damage you did to the car. Bill: Thanks a lot.

wham bam thank you ma'am

Rur. a bump in the road. We hit a wham bam thank you ma'am and lost one of our hubcaps. Watch out for the wham bam thank you ma'am at the corner of Third Street.

thank God

(spoken)

be pleased or happy Thank God no one was in the way or on the sidewalk when the bus went out of control. Thank God for John Hopkins - he has been a friend when my family needed friends.

Related vocabulary: thank goodness

thank goodness

(spoken)

I am pleased or happy thank heavens My husband cleans the barn every day, thank goodness.

Usage notes: often used instead of the more offensive idiom thank God

Related vocabulary: thank God

thank heavens

I am pleased or happy thank goodness Thank heavens that I began my career when there were a lot of jobs available.

Related vocabulary: thank God

thank your lucky stars

to be grateful for having good luck I thanked my lucky stars that no one took my bag when I stupidly left it on a park bench.

See also: lucky, star, thank

thank your lucky stars

to feel lucky or grateful that you have avoided an unpleasant situation I'm just thanking my lucky stars that I wasn't there when she was looking for someone to give the talk. And you can thank your lucky stars (= you should be grateful to me) that I didn't tell him when he asked.

See also: lucky, star, thank

thank God

Also, thank goodness or heaven . I'm grateful, as in Thank God you arrived safely, or We didn't, thank goodness, run out of food, or Thank heaven the book arrived on time. These ejaculations originally expressed gratitude to divine providence but today tend to be used in a more casual way. [c. 1200]

thank one's lucky stars

Be grateful for good fortune, as in I thank my lucky stars that I wasn't on that plane that crashed. This phrase, which reflects the ancient belief in the influence of stars over human destinies, appeared in slightly different form in Ben Jonson's play Every Man Out of His Humour (1599): "I thank my Stars for it." The exact locution dates from the 1800s and is more a general expression of relief than of belief in the stars' protection. Also see thank god.

See also: lucky, star, thank

thank you very much

phr. a (sometimes sarcastic) tag added to a statement for emphasis. (Often used when there is really nothing to thank anyone for.) I will manage somehow to find my own way out, thank you very much.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Inga	ING-ah (Swedish), ING-gah (German), EEN-gah (Russian)	Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, German, Russian, Ancient Scandinavian, A
Singh	-	Indian (Sikh)
Vaughan	VAWN	Welsh
Anwer	-	Arabic
Paulinha	-	Portuguese
Spomenka	-	Croatian